15 TV Shows Like ‘Bridgerton’ You Should Watch Next
Shonda Rhimes’s vibrant, ultra-stylized Bridgerton has become a Netflix sensation. It’s based on Julia Quinn’s novel series, which, like any Regency novel, owes a great deal to Jane Austen. With a large, ever-changing cast—arguably led by Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope Bridgerton, ably assisted by Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ruth Gemmell, Polly Walker, and Julie Andrews (who voices the mysterious Lady Whistledown)—the series relishes the literary tropes of the era while ramping up the intensity with sex, scandal, and drama. Four seasons in and a spinoff, Bridgerton shows no signs of slowing down, but it’s far from the only popular historical drama in town.
Buccaneers (2023 – )
While it doesn’t reach the hyper-stylization of Bridgerton , this 1870s adaptation of Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel isn’t afraid to take liberties with costumes and music (like a key moment in season two, accompanied by Sabrina Carpenter’s “Looking at Me”). The pirates of the title refer to the so-called “dollar princesses” of the era: Nan St. George (Kristin Froseth) and her friends are young women from upper-class American families striving for success among the British aristocracy, where Americans earn titles and English lords manage their often-strapped estates. What begins as a mercenary soap opera for strong, spirited young women evolves into a search for true love. The series has been renewed for a third season on Apple TV+. Watch Pirates on Apple TV+ .
My Lady Jane (2024)
What if we made a gripping historical drama about England’s first (albeit only for nine days) queen, Jane Grey? But with an oppressed class of people who could transform into animals? Based on the book by Cynthia Hand, Brody Ashton, and Jodie Meadows, the series tells the story of pretender to the royal throne, Emily Bader, who faces a dying royal cousin, a questionable marriage, and competition from her sisters, Elizabeth and Mary. Magic and transformations make it all suitably wacky and very funny, opening with the incantation: “She could have been the leader England needed. Instead, history remembers her as the perfect damsel in distress. Screw it!” Watch My Lady Jane on Prime Video .
The Great (2020–2023)
Catherine the Great experienced a minor surge in popularity a few years ago, kicked off by the acclaimed HBO miniseries starring Helen Mirren. This series is quite different. The opening credits bill it as “a story, partly based on true events,” so you know what to expect. There are no real historical digressions, but it’s a genuinely funny political satire—and a satire on costume dramas in general—from the writer of The Favourite , starring the beloved Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. He plays Emperor Peter III, the husband Catherine will eventually overthrow, and the series builds on the sexual tension (and sometimes outright lust) between this married couple/political rivals, constantly on the verge of killing each other or taking their clothes off. Watch The Great on Hulu .
The Gilded Age (2022–)
Julian Fellowes popularized the period drama with Downton Abbey , and he does something similar here, setting the action in 1880s New York City. We are introduced to the world of New York’s high, and then ultra -high, society through Marian Brooke (Louise Jacobson), a poor relative of the estranged aunts who have taken her in, and Peggy Scott (Dene Benton), a young black writer from a middle-class family who becomes secretary to Agnes van Rijn (Christine Baranski). Agnes and her sister, Ada (Cynthia Nixon), are members of the old aristocracy and live across the street from the Russell family, a family seeking social advancement through new money (led by the imperious and charismatic Bertha (Carrie Coon)); established society is reluctant to let these upstarts in—though, as we all know, money talks. In some ways, the stakes are incredibly low (Bertha wants a better place at the opera! A handsome footman invents a new watch!)—so why is the series so addictive? It’s been renewed for a fourth season. Watch “The Gilded Age” on HBO Max .
Sanditon (2019–2023)
Based on Jane Austen’s final, unfinished work, Sanditon allows for greater creative freedom—it lacks the stylistic flourishes of Bridgerton, but instead offers a purer embodiment of the gripping Regency dramas Austen left us. Here, independent Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) seeks to reinvent herself by moving to a burgeoning seaside resort town (likely based on the real-life Worthing). She discovers that commercial prospects have attracted adventurers and swindlers to the area, creating a unique and vibrant social scene with all the balls and lavish costumes one would expect. Naturally, romantic complications arise as Charlotte begins to disapprove of the enterprising Parker family and finds herself at odds with, and then bonding with, the rambunctious youngest son, Sidney (Theo James). Watch Sanditon on PBS Passport or buy episodes on Prime Video .
Dickinson (2019–2021)
The series “Dickinson” is so meticulously strange that it deserves praise for its unexpectedness alone. But its most surprising aspect isn’t just its uniqueness—it’s its goodness. The series reimagines the life of 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson under the premise that she didn’t quite fit in with her era, a premise reflected stylistically in its casual use of anachronisms and modern perspectives (think of Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” or, for example, “Bridgerton “). The series is also beautifully filmed and acted, and surprisingly lighthearted for a show about such an enigmatic and enigmatic figure as Emily herself. Watch “Dickinson” on Apple TV+ .
