The BBC has (finally) announced film is underway for Gentleman Jack series two.

We first confirmed there would be a second series of the Sally Wainwright drama back in May 2019, and as well as announcing the series has moved into production, the BBC has also given the following plot summary:

Yorkshire, 1834. All eyes are on Anne Lister and Ann Walker as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple. Anne Lister’s entrepreneurial spirit frightens the locals as much as her unconventional love life and, with Halifax on the brink of revolution, her refusal to keep a low profile becomes provocative and dangerous.

Numerous other stars are reappearing, including of course Suranne Jones and Sophie Rundle, are: Gemma Whelan, Gemma Jones, Timothy West, Stephanie Cole and Peter Davison.

Gentleman Jack series two will again use the real life diaries of Anne Lister — part of which were written in code — as its source, with every part of Lister’s story based in historical fact and the five million words she wrote in her journals. There’s also a new face as Joanna Scanlan (No Offence, The Thick Of It) will join as guest cast for series two in the role of Anne Lister’s outrageous former lover Isabella ‘Tib’ Norcliffe.

Sally Wainwright says: “I’m more thrilled than I’ve ever been about anything that we’re returning with a new series of Gentleman Jack. We’ve had such an extraordinary response from so many viewers all over the world about the first series, and I can’t wait to show them what we’ve come up with this time.

Gentleman Jack series one was a hit for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, averaging 6.8 million viewers across its eight-episode run. It won the RTS Drama Series award and received Bafta nominations in the Drama Series category, as well as the Leading Actress category for Suranne Jones’ performance. Internationally the series won the BANFF Rockie Award for Drama Series: English Language.

The full press release is available from the BBC here.