Gentleman Jack

Halifax, 1832. Anne Lister returns from Hastings to Shibden Hall, having discovered that her would-be companion and lover, the aristocratic Vere Hobart, has accepted a marriage proposal from a man. Despite her affection for her elderly aunt, Anne is frustrated by the shabbiness of her ancestral home and finds her father and long-suffering sister difficult to live with. A visit from her ex-lover Mariana Lawton compounds Anne's fear that she is destined to be alone. However, when Anne discovers that her land is rich in coal, her plans to transform the estate soon provide a welcome distraction from her broken heart. On the neighbouring estate, Crow Nest, shy heiress Ann Walker is quietly delighted to hear that charismatic Anne Lister is back. Meanwhile, Anne's servants and tenants have problems of their own. A hit-and-run accident on Shibden land puts a child's life at risk, and Anne's French maid Eugenie finds herself in trouble.

Anne begins a playful but dangerous courtship of shy local heiress Miss Walker, who quickly finds herself captivated by the attention of her charismatic and unusual neighbor. Anne's plan to renovate Shibden Hall is also stepping up a gear, and her determination to sink her own coal mines brings her into the path of local magistrate Christopher Rawson and his brother Jeremiah. Hearing rumours that the Rawson brothers have been stealing her coal, Anne looks for a way to use their dirty tactics against them. While Christopher remains defiant, Anne makes Jeremiah nervous. Miss Walker prepares for a trip to the Lake District. When she tells her cousin about her friendship with Anne, she is surprised by Catherine's reaction and begins to realise that Anne is not popular with everyone in the Halifax community. Back at Shibden, Anne's servant John Booth offers a solution to Eugenie's problem. Meanwhile, Anne, who has been grappling with her own dilemma, wonders if confronting the past could be the key to finding future happiness.

Anne and Ann have been growing closer since Anne arrived by surprise in the Lake District. Exhilarated by the pace at which their relationship is progressing, Anne soon guides it into romantic territory. She confides her hopes for the future in her aunt, who reminds Anne that this is Halifax, and people aren't always nice. Brushing off Aunt Anne's concerns that her bold behavior leaves her vulnerable to scrutiny, Anne has a proposition for Ann. Mrs. Priestley's inkling that there is something 'more tender still than friendship' about the two women's relationship presents a threat. Meanwhile, John Booth is surprised at his own romantic success. The Rawson brothers step up their attempts to outmaneuver Anne in the coal business. Marian Lister is annoyed that her sister is treating Shibden like a hotel, and Sam Sowden's mouthy behavior causes problems for his son Thomas, who reluctantly takes the law into his own hands.

Undeterred by Mrs. Priestley's warning about the dangers of their liaison, Anne and Ann are caught up in the excitement and passion of their affair. In York, Anne is delighted when Doctor Belcombe confirms that she is the perfect tonic for Ann's nervous disorder. The two women get a cooler reception back in Halifax, and when the news of a bereavement arrives at Cliff Hill, Ann's desperate reaction makes Anne suspect that there's more to it and that Ann has secrets of her own. At Shibden, Eugenie's misfortune has implications for John Booth. Anne is unimpressed to hear that Marian is dating someone who works in industry. As her rivalry with Christopher Rawson heats up, Anne steps up her plan to re-open her old coal mines and sink her own shaft. When people begin to question his father's disappearance, Thomas Sowden spins a risky web of lies.

The widowed Reverend Ainsworth arrives in Halifax with his sights set on Ann Walker's hand in marriage, as well as a position at a local church. Eliza Priestley - who remains bitterly angry with Anne Lister since she caught her kissing Ann Walker - encourages unctuous Ainsworth's predatory plans. Aware that Ainsworth's attentions are stirring up painful memories for her lover, Anne Lister sets out to deal with the clergyman in her own inimitable manner. She soon realizes however that there are greater demons inside Ann Walker's troubled mind, as the scrutiny of another member of Ann's tribe of friends and relations poses a further threat to their relationship. Anne presses on with the transformation of her estate, but there are signs that her ambitious plans could also be about to lead her into trouble. Meanwhile Marian remains impressed with Mr. Abbott, and a discovery in the pig-sty gives Mary Sowden reason to suspect that Thomas is lying about exactly how his father disappeared.

Sally Wainwright adapts the extraordinary life of Yorkshire landowner Anne Lister based on her meticulous and coded diaries. Halifax, Yorkshire, 1832. Anne returns from her travels in Europe to the family manor. She is cultured, highly educated, financially independent, practical and an expert in medical, legal and industrial matters. But, her attempts to restore the family's fortunes and find a woman with whom she can have a long term relationship, will be thwarted by both family and society.