The Creators of 'Harlots' Based the Show on a Real 18th Century Directory of Sex Workers
Harlots season 3 premiered on Hulu on July 10.
The show follows a group of women (including actresses Jessica Brown Findlay and Liv Tyler) who work in brothels in 18th century England.
The Hulu series is a period drama — but is Harlots based on a true story?
Beloved period drama Harlots has officially returned to Hulu for season 3, and all the juicy, sexy drama is back in full swing. As it follows Charlotte Wells (Jessica Brown Findlay), Lady Fitzwilliam (Liv Tyler), and the rest of their 18th century crew, the hit Hulu series transports viewers back to a very believable Georgian era England — but is Harlots actually based on a true story?
The short answer is no ... but also kind of yes. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Harlots creators Alison Owens and Moira Buffini first began dreaming up the concept for the series when they read the 18th century "guide book" Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies. The publication is a real-life directory of sex workers in London during the Georgian era, and it was edited and published regularly from 1757 to 1795. Considered to be the ultimate resource for men looking to spend the evening with a sex worker, the book is chock-full of colorful descriptions of various women available for work — and it proved to be the perfect inspiration for Alison and Moira's hit series.
Furthermore, the show's creators and crew have worked hard to make as many aspects of the show as believably "Georgian era England" as possible. The scripts are in large part written with 18th century language in mind, and the costumes are created based on archived portraits and old sketches documenting the era's fashions. Plus, Alison and Moira based the show's main characters on real-life 18th century women they came across during their research.
"We took bits from people that we found ... We were inspired by them," Alison told Radio Times in 2017. "We've borrowed from real life a bit."
So, is Harlots based on a true story? Not really. But perhaps actress Lesley Manville (who plays Lydia Quigley in the Hulu show) said it best to the Los Angeles Daily News: "Moira has written something that's true if you ever read Harris's List, which is a hilarious read."
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