Hold on to your petticoats — these TV shows and films will transport you to balls, brothels, battlefields and everything in between, starting in the 16th century
Pray tell, are you obsessed with Bridgerton?
Since it first premiered in 2020, Shonda Rhimes’ hit Netflix show has satisfied our collective craving for romantic escapism — delivering a plethora of love stories, scandals, fashion and sexual tension all within the Regency era.
Debuting its third season beginning May 16, 2024 (with part two premiering on June 13), every installment revolves around a distinct member of the wealthy Bridgerton family, chronicling their exploits in navigating British high society’s marriage market and the musings of Lady Whistledown’s anonymous gossip column. (Think Gossip Girl meets Jane Austen!)
As Bridgerton ushered in a fascination for British period pieces, the offerings below are designed to whisk viewers away to a bygone era of courtship strolls, elegant balls and strategic royal marriages — perfect for a post-Bridgerton binge.
Whether the subjects in these pieces are losing their heads to war or their minds to love, they’re sure to capture the imagination. While this list is far from comprehensive (the genre is rather robust), consider it a point of departure for some of the best British period pieces available to stream online … forthwith!
Mary & George
Academy Award winner Julianne Moore slips into the fabulous Jacobean garb of Mary Villiers, the Countess of Buckingham who cunningly grooms her queer son George (Nicholas Galitzine) to woo King James I (Tony Curran) and secure great power and wealth for their family. Based on Benjamin Woolley’s 2017 non-fiction book The King’s Assassin, this seven-part LGBTQ series set in the 17th century dishes out ample steam for those in a Bridgerton drought and enough scandal worthy of Lady Whistledown’s society papers.
Watch Mary & George on Starz
Sanditon
Since it premiered in 2019, PBS’ three-season adaptation of Jane Austen’s final, unfinished manuscript of the same name developed a cult following. The first season centers on Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) and Sidney Parker (Theo James) — two bemused strangers whose initial disdain for each other becomes the basis of their attraction — à la Pride and Prejudice (we’ll get to that!) — while the second and third sees Charlotte pursued by a few other potential suitors. Set in a seaside fishing town rapidly rebranding as a luxury wellness destination, this show serves up a different kind of Austen story, one less focused on marriage and high society and more on the holistic development of the town and its inhabitants.
Emma
Gwyneth Paltrow steals the spotlight as the eponymous leading lady in this 1996 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s famous novel, which follows the hilariously bungled matchmaking attempts of a well-meaning yet incredibly snobbish young socialite with commitment issues. Bridgerton fans will notice a certain Mrs. Featherington (Polly Walker) in the role of the enviable Miss Jane Fairfax.
Watch Emma on Amazon Prime Video
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, this 2020 adaptation takes a slightly more modern and satirical approach to the frivolous goings-on of high society than the ’90s version. Less steeped in sentimentality and vintage visuals, this take is instead flooded with bright, dazzling colors and tackles intimacy and interiority more directly while still staying true to the classic text. Nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling), this film also stars Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner and more.
Watch Emma. on Amazon Prime Video
Downton Abbey
If you love period pieces and somehow missed this British series, you’re in for a treat. With six sprawling seasons and two movies (and a third and final one on the way), there’s plenty of family drama, scandal and intrigue to keep you steeped in the Edwardian-era exploits of the Crawley family and their servants at their beloved estate. Maggie Smith’s acerbic quips as Dowager Countess Violet Crawley are worth watching for alone, but there are plenty of other performances to enjoy — thanks to Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle and Michelle Dockery among others.
Watch Downton Abbey on Peacock
Harlots
Lady Sybil Crawley (Jessica Brown Findlay) is a long way from Downton on this three-season Hulu original series. While the rules of propriety are certainly different in a brothel, they’re no fewer or less strict than in high society. After establishing in the first episode that one in every five women were sex workers in mid-18th century London, the show focuses on two rival brothels, offering insight into the oft-overlooked counterpoint of life in the upper echelons. Sexy and still ostentatious when it comes to flamboyant costumes and drama, the series blends the best (and worst) of both worlds.
Watch Harlots on Hulu
The Young Victoria
Emily Blunt is radiantly royal in this 2009 movie, which sees her — as the title suggests — as a young Queen Victoria, chronicling the particularly petite royal’s early ascension to the throne at age 18 in 1837, as well as her renowned romance with Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). The love match between the pair is a delight to watch, as is seeing Blunt coronated in full regalia.
Watch The Young Victoria on Netflix
Victoria
A few years after Blunt’s spin on the young royal, Jenna Coleman (who once had a connection to Prince Harry) brought Queen Victoria to life in this British PBS series. Elaborating on the life of the coddled young Princess–turned–fiercely independent Queen, Victoria shines a light on the monarch’s duties and her love life with Prince Albert (Tom Hughes) and is ornamented with ample palace intrigue. With just three seasons, this popular — although admittedly slightly less sexy — series will likely be a favorite among Bridgerton fans.
Watch Victoria on PBS Masterpiece
The Crown
While the Golden Globe Award-winning series takes place mainly in the 20th century (excluding its final season), no period piece list could be complete without it. An intimate behind-the-scenes portrait of the British monarchy, the lavish Netflix show follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II’s — portrayed by Claire Foy (seasons 1–2), Olivia Colman (seasons 3–4) and Imelda Staunton (seasons 5–6) — from the 1940s through modern day. Spanning six seasons, with the final one premiering in December 2023, the series is famous for rotating its cast every two seasons, bringing in new actors to take over the roles of the royal family as they age.
Watch The Crown on Netflix
Belle
The 2013 movie stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dido Elizabeth Belle, an illegitimate daughter of a young Black woman and a Royal Navy Captain, who is born into slavery and later raised by her father’s (Matthew Goode) aristocratic family members. While the family loves her, her station is complicated by her race, making it “improper” for her to dine with her white family and equally improper for her to eat with the servants. While period piece fanatics will recognize Alex Jennings — who plays Lord Ashford — from both The Crown and Victoria, Harry Potter fans will notice Tom Felton playing a racist bigot who doesn’t approve of his friend’s affection for her. Based on a true story, Belle ultimately plays a key role in England’s campaign to abolish slavery.
Watch Belle on Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
The Spanish Princess
The third in a trilogy of Starz shows based on books by Philippa Gregory (prefaced by The White Queen and The White Princess), this series is set a few centuries back from the others on this list, at the dawn of the Tudor period. The title character, Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope), is betrothed to Prince Arthur of England from birth, forging a powerful marriage alliance meant to strengthen both Spain and England. After his (spoiler alert — although perhaps that doesn’t apply to historical fact?) untimely death, the feisty, strong-willed princess marries his charismatic young brother, future King Henry VIII (Ruairi O’Connor). The show is ravishingly shot, with stunning costumes, scenery and poignant sexual tension between the princess and King Henry VIII.
Watch The Spanish Princess on Starz
Pride & Prejudice
Based on the 1813 novel of the same name by Jane Austen, this classic tale is brought to life by Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as the outspoken Elizabeth Bennet and reserved, wealthy Mr. Darcy in this 2005 film. The slow build of tension between the two is bound to bewitch you, body and soul.
