Fingersmith

Ended20051 season · 3 episodes60 min

Raised among thieves in Victorian London, Sue Trinder knows how to play a useful part in someone else's scheme. A proposal to pose as maid to a…Read more +Read less −

Raised among thieves in Victorian London, Sue Trinder knows how to play a useful part in someone else's scheme. A proposal to pose as maid to a sheltered heiress promises a share of money that could change her life. Inside the remote household, however, her growing attachment to Maud makes the planned betrayal harder to carry out. Maud has her own reasons to want escape, and neither woman fully understands the forces arranging their future. The television serial combines a central romance between Sue and Maud with a twisting mystery about money, confinement and identity. Trust becomes both the thing they need most and the thing their circumstances make hardest to offer.

Drama Crime

Sapphic characters & cast

Sally Hawkins

as Sue Trinder

Main sapphic character

1976-04-27 · ♉ Taurus

Performer portrait via TVmaze; photographer and reuse rights unconfirmed

Elaine Cassidy

as Maud Lilly

Main sapphic character

1979-12-31 · ♑ Capricorn

Performer portrait via TVmaze; photographer and reuse rights unconfirmed

BEHIND THE SCENES

Details & credits

Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Premiere: 2005-03-27
Finale: 2005-04-10
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 3
Runtime: 60 minutes

Western TV draft; series only. Lightweight relevant credits, no public People profiles. Qualifying seasons separately specified.

Series promotional artwork via TVmaze; rights holder unconfirmed

Artwork source & permission status

Editorial review approved — rights not independently confirmed

Series promotional artwork via TVmaze; rights holder unconfirmed

Original publication ↗

Sources & editorial notes (6)

Last researched 2026-10-27. Editorially approved.

year: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
genres: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
country: Production country/version checked independently from language and current viewing territory: United Kingdom. Checked 2026-10-27.
language: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
description: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 2005 BBC serial centers Sue Trinder and Maud Lilly’s romance and intertwined deception. Distinct from the novel and 2016 film The Handmaiden. Some storefronts repackage the serial into two longer parts. Checked 2026-10-27.
finale date: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
watch links: Official exact title/episode or series storefront destination; region United States. Playback not tested. Checked 2026-10-27.
season count: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
western cast: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 2005 BBC serial centers Sue Trinder and Maud Lilly’s romance and intertwined deception. Distinct from the novel and 2016 film The Handmaiden. Some storefronts repackage the serial into two longer parts. Checked 2026-10-27.
episode count: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
premiere date: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
runtime minutes: Matching television/web series identity, aired-episode dates and cast metadata; checked 2026-10-27.
classification note: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 2005 BBC serial centers Sue Trinder and Maud Lilly’s romance and intertwined deception. Distinct from the novel and 2016 film The Handmaiden. Some storefronts repackage the serial into two longer parts. Checked 2026-10-27.
representation type: Verified qualifying storyline: The complete three-part 2005 BBC serial centers Sue Trinder and Maud Lilly’s romance and intertwined deception. Distinct from the novel and 2016 film The Handmaiden. Some storefronts repackage the serial into two longer parts. Checked 2026-10-27.