I Was Just Passing (S01E01)

Halifax, 1832. Anne Lister (Suranne Jones), returns to Shibden Hall, having discovered that her would-be companion, the aristocratic Vere Hobart (Jodhi May), has accepted a marriage proposal from a man. Despite her affection for her elderly aunt (Gemma Jones), Lister is frustrated by the shabbiness of her ancestral home and finds her father (Timothy West), and long-suffering sister (Gemma Whelan), difficult to live with. When Lister discovers that her land is rich in coal, her plans to transform the estate soon provide a welcome distraction. On the neighbouring estate, shy heiress Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle), is quietly delighted to hear that the charismatic Anne Lister is back. Meanwhile, a hit-and-run accident on Shibden land puts a child's life at risk, and Lister's new French maid, Eugénie (Albane Courtois), finds herself in trouble. (Home Box Office)