Louisa Harland as outlaw Nell Jackson; (below) Frank Dillane as Charles Devereux
DISNEY; GETTY
I’m a really big fan of left-turns and unusual combinations,’ says Ben Taylor (Sex Education, Catastrophe), who directs the stage-setting opening episodes of Disney+ fantasy series Renegade Nell. ‘For me, this was the ultimate writer version: “Imagine Sally Wainwright doing a violent, period VFX romp.”’
Set in early 18th-century England, Renegade Nell’s eponymous outlaw (Louisa Harland, Derry Girls) turns to highway robbery after being framed for the murder of a local landowner. Nell also happens to be the strongest woman in the world, imbued with a Hulk-like left hook by a kindly demon sprite called Billy Blind (Nick Mohammed), and the only person who can stop a magical conspiracy targeting Queen Anne.