The Decameron (2024)
Set several centuries in the past and set in Italy, The Decameron is a funny, dark, and ultimately surprisingly humane (in its own way) series that takes on Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century short story collection with a sweeping, Bridgerton-esque flourish. When the plague ravages Florence, a group of nobles and their servants retreat to a country villa to wait out the epidemic and plunder its liquor supplies. Rules and mores are upended, especially by the maid Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), who accidentally kills her mistress on her way to the villa and decides to take her place. Oddly enough, despite its predominantly terrible characters, the series proves incredibly compelling and deserved far more attention than it received upon its release.Watch The Decameron on Netflix .
The Tudors (2007–2010)
The series may take liberties with history, but it reminds us that the Tudors were far more depraved than all those archbishops would like to believe. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is far more attractive and arguably more charming than the real-life sociopathic serial killer Henry, but many of the female characters reciprocate (both politically and in bed), especially Natalie Dormer’s Anne Boleyn. Watch “The Tudors” on Paramount+ and Prime Video .
Reign (2013–2017)
We didn’t come here for historical accuracy, and this CW drama has little to offer. Adelaide Kane plays Queen Mary Stuart, better known as Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. At the beginning of the series, she’s presented as a young, confident woman growing up and simultaneously assuming royal power. The series is melodramatic, sexy, and a little kitschy—and I mean that as a compliment, of course. Watch Reign on Prime Video .
Washington Black (2025)
Maintaining elements of the hyperbolic style of Bridgerton but with a steampunk aesthetic, Washington Black follows a young genius (Ernest Kingsley Jr.), a former slave with a mind and spirit as inventive as any Jules Verne character, who comes under the mentorship of Medwin Harris, played by Sterling K. Brown. This introduction to the wider world sets off a series of adventure stories that, despite their quirkiness, don’t ignore the unique dangers and challenges facing Black men in the 19th century. In the absence of more complex narratives about real historical figures, this series (and Esi Edugyan’s novel on which it’s based) at least highlights the idea that Black history in North America has included innovation, progress, and even joy. Watch Washington Black on Hulu .
The Chef of Castamar (2021)
Fast forward to Madrid, just a few decades earlier than Bridgerton, where Clara Belmonte (Michelle Jenner) takes a job in the kitchen of the Duke of Castamar (Roberto Enríquez). He’s been a virtual recluse since the unexpected death of his wife, but now the king and various members of his family are pressuring him to return to normal life, literally and figuratively, and fulfill his noble duties. Clara, on the other hand, has suffered from agoraphobia since her father’s execution and is quite content to toil in the gloomy kitchen, never venturing outside. Of course, the grieving Duke notices her just as he’s being proposed to. This Spanish film is packed with characters, plotlines, and sex.Watch “The Chef of Castamar” on Netflix .
The Law of Lydia the Poet (2023 – )
A gripping and action-packed historical crime drama, the series (largely) dramatizes the life of the real-life Lydia Poet, Italy’s first female lawyer, who was disbarred at the series’ opening in 1883 because “A CANDY LAWYER?! WHAT?” While struggling with this decision, she takes a job at her brother’s law firm, where, of course, she becomes the brains behind the operation, solving major cases in the grand style of the era (and with a healthy dose of sex, of course). The series has been renewed for a third season.Watch “Lydia Poet Law” on Netflix .
Sluts (2017–2019)
The historical costume drama series “Harlots” takes a unique direction and deserved more attention than it received in its three seasons. The women in the series are dressed not because they are royalty, but because they are high-class sex workers (if the title doesn’t hint at that) in Georgian England. When Margaret Wells moves her brothel to Soho, she finds herself in direct competition with her former owner, who runs an upscale establishment in the same neighborhood. The series has more sex and a more dynamic pace than more traditional period pieces, and the chess match between the rival houses (as both contend with the male-dominated law enforcement structure) makes for gripping viewing. Watch “Harlots” on Hulu .
Gentleman Jack (2019–2022)
Though she was afraid to speak her name out loud, the real Anne Lister certainly had no problem putting it into words—some five million words recorded in her numerous diaries. So many, in fact, that creating this series required new transcripts of works that hadn’t been fully studied, despite being written in the 1830s. Suranne Jones plays Anne Lister, a landowner and aspiring industrialist who returns to her inherited family estate to discover that neighbors are stealing coal from her land and that Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle), the wealthy owner of the estate, is quite attractive. It’s a witty and funny series, and the use of Lister’s many diaries gives it a genuine sense of verisimilitude in its portrayal of a gay pioneer. Watch Gentleman Jack on HBO Max or buy episodes on Prime Video .
Queen Charlotte (2023)
It’s probably obvious, given the direct connection, but just in case you missed it, let’s give this Bridgerton spinoff its due. Maintaining much of the original series’ style but with a keen focus on its heroine, Queen Charlotte brilliantly crafts a passionate, tormented romance between the Queen (played here as a young woman by India Amarteifio, with Golda Rosheuvel reprising the role in framing episodes) and King George III (Cory Mailchrist). The pressures of royal life and the King’s growing mental illness create a rocky road for the young couple, but their passion is touching and incredibly, incredibly passionate.Watch Queen Charlotte on Netflix .