25 Shows Like Bridgerton To Watch When You Need More Dramatic Love Stories

If you’re looking for a radical period piece set in a similar time as Bridgerton, Gentleman Jack is the series you want. The series follows the true story of Anne Lister, an out and proud lesbian and female landowner in the 1810s, whose real-life diaries not only make up the basis of the show’s plots but are also a historical treasure trove of LGBTQ+ life 250 years ago.

Gentleman Jack is streaming on HBO Max.

If the more scandalous parts of Bridgerton are what attracted you to the series, then this series about sex workers in 18th century London is the one for you. The female friendships (and rivalries) also make Harlots a perfect follow-up to Bridgerton.

All seasons of Harlots are streaming on Hulu.

The Crown is a modern-day look at the monarchy 200 years after Bridgerton, but it still has plenty to love for fans of English accents and period dramas. The show’s six seasons cover the first 50 years of Elizabeth II’s time on the throne, and the scandals would have Lady Whistledown shaking her head.

The Crown is streaming on Netflix.

Set a generation before the Bridgerton series in the Georgian era, his British historical drama features all the longing and romance one could want, along with lots of family drama and shirtless scything to boot. Based on the novels of the same name by Winston Graham, it follows Ross and Francis Poldark, cousins, mine owners, and romantic rivals, and the lives they lead.

All seasons of Poldark are streaming on PBS Passport.

Starz’s historical period dramas adapted from the Philippa Gregory novels each have stand-alone titles. However, the first two, The White Queen and The White Princess are a set, with cast crossovers and everything. These period dramas are perfect for those who love romance and female-focused stories.

The White Queen and The White Princess are streaming via Starz on Amazon.

Dickinson is an American show, but it feels so much like a British period piece, it might as well be one. Hailee Steinfeld stars as the famous poet Emily Dickinson in a version of her story that you’ve never seen before. Wiz Khalifa plays the personification of Death, and modern bangers are part of the soundtrack if that indicates the wild turns this series takes.

All seasons of Dickinson are streaming on Apple TV+.

There probably wouldn’t be a Bridgerton if there were no Pride and Prejudice. This classic Jane Austen romance story, written in 1813, is both romance and scathing social commentary, and this TV miniseries version is considered the gold standard among the fandom.

All episodes of Pride & Prejudice are streaming on BritBox.

Like many series about Henry VIII, The Tudors begins with his dissolution of the Catholic church in England so he could marry wife No. 2, Anne Boleyn. It only gets sexier and bloodier from there.

All seasons of The Tudors are available via Showtime.

Downton Abbey is the period piece of our era to genuinely nail the upstairs-downstairs drama. The series is set about 100 years on from Bridgerton, starting in the Edwardian era and running into the roaring 20s. This lavish story has plenty of aristocratic scandals and even a 20th-century “modern” version of a coming-out ball.

All seasons of Downton Abbey are streaming on Peacock.

Bridgerton’s Lady Whistledown is like the Gossip Girl of her time, influencing society with every rumor she spreads. Lady Whistledown’s identity is revealed at the end of Bridgerton Season 1, but you’ll have to power through all six seasons of the original Gossip Girl to find out who’s behind the blog. At least the reboot is more forthcoming?

Both the original and new versions of Gossip Girl are on HBO Max.

This series based on Jane Austen’s final unfinished novel is an OG Regency romance that deals with the real racial diversity issues of the era. The show is also a cult favorite; it was canceled by its British station after one season and then revived by PBS’ Masterpiece and BritBox UK more than a year later. Come for the sweeping seaside setting; stay for the witty dialogue.

Sanditon is streaming on PBS Passport.

Shondaland is genuinely the tops when it comes to steamy drama. Rhimes’ production company made Bridgerton, and its ABC series Scandal has just as much (if not more) romance, plot twists, and truly jaw-dropping moments.

All seasons of Scandal are streaming on Hulu.

Based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series, Outlander follows the sizzling romance between a time-traveling 20th-century nurse and her 18th-century Scottish beau. The series begins two generations before Bridgerton, in the Stuart period, entering the early Georgian era in France and then Revolutionary War-era America.

Outlander is streaming on Starz via Amazon.

For those looking for more royalty with a modernized twist, Reign retells the story of Mary Queen of Scots, who left France to rule Scotland while her cousin Elizabeth I ruled England. While Elizabeth was the virgin queen, Mary was anything but; this show has fun with all the historical scandal.

Reign is streaming on Netflix.

The PBS/ITV series that attempted to follow in Downton Abbey’s wake, Victoria wound up turning into the love story of Victoria and Albert. This series can’t be beaten for those looking for romance, finery, and the travails of royalty.

Victoria is streaming on PBS Passport.

The Gilded Age is one of the few period pieces to take on race and class in the 19th century. It also confronts racism versus white privilege, capitalism versus the hereditary system, and it did it all with costumes and set budgets that rival Bridgerton.

The Gilded Age is streaming on HBO Max.

Elle Fanning stars as Catherine the Great in this Hulu series that takes a modernized, raunchy approach to retell Russia’s history. It may not be historically accurate, but like Bridgerton, it understands it is a period piece and, therefore, a fantasy license is granted.

The Great is streaming on Hulu.

For those who would like a story about Henry VIII before he was a divorcé with a penchant for beheading, The Spanish Princess is that story. It tells the story of when Catherine of Aragon first met Henry and their decades together.

The Spanish Princess is streaming on Starz via Amazon.

Shondaland’s first big hit made Bridgerton possible and is still running two decades after it premiered. The broadcast series may not be able to get as explicit on-screen as Bridgerton, but the modern-day medical drama still understands that viewers are here for the romance, the tight friendships, and the snuggling in bed afterward.

Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC.

Based on the novel of the same name by Julian Fellowes, Belgravia follows the families of London’s grandest neighborhood.

Belgravia is streaming on Amazon.

The Bridgertons are a tight-knit family, and if you’re looking for fraught family dynamics, then Queen Sugar is the show for you. It follows the Bordelons as they navigate life and love on their family’s estate in Louisiana.

All episodes of Queen Sugar are streaming on Hulu.

Call the Midwife doesn’t have the same opulence as Bridgerton, but it does have lots of British historical goodness. Think of it as a period piece version of Grey’s Anatomy, but chaste enough for PBS viewers.

Call The Midwife is streaming on Netflix and on PBS Passport.

Lady Whistledown runs things on Bridgerton, and if you want to see that taken up a notch, check out A on Pretty Little Liars. Even better, there’s a new reboot coming, so now is the time to catch up.

Pretty Little Liars is streaming on HBO Max.

Looking for royalty that’s even more extra than Bridgerton? Versailles centers around the 17th-century reign of Louis XIV of France, his quest to build the grandest palace in the world, and the drama of the court it created.

All seasons of Versailles are streaming on Netflix.

Normal People is a very different love story from Bridgerton, primarily thanks to its modern(-ish) setting and very millennial characters. But it’s also filled with so much steamy longing, making it the perfect romance series.

Normal People is streaming on Hulu.