Dearest gentle reader, Bridgerton fever has swept our household and I daresay its swept yours (any of you also have a partner who started watching covertly while proclaiming they weren’t interested, but then got to the end of the first part of the third season boldly proclaiming that it’s the best show ever, that they wished it was on all the time, and, only half-jokingly, asked if we could have a Bridgerton-themed wedding? No? Just me? Cool.)
The last four episodes of the third season will be with us on June 13 (so more like June 14) and while Netflix are rather cruelly making us wait until then for more (I guess in the meantime we’ll keep watching the carriage scene and playing a strings-version of Pitbull’s Give Me Everything which in and of itself is a wild sentence) I’ve whipped up a list of other shows and movies you can crack into in the meantime.
The Gilded Age (Neon)
Created by the same man who brought us Downtown Abbey, The Gilded Age has similar vibes but is set in mid-late 1800’s New York during the battle of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ New York City – the ‘old’ being descendants of the very first NY settlers, and the ‘new’, the uber-rich (nouveau rich) interlopers who want what the old crowd have, prestige. The Gilded Age is great because you really see the intentional differences in establishing an anti-British culture (no tea!) and how robber barons, ladies of society and everyone in between rubbed along as things like electricity is tamed, the Brooklyn Bridge is opened and Americana is created. Notes: Three seasons, stars Meryl Streep’s daughter and features names of families you’ll know even to this day. Rockefeller, anyone?
The Great (Neon)
This is one if you like a side of silly and weird with your period romances (who doesn’t!?). Elle Fanning (yup, Dakota’s little sister) is absolutely BRILLIANT in this almost satirical take on the rise of Russia’s Catherine the Great and her hapless husband the emperor (played by the delightful Nicholas Hoult). The chemistry between these two is wild and plays perfectly against a steamy, rompy and scandalous plot. Notes: Three seasons. Don’t watch with parents.
Dickinson (Apple TV)
Haven’t heard of this one? We don’t blame you, for some reason this Hailee Steinfeld-led series has flown completely under the radar. She stars as Emily Dickinson, the 19th-century American poet who was little-known during her life, but has become known and regarded as one of the great poets of our time. However this series casts a more comedic lens over her life, as she rebels against societal norms and navigates the ups and downs of a sexist society. Notes: Three seasons. Surprisingly funny and it could be because of Hailee’s previous work but it’s hard not to think of Pitch Perfect!?
The Young Victoria (Netflix)
It’s weird how perfect Emily Blunt is as one of England’s most revered queens but this movie is truly an incredible watch as you follow a young Queen Victoria (funny that) on her journey to becoming the monarch, marrying the love of her life, Prince Albert, and dealing with a meddlesome mother and courtiers who try and take advantage of her assumed naiveite. Notes: Movie. Did you know Victoria is responsible for both the tradition of wearing a white dress on your wedding day AND for making Champagne producers in France create a dry style of bubbles? We have so much to thank her for.
Gossip Girl (Netflix)
No I haven’t lost my mind, hear me out – if you think about it, GG is basically the ton of the early 2000’s. Is Gossip Girl herself not a modern-day Lady Whistledown, with the backdrop of love, loss, scandals, betrayals and some very interesting fashion? I rest my case. Xoxo. Notes: Six seasons. Go for the nostalgia, stay for the eerily-creepy similarities to Bridgerton.
Outlander (Neon)
If you’re craving more steamy sex scenes set to Lord Worldwide club bangers (didn’t have that on the 2024 bingo card) then Outlander is the series for you. Like Bridgerton, it’s based on a series of romance novels and features 20th-century viewpoints – a former WWII combat nurse, Claire Randall, somehow finds herself swept back in time 200 years to 1743 Scotland and the Jacobite rising. She, of course, meets a dashing warrior and let’s just say these Scottish romps make the Daphne-Simon library ladder scene look like a polite kiss from your nan. Notes: Seven seasons. Definitely don’t watch with your mum. Or your nan, for that matter.
Derry Girls (Netflix)
Ok this has no similarities to Bridgerton apart from the fact it stars the incredible Penelope Featherington herself, Nicola Coughlan and as far as we’re concerned we’ll watch anything she’s in just on principle. Derry Girls is a brilliant watch however – set against the tumultuous Troubles of 90s Northern Ireland, it’s a hilarious, poignant and at times heavy look at what life was like growing up with a backdrop of religion, violence and national identity – and a group of hilarious, slightly offbeat friends and, of course, a sassy nun for good measure. Notes: Three Seasons. Potentially one of the best series since Fleabag?
Pride and Prejudice (Netflix)
We had to put it in, but if you’re really missing period romances, then you can’t go past the original. Well, this isn’t the ‘original’ telly retelling but Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden (yeah, the drippy guy from Succession) are brilliant as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy respectfully. Notes: Movie. Choose this one for when you’re just about to get your period and you need something light and inoffensive that won’t make you want to scream, cry or radically emote.
Little Women (Apple TV)
Look I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t love Barbie – but I DO love Greta Gerwig and her version of Little Women is truly a masterpiece. She masterfully undertakes the classic period piece that sees the March sisters come together in the aftermath of the Civil War in America – there’s a lot going on with these sisters, but the movie handles the twists and turns with aplomb. Notes: Movie. An incredible cast including Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern. Oh, and Meryl bloody Streep.
The Duchess (Apple TV)
I actually didn’t realise how many period dramas Keira Knightley had been in until compiling this list. This movie tells the story of the Duchess of Devonshire (Keira) who is trapped in a loveless marriage to a cold duke, and features some great feminist undertones reminiscent of Bridgerton. Notes: Movie. Based on a true story (seriously!).