Move over Bridgerton, Netflix has just added another period drama to its UK platform and fans are hooked.
Harlots, which originally aired on the BBC in 2017, landed on the streaming site earlier this month and has since shot up the viewers’ must-watch lists, with fans praising the show for how “brilliant”, “realistic” and “hilarious” the historical drama is.
Thinking of giving it a watch? (We think you should).
Read on for everything you need to know about the series, including the incredible cast list, which includes none other than Lesley Manville.
What is Harlots about?
Set in the 18th century, Harlots follows determined brother owner Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton), as she tries to expand her business into the wealthier district of Soho. Her ambitions spark a fierce rivalry with Lydia Quigley, a powerful madame and former employer, played by Lesley Manville who will stop at nothing to protect her own empire.
Harlots cast
- Samantha Morton as Margaret Wells
- Lesley Manville as Lydia Quigley
- Jessica Brown Findlay as Charlotte Wells
- Eloise Smyth as Lucy Well
- Dorothy Atkinson as Florence Scanwell
- Pippa Bennett-Warner as Harriet Lennox
- Kate Fleetwood as Nancy Birch
- Holli Dempsey as Emily Lacey
- Douggie McMeekin as Charles Quigley
- Edward Hogg as Thomas Haxby
- Richard McCabe as Justice Cunliffe
- Danny Sapani as William North
- Hugh Skinner as Sir George Howard
- Sebastian Armesto as Josiah Hunt (season 2)
- Liv Tyler as Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam (season 2–3)
- Julian Rhind-Tutt as Harcourt Fitzwilliam, Marquess of Blayne, the Archon of the Spartans (season 2-3)
- Anna Calder-Marshall as Mrs. May (season 2-3)
- Daisy Head as Kate Bottomley (season 3)
How many seasons of Harlot are on Netflix?
All three seasons of the show are now available to watch on Netflix.
There are 24 episodes in total and episodes are about 45 minutes long, which will make for the perfect bingeing session.
Following its Netflix release, viewers took to X (formerly Twitter) and praised the drama series.
“So delighted Harlots is now on @netflix I feel like the world is more ready than ever for a show like this! It’s a Bawdy, Hilarious, Real, Rude and sobering History lesson come to life! Also…“Look Mum…I’m a GIF!” wrote Holli Dempsey who plays Emily Lacey.
“Harlots is on Netflix today (UK) watched it the first time round and it’s brilliant if you like period drama mixed with saucy s**t,” another said.
“Harlots is on Netflix [is an] interesting take,” a third wrote.
