7 Period Dramas Like ‘The Gilded Age’ to Watch While You Wait For New Episode
The Carrie Coon-led hit historical drama is almost done with its season 3, but there’s much more like The Gilded Age to stay with after the show wraps.
Things are getting more and more dramatical ahead of The Gilded Age’s big season 3 finale scheduled for August 10, with only two more episodes left in the ongoing instalment.
It didn’t take much time for the show to cause some rumours about a potential fourth season right after the current instalment’s premiere back in June; however, The Gilded Age’s fans will still have to find something else until the new season comes along.
Now that the series is yet to show what shocker the third season will end on, here are some similar options in case you can't get enough of the high society drama.
‘The Great’ (2020 — 2023)
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On Rotten Tomatoes, The Great holds scores of 96% and 84% from critics and audiences
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On IMDb, the show is rated 8.1/10
Starring Elle Fanning, the show comes as a satirical take on Catherine the Great’ reign in the Russian empire, also delving into her relationships with her closest allies and particularly with Nicolas Hoult’s Emperor Peter III.
The Gilded Age’s fans will likely be drawn by The Great’s focus on Catherine’s social life as a means to find an approach to the country’s most influential socialites and their support, as well as the show’s humor and somewhat modern view on Russia’s past.
‘Versailles’ (2015 — 2018)
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On Rotten Tomatoes, Versailles keeps scores of 57% and 82% from critics and viewers
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On IMDb, the show rates 7.9/10
Centring on one of the most compelling periods of French history, the series is set in 1667 when 28-year-old King Louis XIV takes the control over the country and Europe’s most beautiful palace.
As French nobles make attempts to make a closer connection to the young king, they have no idea yet about what awaits them in the lavish rooms where betrayal and political conspiracies have more power than the ruler himself.
‘Marie Antoinette’ (2022 — )
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On Rotten Tomatoes, Marie Antoinette has scores of 60% and 83% from critics and audiences
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On IMDb, the show’s rating is 7.3/10
Based on the life of the last French queen before the infamous French Revolution, the show follows young Marie Antoinette as she arrives at Louis XVI’s court to eventually marry the king.
Upon her arrival, however, she’s thrown into Versailles’ most hideous manipulations which Marie Antoinette is yet to deal with before becoming the one to define the future of France.
‘The Crown’ (2016 — 2023)
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On Rotten Tomatoes, The Crown holds scores of 81% and 92% from critics and viewers
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On IMDb, the show is rated 8.6/10
Based on Peter Morgan’s award-winning play “The Audience”, the show chronicles the life of the British Royal family members, starting from Queen Elizabeth II coming to power after her ruling father’s untimely death.
Going through all key events that defined the image of the United Kingdom’s most influential family, The Crown also delves into its members’ personal intrigues and affairs, political conflicts that happen on the way and romances that turned into some of the biggest tragedies of modern history.
‘Downton Abbey’ (2010 — 2015)
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On Rotten Tomatoes, Downton Abbey has scores of 92% and 93% from critics and audiences
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On IMDb, the show rates 8.7/10
One of the biggest hits of the genre on modern TV, Downton Abbey follows the life of the wealthy Crawley family as its members and their servants spend years in a classic Georgian country house.
The show’s premise relies on some real-life historical events, with the Titanic crash in 1912 leaving the family without male heirs who died in the catastrophe.
As the estate’s current lord Robert Crawley has only daughters in his family, the drama is yet to swirl even more when his children reach an appropriate age to start looking for a right partner for inheriting the mansion.
‘The Buccaneers’ (2023 — )
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On Rotten Tomatoes, The Buccaneers has scores of 71% and 87% from critics and viewers
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On IMDb, the show’s rating is 6.6/10
The Gilded Age’s fans should pay some attention to this one as the series, also set during the same era, follows five wealthy and ambitious American women as they embark on a quest to explore the lavish life in the UK and clash with its high society over cultural differences.
Just like HBO’s hit period drama, The Buccaneers also turns to more grounded themes like love and friendship — which, however, are put into the limits of harsh reality that the socialites pay to live in.
‘Bridgerton’ (2020 — )
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On Rotten Tomatoes, Bridgerton holds scores of 84% and 74% from critics and audiences
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On IMDb, the show rates 7.4/10
One of Netflix’s biggest hits to-date, the show has completely transformed the genre of historical drama by making it all the way more compelling due to a surprising choice of the historical era.
Based on Julia Quinn’s book series of the same name, Bridgerton follows the eponymous family as its members navigate through hardships of finding their own happiness in the high society of the 19th century.
Set in the Regency era, the series focuses on some major changes in London’s societal life after George III established racial equality due to his wife Queen Charlotte’s African origins.
