Renegade Nell

StarringComposersOli Julian
Nick Foster^[1]Country of originUnited KingdomOriginal languageEnglishNo. of series1No. of episodes8ProductionExecutive producersProducersProduction companyLookout Point TVOriginal releaseNetworkDisney+Release29 March 2024 (2024-03-29) –
present (present)

Renegade Nell (formerly The Ballad of Renegade Nell) is a British historical fantasy action adventure television series written by Sally Wainwright. Produced by The Lookout Point for Disney+, the series premiered on 29 March 2024.^[2]

Synopsis

Nell Jackson finds herself framed for murder and becomes a highwaywoman in 18th century England,^[3] becoming the most feared highwaywoman in the country. With the help of a magical sprite called Billy Blind, Nell realizes her destiny is bigger than she ever imagined.^[4]

Cast

• Louisa Harland as Nelly "Nell" Jackson, a young fugitive
• Adrian Lester as Robert Hennessey, Earl of Poynton
• Nick Mohammed as Billy Blind
• Bo Bragason as Roxy Trotter, Nell's sister
• Enyi Okoronkwo as Rasselas
• Craig Parkinson as Sam Trotter, Nell's father
• Florence Keen as George Trotter, Nell's sister
• Frank Dillane as Charles Devereux, aka Isambard Tulley
• Alice Kremelberg as Sofia Wilmot, Thomas' sister and an ambitious widow
• Jake Dunn as Thomas Blancheford
• Pip Torrens as Lord Blancheford
• Jodhi May as Queen Anne
• Iz Hesketh as Valerian
• Joely Richardson as Lady Eularia Moggerhanger, a newspaper magnate
• Ashna Rabheru as Polly Honeycombe

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date [5]
1	"Don't Call Me Nelly"	Ben Taylor	Sally Wainwright	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
Outlaw Isambard Tulley and his gang rob a carriage in the forest, but are run off by Nell Jackson, returning home widowed from war after many years absent, and magically bestowed with recurring superhuman strength. Once home with her father, Sam Trotter, and two little sisters, Roxy and George, she eventually receives a warm reception. The party is crashed by Thomas Blancheford, cruel son of the local magistrate, whom Nell fights over his harassment of Roxy. After an initial struggle, she beats and humiliates Thomas. That night, Nell is woken by Billy Blind, a fairy who has been granting her superhuman strength for reasons unknown even to himself. Thomas seeks help with his accrued debts from Robert Hennessey, Earl of Poynton, who possesses knowledge of the dark arts. Poynton gradually suggests that Thomas must prove himself. Thomas proceeds to murder Nell’s father. While Thomas’ father, Lord Blancheford, takes measures to hide the culprit, Rasselas, their footman, informs Nell’s sisters of the truth. They go to the city to find Nell, who has been prevented from joining the army, and has encountered Isambard Tulley, here going by “Charles Devereux.” The sisters return to the Blancheford estate, where Lord Blancheford offers them tenancy of the family tavern in exchange for silence. He later reneges on this deal at Thomas’ urging. Nell returns to demand Lord Blancheford prosecute Thomas, and after he agrees, Thomas murders him. Thomas blames Nell for the murder and is supported by his sister Sofia, to the disbelief of Rasselas. Together, Rasselas and Nell escape, gather Nell's sisters and go on the run.
2	"Tracks Less Well Trod"	Ben Taylor	Sally Wainwright	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
As Thomas is haunted by his fathers ghost, the Earl of Poynton puppets the Blancheford family. Nell continues on the run with her sisters and teams up with Charles Deveroux. A carriage is hijacked by Nell, and as she robs the passengers, Billy reveals he has obligations to protect her although dissembles as to why. As the authorities, including Thomas and Alice, make plans to capture Nell she makes plans to head west to leave Roxy and George with their uncle and continue on to America. Back at the mansion the Poynton congratulates Thomas on murdering his father, and says he shows promise. Roxy talks about her crush on Rasseles, and talks about his past as an enslaved prince of Benin when they are interrupted by Charles Deveroux who tells Nell about her new bounty. He warns her against leaving her sisters with family and suggests teaming up. Nell reluctantly agrees, and they head to a nearby inn disguised as a noble retinue. Following Lord Blancheford's funeral Sophia and Poynton talk about Nell's newfound power, and he offers supernatural help. Nell group's disguise is rumbled by an employee of the inn who reveals they're visiting a local lord and hunters are dispatched, accompanied by Sophia. The Earl on hearing this summons an antlered rider from the bowels of the earth, as Roxy and George rush to warn Nell she's been caught.
3	"A Private Joke With the Queen"	Amanda Brotchie	Sally Wainwright	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
The gang is divided and injured by Poyntons dark magic. As Charles and Nell needle each over tea, Billy warns her that danger is coming, and they must leave. The hunters burst in along with the supernatural antlered knight which is controlled by the Earl. Nell fights the knight and struggles, even with Billy's help. She ends up defeating him, and the Poynton is injured. Nell manages to escape along with Rasseles, Roxy and George, but Charles is captured and George is shot. They come across an abandoned plague village in the woods and take shelter, where Nell tends to George. The queen and her council discuss the death of Herne the Hunter, the antlered knight summoned by Poynton. By tradition his appearance portends the death of a monarch. George develops a fever, and Nell and Rasseles head to find a physician. Nell talks to Billy who suggests she has a special task in store for her.
4	"Devil's Dung"	Amanda Brotchie	Sally Wainwright	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
Nell enlists help in a local town from an old doctor by posing as a Scottish aristocrat. Roxy finds an old text with the ingredients for a polluce, but the ingredients sound fantastical. She is guided around the cottage by some lights. Poynton persuades Sophia that he should move in with her and Thomas, but Thomas is against the idea. Back at the village, the doctor examines George, and discovers the police Roxy mixed helped, but he wants to do surgery to fix her again. In the course, he discovers Nell is Nell. Charles, temporarily freed from Newgate prison, an meets Lady Eularia, an old high-class woman. She accosts him and reveals that they're engaged but declines to help him. The doctor leaves after having finished the surgery on George, but suggests she visits his brother in Oxford to secure a fair hearing. Poynton agrees to tutor Sophia in dark magic to murder Nell, if she agrees to overthrow the queen and support the Jacobite cause. They plan to back and army James will be bringing over from France in a few weeks.
5	"Excuse Me, I'm a Doctor"	Amanda Brotchie	Sally Wainwright	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
6	"Snatched by Strollers"	MJ Delaney	Emme Hoy	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
7	"Stop Printing This Muck"	MJ Delaney	Georgia Christou	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
8	"Not Some Cheap Trick"	MJ Delaney	Emme Hoy	29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)

