For far too long (like, literal centuries), Jane Austen's work has been one of just a handful of options available for people looking to read and watch period pieces that don't uphold stodgy and excessively patriarchal customs of the past. Fortunately for fans of both feminism and empire-waist dresses, however, recent years have ushered in a surge of empowering retellings of old-fashioned stories—as seen most recently in the Shonda Rhimes-helmed adaptation of Julia Quinn's popular Bridgerton book series, the third season of which dropped on Netflix last year.
The series focuses on the high-society Bridgerton siblings and an anonymous gossip columnist who has immense power and influence over Regency society and supports herself financially with this work. Bridgerton is modernized by the sly insertion of classical versions of current pop songs in the background, and by its depiction of Georgian society as far more racially diverse than it probably was (though historians believe there's a good chance Queen Charlotte was Britain's first mixed-race royal).
In short, it's a near-perfect show, and it would be perfectly acceptable if, after racing through the first three seasons, you're wondering what to watch next that will recapture even a little bit of the magic of Bridgerton. We've got you: Here are shows in the same vein as Bridgerton that will tide you over until it's time to return to our beloved London ton for season 4.
Shows Like 'Bridgerton' on Netflix
'Derry Girls' (2018–2022)
Fans of Bridgerton's own Penelope Featherington, Nicola Coughlan, must check out the period drama that put her on the map before. In this comedy, the Irish star plays a Catholic teen growing up and discovering her sexuality during the tumultuous Troubles of 1990s Northern Ireland. You won't believe how hard this group of girls and their high school misadventures will make you laugh.
'The Empress' (2022– )
There are countless shows about British royals and aristocracy, but what about all of the epic stories of monarchs throughout the rest of Europe? Set a couple of decades after the Regency era, this German-language drama is based on the early years of Empress Sisi of Austria (Devrim Lingnau), when she became betrothed to Emperor Franz Joseph I (Philip Froissant) at just 16-years-old. Though the pair's steamy romance marks a true love match, Sisi faces plenty of adversity as she struggles against the strict norms of Vienna's court.
'Gossip Girl' (2007–2012)
In the same way that Clueless is a wholly modernized remake of Jane Austen's Emma, so too is Gossip Girl basically the mid-aughts version of Bridgerton. There's an ensemble cast of characters causing scandals and falling in love, all encircling a core family-like group of friends, and all documented by an anonymous gossipmonger—good luck playing "spot the difference" between the two.
'Outlander' (2014– )
Like Bridgerton, Outlander is based on a long-running series of historical romance novels. It's similarly modernized, with our heroine Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) infusing her 20th-century viewpoint into the mid-18th-century Jacobite risings, to which she mysteriously time travels at the beginning of the first season. If you're still unconvinced, know that Outlander's eight seasons' of steamy sex scenes give Daphne and Simon's nonstop rendezvous a serious run for their money.
'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story' (2023– )
If you somehow missed all the hype surrounding the first-ever Bridgerton spinoff, congrats, a great watch is in store. The prequel series centers on the franchise's inimitable monarch, going back in time to show how a young Charlotte (played by India Amarteifio) fell in love with King George (Corey Mylchreest) and landed on the throne, though not necessarily in that order. Not only does their epic romance come close to rivaling the original series' pairings, but we also get to know young Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) and Violet Bridgerton (Connie Jenkins-Greig).
Shows Like 'Bridgerton' on Hulu
'The Great' (2020–2023)
This sexy, subversive show offers a hilariously outlandish take on the world of 1700s Russia by chronicling the life of Catherine the Great (played by Elle Fanning), whose badassery has long been overshadowed by all those rumors about her—ahem—affinity for horses. Come on: a young woman plotting to kill her bumbling husband (Nicholas Hoult) and overthrow one of the world's strongest governments to promote education and equality across the land? Sign us up.
