Here she is again. Sally Wainwright – the genius behind Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey, Last Tango In Halifax and Gentleman Jack – is one of the UK premier screenwriting talents, that’s an undeniable truth. So when news reaches you that she has created a show about a highwaywoman set in early 1700s England during the reign of Queen ‘Brandy’ Anne, then there’s no question you take a look.
So what would this be? A gritty, grimy story of struggle and life as a serial criminal? That’s what I thought it would be.
But no. Instead, Renegade Nell is fast, funny, kaleidoscopic, supernatural and immense fun. I’ll even go as far as saying that many buckles were swashed.
We meet Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland), a soldier returning from the Battle of Blenheim, part of the War of the Spanish Succession. Presumed dead, she arrives at her father’s tavern in Tottenham to surprise one and all. Her two younger sisters are delighted to see her, and her father (a Mr Trotter) can’t quite believe his eyes. However, it’s soon very apparent that trouble follows Nell and Nell likes trouble.
In the opening scenes, she’s accosted by a group of highwaymen but displays supernatural abilities to take down the gang. She’s even able to dodge bullets. The source of her abilities is a sprite called Billy Blind (Nick Mohammed) who comes in the form of a tiny human but is also able to change into a firefly and buzz into her mouth and down into her body. Nell acquired Billy while fighting abroad.
So. Yes. See what I mean? A gritty, grimy examination and deep character study of a criminal this is not. This is… fun.
In fact, this being on Disney+ and all… this is Marvel. Nell Jackson is an 18th-century superhero. This argument is bolstered by the emergence of big, bad villain, the Earl of Poynton (Adrian Lester, having a marvellous time), a man who, via spells and magical jewellery, is able to summon demons.
So there’s that as well.
Soon, Nell is first locking horns with dastardly magistrate’s son Thomas Jackson (Jake Dunn), his sister Sofia (The Sinner’s Alice Kremelberg) and then Poynton, who has grand designs on toppling the Queen herself and installing a Jacobite monarch.
Along the way to the inevitable final battle, Nell and her two sisters are on the run and encounter everything from a plague village to Newgate prison to members of the gentry who fall in love with the myth of a highwaywoman with supernatural powers.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s smart and has real heart (mostly thanks to the marvellously spirited Harland). (Oh, and rural Georgian has never looked so good or fresh.) It also has loads of great lines and set pieces galore – in fact, it’s the perfect family romp for an Easter weekend.
Let’s look a little deeper under the bonnet, though. Once again Wainwright subverts everything. She’s so adept and expert at taking environments that are more associated with men (the police, landowners etc) and writes brilliantly drawn, leading female characters to inhabit those worlds and drive those stories. Nell Jackson can be added to a list that already features Catherine Cawood and Anne Lister.
But this is a Disney show, so this series can be seen as quite important because it’s being seen globally and challenging gender stereotypes.
Was Renegade Nell what I was expecting? No. Did I enjoy it anyway? Absolutely, yes!
Paul Hirons
Renegade Nell is shown in the UK on Disney+
The Killing Times 
I’m a big fan of Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax, and know what a great writer Sally Wainwright is. Add a stellar cast and…it was meh. For me it was less than its parts. Some good characters that weren’t used well (Roxy and her ‘magic’ that screamed to be used at the finale but was Nell fighting instead/Uncle Jack who seemed to disappear looking for George) and I don’t know, it just was flat, meh. If there’s another series will I watch, probably. Maybe it’ll improve, find its stride, but not one I’ll recommend.
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