6 Historical Drama Shows That Will Transport You This Winter
Have you felt a profound void within you ever since Season 3 of Bridgerton ended?
Have your fingers been twitching involuntarily in the evenings, eager to smash the “Next Episode” button on something – anything – resembling a television series? Fret not, gentle readers. Here are 6 series scratching that Bridgerton itch.
My Lady Jane
At the top is an Amazon Prime guilty pleasure called My Lady Jane, and it’s near the top of streaming charts – so people are watching, whether they admit it or not. It also has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it has artistry to back up that binge-watching. More importantly, however, it boasts a blend of revisionist historical fantasy and witty feminist humor, nudging it towards Bridgerton on the Great Family Tree of Bingeable Shows.
That said, you might finish My Lady Jane just as soon as you’ve discovered it, given its addictive retelling of the story of Lady Jane Grey, a 16th-century noblewoman who became Queen of England for exactly nine days. There’s even a sassy narrator and pop soundtrack.
The Great (2020-2023)
Thanks to some unhinged reason like “it didn’t make enough money” or “no one was watching it” or something else that literally sounds fake, this brilliant show left us too soon. Thankfully, however, The Great’s third season ends on a semi-satisfying note, so don’t worry about feeling unfulfilled if you start now. Also, this diverse, F bomb-laden reimagining of Catherine the Great’s reign boasts a star-making performance from Elle Fanning and a star-maintaining one from Nicholas Hoult. Dubbed “an almost entirely untrue story” in its final season, The Great plays fast and loose with history in insightful and amusing ways, making it the perfect replacement for My Lady Jane (and, perhaps, Bridgerton). You can find it on Hulu.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
If you’re reading this, then there’s a decent chance you’ve already discovered this steamy Bridgerton spinoff on Netflix. But I’ll mention it just in case. Equally diverse and politically relevant as My Lady Jane, this prequel references our 21st-century society even as it delivers bewildering fashion choices and swoony romances that you’d expect from a Bridgerton show. It’s ahistorical without being apolitical.
Dickinson (2019-2021)
My Lady Jane finds ways great and small to align itself with modern notions of feminism and self-actualization. So, too, does the Apple TV+ series Dickinson, which stars Hailee Steinfeld of all people as the famously depressed poet Emily Dickinson. Marked by lively dialogue, period-accurate décor, political allegories, and a modern soundtrack, Dickinson addresses contemporary political discourse while remaining firmly in 1800s Massachusetts. But don’t expect a stuffy biopic: Little is known of Dickinson’s life, so the series is fantastical by nature.
Renegade Nell (2024-)
For a Disney+ series, Renegade Nell is edgier than you might expect. Starring Louisa Harland of Derry Girls as a young woman framed for murder, the show blends history and fantasy with the same gusto as My Lady Jane. In this version of 18th-century England, magical sprites roam the Earth and occasionally interact with humans – as one eventually does with the titular Nell. Brimming with clever concepts and amusing situations, Renegade Nell is both ambitious and thrilling, combining modern Disney fun with a girlboss aesthetic.
Another Period (2013-2018)
If you prefer a side of comedy with your historical inaccuracy, then Another Period is for you. This highly rewatchable Comedy Central series stars comedians Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome as turn-of-the-century socialites who would stop at nothing to become famous. The show is essentially a spoof of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but in the early 20th century. That said, it’s not just a sharp criticism of those ladies’ narcissism and general uselessness to society, but a window into the class and social divides that governed our country both then and now. The situations in Another Period are frequently absurd, but they always emerge from a kernel of truth. Plus, the Downton Abbey-esque cast of Upstairs and Downstairs characters provides an endless number of gags and character pairings. Another Period will surely delight anyone who appreciates the wit of My Lady Jane over its sexy Animorph men.