Netflix just made all 3 seasons of 'addictive' period drama available to stream
The ITV period drama Harlots has a Vincent Van Gogh category of TV reputation, as a show never properly appreciated in its time, but held in tremendously high esteem by those that did tune in.
Starring Lesley Manville, Liv Tyler and Samantha Morton, the show is set on the streets and in the brothels of Georgian England in the 1760s, as two warring madams battle it out.
It's an age-old tale of David and Goliath, with the upstart Margaret Wells (Morton) jostling for custom against the established Lydia Quigley (Manville).
Yet nobody is covered in glory on the sex-for-sale scene. Quigley doesn't care whether her girls live or die if she can curry aristocratic favour, while Wells is prepared to sell her daughters' virginities to the highest bidder.
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Harlots has a twisty plot and scenes that blend 18th century history with modern touches to an effect that fans of the now-cancelled The Great will relish.
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The frothy drama was a short-lived three-season affair on the similarly short-lived channel ITV Encore. Manville has chalked up the show's struggle to gain traction to being squirreled away in the schedules (via RadioTimes).
The BBC then picked up Harlots in 2020, treating the existing seasons to the primetime slot they deserved in order to fill the schedule amid a TV shortage during the pandemic.
Manville has said she would be very much up for a fourth season of the show, after its untimely conclusion.
'I'd always be interested – obviously I'd be interested,' she said during a press event. 'I had nothing but a pleasurable time doing all three series, and it was one of those blissful jobs.
'I'd definitely [give] that a lot of consideration but it's certainly not something that's been talked about.' More Trending
The show's three seasons – which are now all available on Netflix –currently hold a 97% rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with a set of glowing reviews from critics and audiences alike.
A review in Black Girl Nerds described the show as 'an addictive and binge worthy' watch, while a write-up in Time magazine said: 'Come for the strong female-driven storylines and stay for the truly memorable costumes.'
Meanwhile, The Times hailed it as a 'riotous period drama' and The Guardian said it was 'obscenely watchable'. Walk, don't run.
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Harlots is available to stream on Netflix.
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