I thought this show had a couple of significant strengths. Sally Wainwright's work as creator and director, along with Suranne Jones’ performance as Anne Lister, were definite highlights. It offers an unusual combination: it's set in the early 1800s within the costume drama genre, but also portrays a woman who attempted to live her life in a way that resembled a man, which was quite remarkable for that era. The narrative kept me engaged throughout, thanks to solid writing and Wainwright’s usual knack for assembling a talented supporting cast alongside Jones. Timothy West and Gemma Jones are just two examples. There's reportedly another season planned to keep the story going. The characters and plot were based on a diary actually written by Anne Lister, which she encoded to shield herself from the restrictive social norms of her time; therefore, this isn’t a fabricated narrative designed to appeal to contemporary progressive viewpoints. I looked into Lister’s life further after watching, and it didn't appear to be one of those fanciful re-interpretations you occasionally encounter. Now, looking forward to series two!

Source on TMDB