9 Shows Like Bridgerton to Watch for Romance, Scandal, and Period Drama
Key takeaways
- For the closest match, choose Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
- For young women dealing with courtship and elite society, try The Buccaneers.
- For Austen-flavored Regency romance, pick Sanditon.
- Choose The Empress for royal romance, The Gilded Age for class competition, or Outlander for a broader adventure.
- No single series matches every part of Bridgerton.
Table of contents
- 9 Shows Like Bridgerton to Watch for Romance, Scandal, and Period Drama
- Key takeaways
- Table of contents
- 1. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
- 2. The Buccaneers
- 3. Sanditon
- 4. The Empress
- 5. The Gilded Age
- 6. Outlander
- 7. The Cook of Castamar
- 8. The Law According to Lidia Poët
- 9. Cable Girls
- Which show should you watch after Bridgerton?
If you’re looking for shows like Bridgerton, start with Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story for more of the same fictional world. For a different kind of courtship drama, try The Buccaneers or Sanditon. And if it’s the lavish costumes, social rivalries, or historical romance you want, there are several other good matches—though none recreates every part of Bridgerton’s mix.
The best choice depends on what you’re hoping to find: ballroom romance, a heroine pushing against social rules, royal intrigue, or an ensemble drama about status and ambition. Here’s how these nine series compare.
| If you want… | Try… |
|---|---|
| More of the Bridgerton universe | Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story |
| Young women navigating elite society | The Buccaneers |
| Austen-inspired Regency romance | Sanditon |
| Royal romance and court politics | The Empress |
| Wealth, status, and social competition | The Gilded Age |
| Sweeping romance with adventure | Outlander |
| Aristocratic romance in Spain | The Cook of Castamar |
| A period drama about a woman challenging convention | The Law According to Lidia Poët |
| Ensemble stories about women’s independence | Cable Girls |
1. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
For the closest match, choose Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. It’s a direct prequel and spin-off set in the Bridgerton universe, following young Queen Charlotte and King George. Romance and royal-court drama put it nearer to the original than any other series on this list. Netflix’s Tudum guide recommends it as a natural next watch.
It’s the best option if you want more of the show’s stylized world and its blend of relationships and life at court. The focus shifts, however: rather than following the Bridgerton siblings through London’s marriage market, the prequel centers on Charlotte and George’s relationship and royal life. You don’t need to choose a different period drama if what you’re really after is another chapter in the same story world.
2. The Buccaneers
The Buccaneers is a strong pick if you like watching young women navigate the rules of an elite society. It follows American women entering London society in search of husbands, bringing courtship, cultural clashes, and social maneuvering into the mix. It’s often recommended alongside Bridgerton for those shared themes, including by TV Guide and Elle.
The difference is in the setup: these are American newcomers encountering British society, rather than established members of the same London families. That makes it a good choice if you enjoy the social chess game as much as the romance. It’s a different adaptation and setting, not a continuation of Bridgerton’s Regency world.
3. Sanditon
Choose Sanditon for a more Austen-inspired take on Regency romance. Based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, the series follows Charlotte Heywood as she encounters new people and romantic tensions in a seaside town. TV Guide and Elle both include it among period dramas to consider after Bridgerton.
The match is the era, romance, and attention to social relationships. The difference is its scale and focus: Sanditon is an Austen adaptation set outside the London marriage market, not an ensemble drama driven by a society gossip column. It’s a good choice if you want Regency courtship but would rather follow one central heroine through a new community.
4. The Empress
For royal romance and elaborate court settings, try The Empress. The series follows Bavarian princess Elisabeth and her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph. Netflix’s Tudum recommendations point to it as an option for viewers drawn to royal drama and romance.
Unlike Bridgerton, The Empress is based on historical figures and takes a more history-oriented approach to its setting. That doesn’t make it a documentary, nor does it offer the same deliberately stylized version of Regency society. Pick it for the royal marriage and court atmosphere; pick Bridgerton if you’re looking for a fictional London social season.
5. The Gilded Age
If you’re more interested in wealth, manners, and class competition than in Regency courtship, The Gilded Age is a useful next watch. The series is a society drama about status and social change in New York, making it a fit for viewers who enjoy seeing who gets accepted, who holds influence, and how social rules shift. It has been recommended as an alternative for Bridgerton viewers by The Deseret News.
The historical setting and social maneuvering are the main points of connection. But the appeal is less about reproducing Bridgerton’s Regency romances and more about rivalries and the struggle for social standing. Choose it when you want a period society drama with a broader focus on class and change.
6. Outlander
Outlander suits viewers who want historical romance on a much broader, more adventurous scale. Based on a series of historical-romance novels, it combines a time-travel premise with a love story and historical settings. Marie Claire and Bustle have included it among shows to consider after Bridgerton.
It’s a looser match than The Buccaneers or Sanditon: the time-travel story and adventure set it apart from ballroom-centered society drama. The subject matter can also be more intense, so don’t assume it will feel like Bridgerton in tone or content just because both are historical romances. Choose it for a sweeping romance with adventure, not for a close substitute for the marriage-market plot.
7. The Cook of Castamar
The Cook of Castamar offers another aristocratic period romance, this time in a Spanish setting. It brings together courtship and intrigue among people of different positions in society, making it an option if you want romantic tension and an elite world but would like a different cultural backdrop. It appears on TV Guide’s list of shows like Bridgerton.
Think of it as a thematic match rather than a replica: its appeal is aristocratic intrigue and romance, not the specific London setting and ensemble structure of Bridgerton. Try it when you’re ready to leave Regency England for another period-drama world.
8. The Law According to Lidia Poët
If you want a period drama about a woman challenging social restrictions, but romance isn’t your main priority, consider The Law According to Lidia Poët. It follows a woman working in the legal sphere, giving the story a professional focus rather than making courtship its central engine. Netflix includes it among its suggested shows for Bridgerton viewers.
The connection is less about marriage plots and more about a woman navigating a society that limits her choices. Choose it if you’re in the mood for period styling and a heroine pushing against convention. If you want a romance-first show, Sanditon or The Buccaneers is likely a closer fit.
9. Cable Girls
Cable Girls is set in 1920s Madrid, much later than Bridgerton’s Regency-era world. Its closer points of connection are its ensemble of women, stylish period setting, and stories about women’s independence. It has also been included in roundups of Bridgerton-adjacent series by Netflix Tudum and BGR.
The change in time period makes this a less direct match for anyone specifically searching for Regency romance. But if you want a period ensemble with relationships and changing expectations for women, it may be a more appealing choice than another royal court drama.
Which show should you watch after Bridgerton?
Start with Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story if you want the same fictional universe. For young women dealing with courtship and elite society, try The Buccaneers; for Austen-flavored Regency romance, pick Sanditon. Choose The Empress for royal romance, The Gilded Age for class competition, or Outlander for a broader adventure.
No single series matches every part of Bridgerton. Decide whether you want romance, period style, social intrigue, or a heroine defying convention—and choose the show that puts that element first. Availability and content vary by region and service, so check your local listings and the show’s current age or episode guidance before watching.
