In the Trailer for 'Alice & Jack', Love Is Both Beautiful and Bittersweet

As William Shakespeare himself once said, "the course of true love never did run smooth."  And if the trailer is anything to go by, that certainly seems to be the case in the upcoming Masterpiece drama Alice & Jack, a contemporary-set romance about a pair of imperfect people with messy lives and a connection that often feels like destiny. Or, at least, what we think destiny ought to be, all quotes from A Midsummer Night's Dream aside. 

The series, which debuted its first two episodes at the Toronto International Film Festival last Fall, will premiere on PBS this Spring. It stars Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) and Domhnall Gleeson (About Time) as the titular couple at the center of this star-crossed love story. The story of their imperfect relationship spans 16 years and many ups and downs, as the would-be couple is repeatedly drawn together and pushed apart. (Both due to external forces and as a result of their own actions.) 

“We unite in yearning to see evidence of real love, and, too, are soothed to share with one another the ache of its inevitable imperfection,” Riseborough said in a statement. “This story is for anyone who could or couldn’t make the sacrifice that love demanded, for anyone who battles and accepts the one who makes their soul soar, for anyone who longs to feel, who has felt, and who feels the tingling anticipation of love’s joy.”

Alongside Riseborough and Gleeson, the series also stars Aisling Bea (Doctor Who), Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education), and Sunil Patel (Stath Lets Flats). 

Here's the series' synopsis.

Alice & Jack is a love story for the ages. When Alice and Jack first meet they’re bound by a connection so powerful it seems nothing can break it, but will their path lead them to a place of happiness and togetherness? Or will life and their own emotional complexities get in the way? Honest, intimate, and surprisingly funny, the series shows love in all its unexpected, technicolor, kaleidoscopic beauty.

Alice & Jack is created and written by Golden Globe winner Victor Levin (Mad Men), with Juho Kuosmanen (Compartment 6) and Hong Khaou (Lilting) directing. Executive producers on the project include Levin, Risborough, Gleeson, and Kuosmanen, with Richard Yee and Krishnendu Majumdar for Me + You Productions, Michael London and Shannon Gaulding for Groundswell, Lorenzo De Maio for De Maio Entertainment, Rebecca Dundon and Hilary Martin for Fremantle, plus Simpson for Masterpiece. Tracy O'Riordan is producer.

“This is an exceptionally beautiful and profound series that we are proud to add to our lineup, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with the U.S. audience,” Suanne Simpson, Executive Producer of Masterpiece, said in a statement when the series' acquisition was announced.

Alice & Jack will premiere on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET on most PBS stations, following the debuts of Call the Midwife Season 13 and the new Helena Bonham Carter drama Nolly. All six episodes will arrive on PBS Passport the same day for members. As always, check your local listings.