With this recent instalment focusing on the upstairs-downstairs dynamic between Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), as well as clearly being inspired by the fairytale of Cinderella, there are plenty of other similarly themed shows out there for fans to enjoy.
Especially in light of this recent season, Downton Abbey is a natural comparison to make to Bridgerton season 4. There are plenty of episodes to binge-watch in that ITV series alone but there are also the likes of racier dramas like The Buccaneers or Mary & George, as well as historical shows inspired by real-life figures like Victoria or Dickinson.
Keen to get a similar Bridgerton fix whilst we wait for more episodes? Read on to find out what series you should be tuning into.
The Buccaneers
At the core of this (not entirely historically accurate) series is the importance of female friendship, making The Buccaneers an equally heartwarming watch as much as it is deliciously dramatic.
If you're a fan of Bridgerton, you'll definitely enjoy the essence of this Apple TV series which focuses on a group of American women who head to London in order to find esteemed men to marry. A tale of cultural differences, love and yearning, it plummets us straight into English high society – with impressive outfits, settings and a pop-filled soundtrack to match.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Sure, this series may technically be a part of the Bridgerton universe, but this spin-off deserves its own shoutout in this roundup. While it does focus on the character of Queen Charlotte, who we know to be played by Golda Rosheuvel, this series takes us even further back in time to when she arrives from Germany to the UK to be wed to a mysterious suitor. It's a mutually advantageous partnership but it's clear from their first meeting that the young Queen (played by India Amarteifio) and King George (played by Corey Mylchreest) have a certain spark.
Unlike Bridgerton, this series doesn't solely rely on yearning, stolen glances and racy scenes but is all the more sweeter as it is an extended tale of young love. As well as capturing attitudes towards race, mental health and medicine at the time, the series underlines an important backstory for one of Bridgerton's most beloved characters.
Sanditon
Rose Williams leads the cast of this British period drama as Charlotte Heywood, a young woman who moves to a fishing village in the hopes of more. Based on an unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen, the series certainly has the air of the classic author as we follow Charlotte on her new journey, meeting new people – and suitors – in the process. Despite initially being cancelled by ITV after its first season, the fans of this series campaigned for its continuation and it worked, a testament to the storytelling and characters at the heart of this tale.
Outlander
If you're a fan of Bridgerton's more risqué scenes then Outlander is an apt follow-up, if you haven't already ventured into the historical series. While towing the line with fantasy also, Outlander centres on the time travelling abilities of Claire (Caitríona Balfe) as she ventures from one time period to another and encounters Jamie (Sam Heughan). One of the most beloved leading TV duos, their chemistry is clearly palpable and as we progress through the now seven seasons, outside forces continue to threaten their union and family.
While Bridgerton doesn't quite reach the same dramatic heights as Outlander, if you're a fan of being plummeted into historical periods of time head-first, you've got plenty to dig into with Outlander.
Outlander: Blood of my Blood
We couldn't mention Outlander without also offering up Blood of My Blood as another viable streaming option – and what's better is that if you're not caught up on the original series then it's less of a daunting task with Blood of My Blood, seeing as there's just one season out right now. Having already been renewed for a second outing, this prequel series follows both Claire and Jamie's parents as their parallel love stories unfold across two different timelines and locations.
There is a big twist that we won't tell you about but it's safe to say that a double-dose of love, paired with some high-stakes situations and general class expectations of the time makes for quite the satisfying series.
Belgravia
From the creator of Downton Abbey, Belgravia transports us back to the 19th century into one of London's most affluent areas where class, wealth and status are at the forefront of nigh on everything. Featuring the likes of Philip Glenister, Tamsin Greig, Harriet Walter and Ella Purnell, the series centres on the Trenchard family who are rising up through the middle class and the Bellasis's, who are firmly in the aristocracy. However, when a scandalous secret is uncovered, their lives are entwined with one another's, providing a healthy dose of scandal for viewers at home.
Victoria
While Bridgerton isn't solely interested in the events of the Royal family, it does venture into high society and aristocracy. So, there are similarities and certainly some differences between Bridgerton and Victoria.
However, if you're a fan of period pieces then Victoria will be right up your street, with the series focusing on the Queen's ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18, navigating a male-dominated court. Not only is she managing a country, but she's also balancing her societal duties of the time as a wife and mother, with the complete run of seasons covering the Queen's reign across the ages.
Downton Abbey
This season of Bridgerton more than any other is a perfect comparison to Downton Abbey, with both shows giving us a window into the upstairs-downstairs dynamics at play in any large British household of the time. Where Bridgerton isn't solely focused on that, Downton Abbey transports us to its fictional estate where the aristocratic Crawley family live.
Their servants keep the house in order but aren't without their own interpersonal drama. But the series also uses the backdrop of major life events (the sinking of Titanic and the First World War, for example) to paint a picture of how life was for a range of classes at the time.
