If Bridgerton season 3 has left a Penelope and Colin-shaped hole in your life, then fear not, because we have put together this handy guide with all the shows you can binge on as you wait for the second installment to arrive on Netflix on Thursday, June 13.
The first four episodes of the third season arrived on Netflix earlier this month and now we have a wait to find out what will happen between Colin and Penelope after THAT carriage scene at the end of Bridgerton season 3 episode 4. Will Penelope marry Colin? Will the couple get their happy-ever-after? Or will there be more drama around the corner?
While we're waiting for the corsets and carriages to return to our screens, here are some other brilliant period dramas to pass the time...
What to watch after Bridgerton...
Queen Charlotte
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a prequel spin-off charting the monarch's rise to the throne. The tale focuses on a youthful Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuval in the first three seasons of Bridgerton) but a young Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and matriarch Violet (Ruth Gemmell) also feature. The story is a treat for all Bridgerton fans as it reveals how the young Queen's marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in the Bridgerton series we all know and love.
Number of seasons: 1
Episodes: 6
Average episode length: 60 mins
Where to watch: UK & US: Netflix
The Empress
The Empress is a German historical drama that sees sixteen-year-old Bavarian princess Elisabeth "Sisi" fall in love with her sister's fiancé Emperor Franz Joseph and the two later marry, which is obviously quite scandalous! Following the marriage, Sisi moves to Vienna and finds herself having to navigate the complexity of court politics and her husband's scheming family members, including Franz Joseph's brother-in-law who is obsessed with outshining his older brother, and Sisi's mother-in-law Sophia takes an instant disliking to her as well. The show is based on real-life events, focusing on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria up until her death in 1898.
Number of seasons: 1 with The Empress season 2 on the way
Episodes: 6
Average episode length: 48 - 66 minutes
Where to watch: UK & US: Netflix
The Buccaneers
The Buccaneers follows a group of fun-loving young American women who spark a culture clash when they explode onto the traditional London scene of the 1870s. These fun-loving girls waltz into the tightly corseted London season of the 1870s and take Victorian-era society by storm. Soon a huge Anglo-American culture clash kicks off as the land of the stiff upper lip is infiltrated by women with little regard for stuffy British tradition of the times. These women, the so-called 'Buccaneers', including lead heroine character Nan St. George (Kristine Frøseth), were sent out by their well-off families, often under the beady eyes of their mothers, to secure husbands and titles. But as their stories progress their hearts become set on much more adventure than that…
Number of seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
Average episode length: 60 minutes
Where to watch: UK & US: Apple TV Plus
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey was such a huge hit that it seems unlikely there is any period drama fan out there who hasn't seen an episode. However, if the show has completely passed you by, or you'd like to relive the trials and tribulations of the Crawley family once again, then look no further. The drama, set on a fictional Yorkshire country estate between 1912 (just after the sinking of the Titanic) and 1926, follows the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), his American wife, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), and their family as they're served by their loyal house staff.
Since season 6 aired, two films have also been made. The first was released in 2019 and the second, Downton Abbey: A New Era hit cinemas in 2022. We also have another movie in the works as Downton Abbey 3 was announced in spring of 2024.
Number of seasons: 6, plus two feature films with another on the way
Episodes: 52
Average episode length: 48 - 66 minutes
Where to watch: UK: Netflix US: Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix
Sanditon
Sanditon was a big hit in both the UK and the US when it first aired, and now we have Sanditon season 2 and Sanditon season 3 to enjoy. The period drama, set in the Regency era, just like our beloved Bridgerton, was adapted from an unfinished Jane Austen novel and follows the main character Charlotte as she arrives in the coastal town of Sanditon and is soon shocked by the secrets that the area's inhabitants all share.
Number of seasons: 3
Episodes: 12
Average episode length: 60 minutes
Where to watch: UK: ITVX US: Amazon Prime and Masterpiece
Pride and Prejudice
While there have been many adaptations of this Jane Austen novel, the BBC series of Pride and Prejudice from 1995 is renowned to be one of the best. Not only does it follow the novel in more detail than others, but it also features Colin Firth diving fully clothed into a lake, which alone surely makes the series well worth a watch!
Number of seasons: 1
Episodes: 6
Average episode length: 54 minutes
Where to watch: UK: BBC iPlayer US: Hulu, Amazon Prime
The Crown
The Crown follows the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, from her wedding in 1947 to the early 21st century. The sixth and most recent season is the final in the franchise and set between 1997 and 2005. Each stage of the later Queen's life is portrayed by a different actress, with Claire Foy playing the Queen in seasons 1 and 2, Olivia Colman taking the reins for seasons 3 and 4 and Imelda Staunton taking over the role for The Crown season 5 and The Crown season 6.
Number of seasons: 6
Episodes: 60
Average episode length: 47 - 61 minutes
Where to watch: UK and US: Netflix
Victoria
Doctor Who, The Serpent and Wilderness star Jenna Coleman stars as the legendary monarch as she ascends the throne aged just 18, following Queen Victoria's life as she marries Prince Albert and welcomes her first child into the world. Soon we see Victoria’s marriage struggle as she juggles family life and Royal duty, while real-life historical events are also featured, including the Anglo-Afghan War and the Irish Famine of 1840.
Number of seasons: 3
Number of episodes: 25
Average episode length: 45 minutes
Where to watch: UK: ITVX US: PBS Masterpiece
Gentleman Jack
This historical drama is set in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1832, sees ex Coronation Street favourite Suranne Jones starring as endearing landowner and industrialist, Anne Lister. The series, which sees Anne return to her hometown to restore her uncle's estate, is based on a collection of diaries written by Lister, which document a lifetime of romances with other women, mainly written in a secret code.
Number of seasons: 2
Episodes: 16
Average episode length: 58 minutes
Where to watch: UK: BBC iPlayer US: HBO and HBO Max
Vanity Fair
This opulent period drama series, which first aired in 2018, is adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's classic novel. Olivia Cooke wows as heroine Becky Sharp as she attempts to claw her way out of poverty and scale the heady heights of English society all against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.
Number of seasons: 1
Episodes: 7
Average episode length: 60 minutes
Where to watch: UK: ITVX US: Amazon Prime
Dickinson
Hailee Steinfeld stars as American poet Emily Dickinson who resists her parent's attempts to find her a suitor in order to follow her dream of becoming a poet. With modern dialogue and period-accurate costumes, the show plays fast and loose with the usual conventions and is an entertaining drama that sees Hailee Steinfeld performing at her very best. The third and final season is set at the breakout of the American Civil War, all while another battle starts to divide Emily's own family.
Number of seasons: 3
Episodes: 30
Average episode length: 26-34 minutes
Where to watch: UK & US: Apple TV Plus
The Pursuit of Love
Set in Europe between the two World Wars, this romantic drama follows the adventures of fearless Linda Radlett (Cinderella and Downton Abbey star Lily James) and her best friend and cousin Fanny Logan (Emily Beecham). Obsessed with love and marriage, the pair are on the hunt for their ideal husband. But their friendship is rocked as Fanny decides to settle down and get married while Linda, who is full of spark and passion opts to follow her heart - leading her down an increasingly wild path.
Number of seasons: 1
Episodes: 3
Average episode length: 59 minutes
Where to watch: UK & US: Amazon Prime and Apple TV Plus
