What to Watch While You Wait for More 'Bridgerton'

The first part of Bridgerton Season 3 has only been out for a little over a week, but with only four episodes in the initial batch, we know you're looking for more romance and spectacle to fill your days until the back half of the season premieres in June. It is really cruel of Netflix to expect people to wait nearly an entire month to find out if Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) will say yes to Colin's (Luke Newton) proposal. It's also cruel to end things with that iconic carriage ride and leave us wondering what the friends to lovers will get up to in the back half of the season. How will Colin react when he inevitably finds out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown? We don't know! 

There are so many questions about the back half of the season, and nothing to do but wait. So, we might as well distract ourselves with some Bridgerton-adjacent TV shows to try and fill the void until our favorite members of the ton return. Considering that this is Season 3 and multiple lists like this have already been published, we are going to go ahead and skip the obvious recommendations like Outlander and Downton Abbey because we assume you've seen them already. 

Here are a few underrated and hopefully new choices for you to check out while you wait for the second half of Bridgerton Season 3.

Before Shonda Rhimes signed her overall deal at Netflix and decided to adapt Julia Quinn's bestselling novels, she made Still Star-Crossed for ABC. The series explored what may have transpired between the Montague and Capulet families after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. It features the same level of color-blind casting as Bridgerton, fabulous costumes, and, of course, that signature Shondaland brand of drama. 

The downside is that it only lasted for one season before it was canceled, and you do have to pay to stream it now, but it is the most Bridgerton-adjacent show in existence, and you can see where Shonda got the inspiration for her new hit series. 

Still Star-Crossed is available on all major digital rental platforms, with episodes starting at $1.99 each.

You want another sexy period piece, you say? If you've somehow managed to miss the recent rise of Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue), then you need to head over to Starz right now and check out Mary & George. He stars as the titular George in the premium cable series about the Villiers family, who seduced King James for their spot in high society. There are few shows that can match Bridgerton's level of horny, but Starz has never been afraid to go there, and the network maintains its reputation here. 

The series also stars Julianne Moore (Children of Men) as George's mother, Mary, and Tony Curran (Doctor Who) as King James I. You'll get all-star performances and intense love scenes, and this will be a big hit for anyone who loves their romances on the darker side. 

All episodes of Mary & George are streaming via Starz. 

We assume you've seen Downton Abbey, and probably checked out The Gilded Age, but have you seen all of creator Julian Fellowes' work? Based on Fellowes' novel of the same name, Belgravia streams on MGM+ and is a great next watch for anyone who loves the gossip and social climbing shenanigans of Bridgerton. Belgravia is about the "nouveau riche" class in Britain and the lengths newly minted high-society families, like the Trenchards, will go to when it comes to holding on to their new status. 

There are secrets, backstabbing, manipulation, and secret affairs, and then there is a second season, titled Belgravia: The Next Chapter, where all those children who never knew those secrets have them come to light at the worst possible moments. It's mild compared to Bridgerton when it comes to the romance scenes, but it can go toe-to-toe with the Netflix show when it comes to character dynamics and dramatic twists. 

Both seasons of Belgravia are streaming on MGM+.

For the fans that just love a period piece literature adaptation, we look back to ITV and Prime Video's 2018 adaptation of Vanity Fair. We know there are many versions of this story out there to watch, but this one features Bridgerton's Claudia Jessie and House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke. (Not to mention Doc Martin's Martin Clunes, Emma's Johnny Flynn, and Gentleman Jack's Suranne Jones.) Becky Sharp (Cooke) is determined to climb the heights of British society and will go to any lengths to get there. 

Becky has a lot in common with Penelope Featherington, at least on the days when Lady Whistledown is feeling particularly vexed. Though, like the book it is based on, the limited series is relatively tame in comparison to Bridgerton's hijinks, Vanity Fair is pulpy, spicy, and not for the faint of heart when it comes to the sheer teen drama of the marriage mart. It also has a Bridgerton alum, what else could you need?

All episodes of Vanity Fair are streaming on Prime Video.

If you have a playlist full of the Bridgerton string quartet covers, listen up. That same anachronistic vibe is at the spine of Dickinson, the Apple TV+ series starring Hailee Steinfeld as the famous poet. If you are a stickler for historical accuracy, you should avoid this show like the plague, but for those who like their period piece series to have fun, Dickinson could be a new frontier for you. It is very swoony like Bridgerton and beautifully shot, but Wiz Khalifa also plays death throughout the series. 

Unlike the rest of the shows on this list, Dickinson is set in America and has a mostly American cast, like Anna Baryshnikov, or Jane Krakowski and Toby Huss, the latter two who play Emily's parents. However, there are several English actors too, like Ella Hunt and Finn Jones. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's strong and delicious for anyone who likes this flavor of historical dalliance. 

All three seasons of Dickinson are streaming on Apple TV+.

In the same vein, and on the same streaming network, the 2023 remake of The Buccaneers is also a great Bridgerton-adjacent watch. The series is adapted from Edith Wharton's unfinished novel and stars Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Brag, and Imogen Waterhouse as the titular quintet of American girls sent to England by their families to find rich husbands. Family secrets and the treacherous ladder to social hierarchy pit the girls against each other at various points in the story, but ultimately, they must band together to protect their own when one of them ends up married to a monster. 

The series has the same flavor of ton politics that makes Bridgerton addictive, but it also takes a page out of Dickinson's book when it comes to modernizing certain aspects of the series. The music is all from 20th century American artists and there's better representation than there was in Wharton's original novel. It is a fun watch, and you can enjoy the series knowing that Apple has already renewed it for Season 2. 

Season 1 of The Buccaneers is streaming on Apple TV+.