GBH has no lack of excellent dramas to watch, so how do you decide where to start? By calling upon our Drama Concierge service, of course! For this set of recommendations, we’re answering the cry of every Bridgerton fan looking for something to watch after season 2: what’s a fan to do now?
The good news is that we are positively swimming in shows that will fill that tension-y gap; almost as if we too had tripped over a corgi and fallen into a lake fully-clothed. Regency drama? Who do you think you’re asking? Romance? Heck yes. Costumes to die for? You got it. All of these recommendations are available for members via GBH Passport online, or on the PBS App.
Sanditon
Come on, you didn’t think I’d lead with anything else, did you? Not only are both shows Regency era romances with a focus on diverse casts, but both second seasons also made a pivot towards the slow-burn and heightened romantic tension, which is just fine by this author!
Beecham House
Can’t get enough of the Sharma sisters? Beecham House might be the show for you. Set in India and created by Gurinder Chadha, this show has a whole host of incredibly talented Indian actors, stunning costumes, and enough intrigue to rival the Ton. Fans will also spot a familiar face in Bessie Carter, whose character in Beecham House would do her Bridgerton mama Lady Featherington proud.
North and South
Are you primarily interested in watching a show where the romantic leads think they hate each other for 90% of the narrative but very obviously would like nothing more than to mash their faces together? Let me put you on to North and South, a show where a rich guy gets schooled on workers rights by a strident young lady who just arrived in town and sure isn’t interested in marriage, no sir. Is there also a bonkers-romantic denouement on a train platform? Yes. Yes there is.
Aristocrats
Politics. Romance. Fabulously clad people trying to combine the two. Sounds like Queen Charlotte’s court, but I’m actually talking about a 1999 miniseries following the Lennox sisters, daughters of a duke who are just trying to find love in 18th century England.
Howard's End
Did you love Bridgerton for the sibling dynamics? Or maybe it was for the show’s portrayal of the unwritten rules and social conventions that defined life for the characters. If that’s you, you’d love Howard’s End, which focuses on two unconventional sisters as they navigate life and love. Also guess what, Bessie Carter is in this too (what can I say, that’s English actors for ya).
Not excited about anything on this list and need something new to watch? Don’t fret: we’ve got loads of dramas ranging from charming to sumptuous that are streaming right now as part of the GBH Passport member benefit. Send an email to GBHDrama@wgbh.org or tweet at me or GBH with the hashtag #DramaConcierge and a few words about what you’re craving, and if you’re lucky, I might put together a list of personalized recommendations just for you, like this one.