'Pride and Prejudice' (1995)
If you'd prefer to go the more traditional route with your Pride and Prejudice adaptations, the 1995 BBC miniseries is an excellent choice. It delves even deeper into the novel than the 2005 film and, of course, features that unforgettable scene in which Colin Firth dives into a lake fully clothed, promptly initiating a one-man wet T-shirt contest so iconic that Bridgerton's second season snuck in a brief homage.
Shows Like 'Bridgerton' on HBO Max
'Gentleman Jack' (2019–2022)
Based on the real diaries of Anne Lister, Gentleman Jack depicts a woman whose life was truly one of a kind in the mid-1800s. Lister was an out lesbian and—gasp!—a landowner who documented her life in millions of words in her diaries, many of which were written in a code based on algebra and Ancient Greek. Be sure to set aside plenty of time to fall into a Wikipedia hole all about Lister (who is portrayed in the series by Suranne Jones) and her diaries after you finish bingeing the show.
'The Gilded Age' (2022– )
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes took his upstairs-downstairs intrigue and complex female characters across the pond in this new series set in Gilded Age New York. Among the cast of old-money and new-money socialites battling for power is Christine Baranski's old-money curmudgeon, Carrie Coon's new-money wife of a rollercoaster tycoon, Louisa Jacobson as a newcomer who doesn't ascribe to snobbish norms, and Denée Benton representing the elite of Black post-Reconstruction New York. New characters, the same social scandals, and class commentary.
Shows Like 'Bridgerton' on Apple TV+
'The Buccaneers' (2023– )
What Jane Austen was for the Regency period, Edith Wharton was for the Gilded Age. Based on Wharton's unfinished final novel of the same name, this series set in the 1870s follows a group of American socialite besties who cross the Atlantic Ocean to find suitable husbands. Here we have all the hallmarks of a modernized period drama: inclusive casting, anachronistic needle drops, and young women who strain against the machinations of polite society (plus the culture shock of the British responding to American ways and vice versa adds an extra layer of fun).
'Dickinson' (2019–2021)
It's about time somebody fixed Emily Dickinson's reputation as a melancholy recluse. According to this definitely accurate adaptation of the prolific poet's life, she was something of a party animal, with a penchant for getting high on opium and twerking in her corset to Drake and having regular interactions with Death himself, who looks suspiciously like Wiz Khalifa. As we said, very historically accurate—and very similar to Bridgerton in its ultra-modern soundtrack and feminist take on the 19th century.
Shows Like 'Bridgerton' on Prime Video
'Downton Abbey' (2010–2015)
If you somehow missed the Downton Abbey train when it premiered to near-instant acclaim in 2010, there's no time like the present to dive into the complex world of the upper-crust Crawley family. The series takes place a century later than Bridgerton but is just as jam-packed with society scandals, historical references, and a blunt take on the inherent classism of the British aristocracy.
'My Lady Jane' (2024)
For anyone who likes their steamy period drama with a side of the supernatural and a lot of irreverence, the regrettably short-lived My Lady Jane should be your next watch. This series inspired by the 16th-century figure Lady Jane Grey, who held the British throne for nine days before her death at age 17, raises a cheeky middle finger to the idea of historical accuracy. It's so much fun to watch the strong-willed Jane outwit the political forces trying to control her life. (Also, some of the characters transform into animals.)
'Reign' (2013–2017)
This period soap from The CW's golden age takes loose inspiration from Mary, Queen of Scots's life as the queen regent of France. (And by "loose inspiration," we mean, the main characters are named after real-life figures, and historical accuracy begins and ends there.) Upon her arrival in the French court, the young Mary (Adelaide Kane) must balance her strong will and mission to become engaged to Francis (Toby Regbo), heir to the French throne, with her unexpected attraction to Bash (Torrance Coombs), Francis's illegitimate half-brother.
'Sanditon' (2019–2023)
Jane Austen fans must check out this series based on the author's final unfinished manuscript, which expands on the diverse cast of characters living in the seaside town of Sandition. This series is also much more risqué than the average Austen work; though it doesn't reach Bridgerton levels, the flirting between Rose Williams's Charlotte Heywood and Theo James's Sidney Parker is fun to watch.
