MovieChat Forums > Harlots (2017) Discussion > Could have been amazing...alas...

Could have been amazing...alas...


I just found out about this series, and I was thrilled for all of two minutes, as I've always thought this era, society, and profession would be a fantastic setting for a period drama, ever since I read Hallie Rubenhold's groundbreaking writings on the subject of Georgian sex-work.

Now I find that apparently this series has borrowed heavily from her original research and non-fiction narratives, and has refused to offer due credit to this hard-working and talented historian and writer, even going so far as to link to the rare few other published variations of Harris' list in all promotional media, ignoring that Rubenhold's books are by far the most thorough and popular editions...and certain elements of characters and plot-settings seem to have been drawn directly from Rubenhold's research, and not merely from Harris' list (which, as writings go, is pretty bare-bones in terms of character and narrative. It's exactly what it says it is--a list.)

Samantha Morton is one of my favourite actors, and this period one of my favourites in history, but my respect for the painstaking work historians and writers do to bring fascinating lost history to light means that already I feel like my experience of this show will be tainted, overall, and I doubt I'll be able to bring myself to watch and enjoy it.

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Wait for the reviews.
By the time they're done, no reputable historian may want to have their name associated with it. More and more, I see projects claiming historical sourcing and actually based on trite soap operatic conventions, dressed up in the costumes they used for last year's fake epic.
Nothing much in the CV of the producers to indicate otherwise.

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Awful show. Disgusting and I am no prude. Jessica Brown Findly, who was the beautiful Lady Sophie in Downton Abby shows her a$$. This is all smutty. imho

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I watched the season... Some great moments, but I felt they didnt do enough character development for the audience to invest fully. I did like it, the costuming was superb, the make up etc.. But they needed to tighten the script up. The fellow from Penny Dreadful was great. as well as who played Sybil on Downtons Abbey. Those two alone held the show for me.

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