Production

In April 2021 it was revealed that Disney+ had acquired the series from British screenwriter Sally Wainwright. Ben Taylor, Amanda Brotchie and MJ Delaney are directing episodes. Faith Penhale, Will Johnston, Louise Mutter and Johanna Deveraux are executive producers. Jon Jennings is series producer and Stella Merz producer.^[6][2]

In a Radio Times interview following the series' premiere, director Ben Taylor said a second season was being written and would likely involve a time jump; Disney+ had yet to confirm whether there would indeed be a second season at the time of the interview's publication.^[7]

Casting

In August 2022 Louisa Harland, Nick Mohammed, Joely Richardson, and Adrian Lester were announced as being among the cast for the series.^[8]

Filming

Principal photography was reported to have started with a nine-month schedule for the planned eight episodes.^[9][10] Joely Richardson was pictured in costume at Oxford's Bodleian Library in October 2022.^[11] Other filming locations included Hampton Court Palace, Bourne Wood in Farnham,^[12] Rousham House in Oxfordshire, Broughton Castle (the Blancheford's manor house) also in Oxfordshire, and the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.^[13]

Broadcast

Renegade Nell streamed on Disney+ from 29 March 2024.^[14]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 28 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Renegade Nell has a hero worth rooting for in Louisa Harland, and even if it curiously blurs the line between family-friendly and edgy, it makes a spunky first impression."^[15] On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[16] Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph said "Harland carries the whole series and is sensational."^[17] Lucy Mangan in The Guardian gave the show four stars and described Harland as "being brilliant".^[18] Fiona Sturges in The Financial Times described it as a "stylish about-turn" for Wainright, but that "it is really Harland's show".^[19]Tinkerbell meets Robinhood in Tottenham forest tale^[20]

References

External links

• Renegade Nell on Disney+
• Renegade Nell at IMDb