With a whopping 96% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it seemed as if The Great – aka the genre-bending satirical drama which gleefully described itself as the “occasionally true story” of Catherine the Great – was destined to be a part of our TV schedules for some time.

Alas, though, it wasn’t to be; the starry series was cancelled at Hulu after three seasons last August, right in the thick of the SAG-AFTRA strike. When it finally comes to Channel 4 on 8 July, it will mark the last time we get to spend time with Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult’s characters.

Watch the trailer for The Great season 3 below:

Paying tribute to the series on Instagram, Fanning said, “Through playing Catherine I discovered parts of myself I didn’t know I had. I love every crew member and cast member deeply. And although I won’t get to lace up my corset one last time, I am forever proud of what we accomplished together.”

She concluded: “In my mind Catherine is left ‘shaking it all night long’ finally stepping into the leader we always knew she would become, a multitude of lovers thrown in for good measure, many macaroons, vodka shots, long winded speeches, battles of wit, and of course HUUU-F—ING-ZZAHHHHSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Ready to say goodbye to The Great? Here’s what you need to know about the third season.

What is The Great S3 about?

The official synopsis for The Great’s third season reads: “Season three of The Great sees Catherine (Elle Fanning) and Peter (Nicholas Hoult) attempt to make their marriage work after some seemingly insurmountable problems. Peter witnessed his own attempted murder at Catherine’s hands and she also imprisoned all of his friends. On top of this, Peter is at a loose end playing First Husband to Catherine’s reign, so he busies himself with fathering, hunting and salty culinary ventures. But they’re not enough to keep him contented as visions of his late father (played by Jason Isaacs), get in his head about his failures as Peter the Great’s son.”

It finishes: “Catherine the Great starts making a name for herself beyond her borders and inspired by a visit from the US ambassador, sets up a conference where peasants, nobles and merchants can all give their input on developing a new Russia. She learns that even the best political leaders sometimes need to make compromises in order to progress.”

Consider us well and truly compelled.

Who stars in The Great S3?

Fanning, Hoult, and Isaacs are joined by a fantastic ensemble cast, including:

• Phoebe Fox
• Adam Godley
• Brenda Bromilow
• Sascha Dhawan
• Gwilym Lee
• Charity Wakefield
• Douglas Hodge
• Florence Keith-Roach
• Bayo Gbadamosi

When and where can we watch The Great season 3 in the UK?

The third season of The Great will premiere via Channel 4 on Monday 8 July.

Images: Hulu