The Gilded Age
Another series from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, this period drama is set in America in the 1800s as Marian Brook moves to New York after the death of her father. -Civil War era that the series is set in forms a backdrop to the drama, which really depicts the expansion of wealth, class and material excess at the time. Marian's just trying to find her feet in the bustling city, with her eyes being opened to a whole new world of possibilities – but nothing is ever certain in this frivolous world of 'new' and 'old' money.
Really, if you like the soapy and often dramatic nature of Bridgerton, you'll appreciate the twists that unfold in this glitzy series that doesn't shy away from any of the pomp of the era.
My Lady Jane
Although this Prime Video series has now been cancelled, it's actually the perfect amount of episodes to binge-watch between the episode releases of Bridgerton, if you really think about it. A fantasy spin on the life of book-smart Lady Jane Grey (played by Emily Bader), who is coerced by her mother into marrying Lord Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel), this series is a camp reimagining of our protagonist.
The series unfolds in the 16th century but goes one step further than many other period dramas by also including humans who can take animal form, providing plenty of added colour to class conversations of the time.
Mary & George
If you're after plenty of scandal, sex and backstabbing, look no further than Mary & George, which is inspired by a very real true story and has been written by Killing Eve's DC Moore. Of course, there's plenty of creative licence at play in this series, which follows Mary and George Villiers, a mother and son who stopped at nothing to become one of the most powerful families in 17th century England.
Portrayed by Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine, the pair are a formidable leading duo in this series that packs in plenty of wit and humour alongside its jaw-dropping twists. The series also shines a light on a lesser known chapter of British LGBTQ+ and royal history, gloriously doing away with the trauma that can often come from marginalised stories of the time.
Poldark
Based on the historical novels by Winston Graham, Poldark centres on the story of American Revolutionary War veteran Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) as he returns to his Cornish familial estate. Returning to find his father dead, his childhood sweetheart engaged to his cousin and his estate ruined means there's a lot for Poldark to wrap his head around.
Thankfully, he enlists the services of maid Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson), with the pair forming a romantic connection. While there are class conflicts and some tragedy to be had in the series, it does nail steamy scenes and yearning much in a similar fashion to Bridgerton.
The Law According to Lidia Poët
Telling the tale of the first modern female lawyer in Italy, this period drama takes on a procedural element, making it all the more gripping than your usual meandering series. Matilda De Angelis leads the cast of this Netflix series as the titular character, who was initially suspended from practising law due to her gender. Not only does the series hone in on Poët's fight for equality in her industry, but it also chronicles the various murder cases she investigates while fighting to practice law.
Harlots
Set in 18th century London when the only possibilities for women's economic advancement were either to be married or work as a prostitute, this series focuses on brothel owner Margaret Wells (played by Samantha Morton). There's plenty to enjoy in this series, not least the fact that it's helmed by a stellar female-led cast that shines a light on the attitudes towards sex work at the time. With a rivalry at its centre (between that of Wells and rival madam Lydia Quigley, played by Lesley Manville), it keeps viewers on their toes and guessing, something that we don't always get in Bridgerton in massive spades.
Vanity Fair
Before her stint as Eloise Bridgerton, Claudia Jessie was already in the world of period dramas in this adaptation of William Thackeray's novel. Focusing on Becky Sharp (Olivia Cooke), a social climber who is the daughter of an artist and opera singer and uses her feminine wiles to seduce men from the upper classes. A fun and flirty protagonist herself, we also follow Jessie's Amelia, who is Becky's friend and is a touch more naive. It's a fast-moving and smart series, packing in the humour in bounds and at just one season long, really is the perfect series to sit down and get through in one go.
Dickinson
How do you even go about trying to dramatise the life of an author who was famously a recluse and kept much to her self? Well, you do away with the rule book and reimagine her as a pop-loving heroine who railed against the system in order to get her books published.
While not entirely far from the truth of the time period and how it was for women at the time, Dickinson certainly isn't the lonely or sad image of a poet that many of us came to understand through the school curriculum. It's definitely not the most accurate series out there but it's a fun time and showcases themes of expression, identity and sexuality that Bridgerton similarly broaches.
Lark Rise to Candleford
This adaptation of Flora Thompson's memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood certainly was a more recent jewel in the period drama crown for the BBC. Although the show did end rather abruptly (but nonetheless on a high), fans enjoyed four seasons of enjoyable TV. Following Laura (Olivia Hallinan) as she makes the move from Lark Rise to her aunt's house in Candleford, Laura's world is opened up a lot more than it was in her small hamlet. While the stakes of this series aren't terribly high, it's still an all-round lovely show that is both an easy watch and warm.
Tom Jones
While it's clear they have a connection that they want to pursue, the world is against Tom (Solly McLeod) and Sophia's (Sophie Wilde) union, simply because they're from different classes. Taking matters into her own hands, Sophia's aunt, Lady Bellaston (Hannah Waddingham), stops at nothing to destroy their love, which certainly has flecks of Bridgerton about it.
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