Hulu Axes Harlots After Three Seasons, Reprisal After One

After three highly-acclaimed seasons for the streaming service, Hulu has elected to pass on renewing the period drama Harlots for a fourth season and has also given the axe to the Abigail Spencer-led pulp crime drama Reprisal after one season, according to Deadline.

Reprisal was a hyper-noir revenge tale following a relentless femme fatale who, after being left for dead, leads a vengeful campaign against a bombastic gang of gearheads. The series starred Spencer (Timeless), Rodrigo Santoro (Westworld), Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Madison Davenport (Sharp Objects), Rhys Wakefield (The Purge), David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man and the Wasp), W. Earl Brown (Deadwood) and Gilbert Owuor (Goliath).

The series is created by executive producer and showrunner Josh Corbin (StartUp). Ann Johnson, Graham Littlefield, Barry Jossen, Corbin, Warren Littlefield, and Jonathan van Tulleken are also the drama’s executive producers with van Tulleken directing the pilot. Reprisal is produced by A+E Studios in association with The Littlefield Company.

Set against the backdrop of 18th century Georgian London, the third season of Harlots continued to follow the fortunes of the Wells family. Margaret (Samantha Morton) was sent to America in chains; Lydia Quigley (Lesley Manville) was vanquished and in Bedlam. It seemed that the Wells girls could free themselves of their mother’s feud, but running a lucrative brothel brought new enemies. Meanwhile Lydia, in her darkest hour, still found a way to bite.

Harlots co-starred Lesley Manville, Jessica Brown Findlay, and Eloise Smyth. Liv Tyler joined the show in season two, which found Margaret’s daughter Charlotte (Findlay) placing herself in the home of arch-rival bawd Lydia Quigley (Manville), bringing their toxic and deep-set rivalry to a dangerous new level. Meanwhile, alluring and wealthy socialite Lady Fitz (Tyler) is drawn by Charlotte into the plot against Lydia. The season dives deeper into the feuds, betrayals, and carnal connections amongst the characters, highlighting an incredibly relevant story about gender disparity and socio-economic unrest.

Harlots comes from writers and executive producers Moira Buffini, Alison Newman, Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, and Alison Carpenter. Coky Giedroyc was the lead director of seasons one and two, and Grainne Marmion served as producer. Harlots was the first series commissioned by Monumental Pictures, the independent company founded by Oscar-nominated producers Owen and Hayward.

Seasons 1-3 of Harlots are now available for streaming on Hulu, along with the sole season of Reprisal.