Sally Wainwright’s ‘Renegade Nell’ Canceled After One Season At Disney+

Max Goldbart
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Sally Wainwright’s Renegade Nell will not make it past a first season on Disney+.

The series about a quick-witted outlaw in 18th century England, which was the storied British scribe’s first for a streamer, launched several months back. We are told it hasn’t reached the threshold for a Disney+ renewal based on several metrics. Cast, creatives and production staff at the show’s producer Lookout Point have been told.

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Renegade Nell was unveiled three years ago with fanfare and was one of the highest profile series to be commissioned out of Disney+’s UK office.

Starring Derry Girls’ Louisa Harland, the show followed the eponymous Nell, who finds herself framed for murder and unexpectedly becomes the most notorious outlaw in England. But when a magical spirit called Billy Blind appears, Nell realizes her destiny is bigger than she ever imagined. Cast also included Adrian Lester, Nick Mohammed and Joely Richardson.

Penned by Wainwright and directed by Ben Taylor (Sex Education), Renegade Nell was well received, with particular praise singled out for Harland’s performance.

A Disney spokesman said: “Disney+ Original series, Renegade Nell, will not be returning for a second season on the service. We’re incredibly proud of the world created by Sally Wainwright and lead director Ben Taylor. We’d like to thank them, our production partners at Lookout Point, the entire cast – led by Louisa Harland – and crew for their incredible work on this series, all of whom we hope to work with again in the future.”

The Renegade Nell news comes just a few days after Disney+ and the BBC confirmed Doctor Who spin-off The War Between The Land And The Sea at Comic-Con, starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. The future of that broader Doctor Who deal has been in the spotlight of late after the regenerated sci-fi series attracted a mixed reception.

Other Disney+ UK originals include Emma Moran’s Extraordinary, Sean Bean-starrer Shardlake and the upcoming adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals.

Wainwright, who concluded Happy Valley last year, is currently working on BBC drama Riot Women, which will follow a punk band formed by five women going through menopause.

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