Harlots is a British-American period drama television series created by Alison Newman and Moira Buffini and inspired by The Covent Garden Ladies by Hallie Rubenhold. The series focuses on Margaret Wells, who runs a brothel in 18th-century England and struggles to raise her daughters in a chaotic household.

The series premiered on 27 March 2017 on ITV Encore in the United Kingdom, and on 29 March 2017 on Hulu in the United States. It was subsequently renewed for a second series that premiered on 11 July 2018 in the United States. On September 24, 2018, Harlots was renewed for a third season

The Plot

London in 1763 is booming, and numerous women make a living selling sex. Women's opportunity for economic advancement is to marry well or be a prostitute. The city’s brothels are run by canny, cruel businesswomen such as Margaret Wells and Lydia Quigley. The prostitutes are reviewed in Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies, which some of the women are seen reading in the premiere episode.

But there is a new morality in the air as religious crusaders demand the closure of brothels, and the constables are happy to launch brutal raids.[2]

Episodes revolve round Mrs Wells' determination to improve her life and fortune by moving her brothel to Greek Street in Soho and serve a better class of Georgian society. To finance the move, after receiving a £100 fine, she auctions the virginity of her younger daughter Lucy as she had done before with her older daughter Charlotte when she was 12 years old. Charlotte is the lover of the besotted Sir George Howard, who wants her to sign a contract with him that makes him her "keeper."

Margaret's move to Greek Street puts her into conflict with Lydia Quigley, for whom she had previously worked as a prostitute. Lydia Quigley operates a high class brothel in Golden Square, serving rich, highly influential people in the judiciary and police, and blackmails a religious reformer into opposing Margaret.

Cast of Characters

Main  Characters

• Samantha Morton as Margaret Wells, madam of a low-class brothel seeking to improve her fortune, and former prostitute of Lydia Quigley
• Lesley Manville as Lydia Quigley, madam of a high-class brothel with clients from the judiciary, nobility, and upper echelons of Georgian society
• Jessica Brown Findlay as Charlotte Wells, eldest daughter of Margaret Wells and prostitute
• Dorothy Atkinson as Florence Scanwell, religious campaigner
• Pippa Bennett-Warner as Harriet Lennox, a former slave who comes to England as Nathaniel's wife with two children
• Kate Fleetwood as Nancy Birch, a long-time friend and neighbour of Margaret Wells, who specialises in flagellation.
• Holli Dempsey as Emily Lacey, prostitute who deserts Margaret Wells for better prospects at Lydia Quigley's brothel
• Douggie McMeekin as Charles Quigley, son and aide of Lydia Quigley who takes to sampling the girls his mother employs, especially Emily Lacey
• Edward Hogg as Thomas Haxby, manservant and much put upon by Sir George (season 1)
• Richard McCabe as Justice Cunliffe (season 1)
• Danny Sapani as William North, partner, protector, and lover of Margaret Wells, born a free man in England
• Hugh Skinner as Sir George Howard, soon to be a member of Parliament, generally under the spell of Charlotte Wells (season 1)
• Eloise Smyth as Lucy Wells, youngest daughter of Margaret Wells, inexperienced prostitute learning the trade
• Sebastian Armesto as Josiah Hunt (season 2)
• Liv Tyler as Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam (season 2)
• Julian Rhind-Tutt as Harcourt Fitzwilliam, Marquess of Blayne (Season 2)

Recurring Characters

• Roy Beck as Mr. Abbadon
• Rosalind Eleazar as Violet Cross, prostitute, one of Nancy's girls.
• Rory Fleck Byrne as Daniel Marney (season 1)
• Tim McInnerny as Lord Repton (season 1)
• Fenella Woolgar as Lady Repton (season 1)
• Con O'Neil as Nathaniel Lennox, plantation and slave owner, former lover of Margaret Wells (season 1)
• Bronwyn James as Fanny Lambert, prostitute of Margaret Wells described as a fat jolly girl in the Harris's list.
• Jordon Stevens as Amelia Scanwell, daughter of Florence Scanwell
• Alexa Davies as Betsey Fletcher, prostitute, one of Nancy's girls (season 1)
• Poppy Corby-Tuech as Marie-Louise D’Aubigne, French-speaking prostitute of Lydia Quigley's house (season 1)
• Josef Altin as Prince Rasselas, a young molly boy who plies his trade on the streets of Covent Garden
• Jordan A. Nash as Jacob Wells North, son of Margaret Wells and William North
• Ellie Heydon as Anne Pettifer, one of Lydia Quigley's girls
• Steven Robertson as Robert Oswald
• Timothy Innes as Benjamin Lennox, eldest child from Nathaniel's former marriage
• Ziggy Heath as Sam Holland
• Ben Lambert as Lord Fallon, an aristocrat who takes an interest in Margaret Well’s youngest daughter Lucy.
• Gerard Monaco as Mr. Armitage
• Sean Hart as Sir Christopher Rutledge
• Amy Dawson as Mary Cooper (season 1)
• Eleanor Yates as Lady Caroline Howard, wife of Sir George who understands his dalliances can be used to her advantage. (season 1)
• Lottie Tolhurst as Kitty Carter, prostitute of Margaret Wells

Guest Characters

• Stephen Beckett as Mr. Lynch
• Michael Simkins as Justice Poulson