When Bridgerton season three showrunner Jess Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter that fans would most likely have to wait another two years for season four, fans on social media were — understandably — in a frenzy.
“We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language,” she explained. “And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace. We’re trying to speed up but somewhere in that range.”
That may seem like too long for fans to have to wait to get their next chapter of juicy gossip, intimate scenes and gorgeous costumes. But, in the meantime, there are other binge-worthy current and period dramas that are filled to the brim with romance and drama, for those who lust for more of the Shondaland hit.
Below, THR rounds up a few offerings to help fill the Bridgerton void over the next two years — from Queen Charlotte to Gossip Girl.
'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'
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There are few shows as much like Bridgerton as, well, a Bridgerton prequel: Queen Charlotte. The Netflix series, written by none other than Shonda Rhimes, takes place in the first days of Queen Charlotte’s (India Amarteifio) rule over the ‘Ton and her marriage to the mysteriously dashing young King George (Corey Mylchreest). The series is told in two timelines: the past, before the events of Bridgerton; and what’s unfolding in the present day between seasons two and three of the flagship series.
'The Crown'
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While Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte shine a fictionalized light on Queen Charlotte and King George III’s life together, The Crown focuses on a more recent royal family: Queen Elizabeth II’s. The Emmy-winning series’ six seasons tell the story of Britain’s present-day royals, starting with the early days of Queen Elizabeth’s reign to when Princess Diana entered the family and up until Prince William and Kate Middleton met at university.
'The Great'
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The Great may have occurred before the Regency era of Bridgerton, but the Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult-starring series is still a period piece featuring a strong woman in the forefront. The Hulu project follows Fanning’s Catherine the Great as she’s sent to 1700s Russia from Germany to marry Hoult’s Peter III, eventually plotting to kill her husband and becoming Russia’s longest-running female ruler. Though loosely based on the true story of Catherine the Great, the Emmy-nominated series is highly fictionalized.
'Outlander'
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Outlander, like Bridgerton, is based on a series of historical romance novels and features steamy scenes aplenty that give the Bridgerton siblings a run for their money. The eight-season Starz show follows Caitríona Balfe’s Claire Randall, a former World War II nurse who is on her second honeymoon in Scotland with her husband when she is mysteriously taken back in time to the mid-1700s. There, she meets Sam Heughan’s Jamie Fraser, a Scottish Highland warrior, with whom she begins a passionate relationship, finding herself caught between two men. Thus far, the series based on Diana Gabaldon’s novels is the longest-running original in Starz history.
'Dickinson'
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Dickinson may be far from historically accurate, considering it features Hailee Steinfeld’s Emily Dickinson twerking to modern-day rap music and Wiz Khalifa appearing as Death, but the clothing is at least time-appropriate. Through the eyes of the now-famous poet, the Apple TV+ series explores themes of gender roles, sexual identity and artistic expression — taking place at the same time as Bridgerton but in America, instead of London. While Dickinson does incorporate some aspects of its time period, it also features modern music, language and references in its portrayal of historical events.
'Downton Abbey'
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While Bridgerton takes place a century before Downton Abbey, the Britsh drama series follows the fictional elite Crawley family and their servants, complete with plenty of scandals, classism and historical references. It premiered in 2010 to immediate acclaim and has since spun off into two movies — Downton Abbey and Downton Abbey: A New Era — with another one in the works. The story begins with the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, leaving the family’s future in jeopardy, as their heir died aboard the ship and the search for a new one.
'Gossip Girl'
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Hey, Upper East Siders: Lady Whistledown may be the gossip columnist everyone is familiar with now, but before she came along, there was one who stood out ahead of the rest: Gossip Girl. The CW series launched the careers of stars like Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester and more. It follows six Upper East Side teenagers at an exclusive prep school, as an anonymous columnist constantly puts their lives on blast, starting in high school and all the way through their early 20s. Sound familiar?
