London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 03, 2026

The 10 Best British Shows to Watch If You Loved Bridgerton

The 10 Best British Shows to Watch If You Loved Bridgerton

Bridgerton’s first season may have only made its Netflix debut back in December, but it’s already become the streaming giant’s most-watched original series ever, reaching 82 million households around the world during its first 28 days online.

It’s not hard to see why: With its combination of salacious, gossipy story lines courtesy of TV mastermind Shonda Rhimes and its sumptuous, high-budget period trappings-not to mention its long-overdue use of color-conscious casting-Bridgerton has all the makings of the perfect binge-watch.

And while Bridgerton fans can rest safe in the knowledge that a second season is already in the works, what is there to watch in the meantime? Fret not! A plethora of British delights is streamable these days, if you know where to look. We’ve picked 10 shows that tick all of your Bridgerton boxes, with detailed period sets, costumes, and that quintessential stiff upper lip. Check out the list below for upcoming, new, and recent shows to watch if you loved Bridgerton.

Victoria




Fans who thrilled in The Crown’s travails of Queen Elizabeth II will also undoubtedly find themselves fascinated with this series about her ancestor Queen Victoria. Three seasons of Victoria have aired, and showrunner Daisy Goodwin has said there will be five altogether, taking the story all the way up to the death of Queen Victoria. -Emma Specter

Gentleman Jack




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

If you like your period British dramas with a side of lesbian intrigue, Gentleman Jack is the show for you. The HBO/BBC production takes place in West Yorkshire, England, in 1832 and features Suranne Jones as Anne Lister, a landowner fighting to save her ancestral home (and indulging in then taboo romances along the way). Based on a true story, this show makes the perfect rainy-Sunday binge-watch, with a second season debuting later this year. -E.S.

Belgravia




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

Few British period TV shows have received the same kind of feverish anticipation as Belgravia ahead of its release last April, thanks in no small part to its reuniting of the team behind the beloved Downton Abbey. Based on a 2016 novel by the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, Belgravia follows the lives and loves of both the aristocrats and servants who populate a well-heeled London borough in the 19th century, hitting the perfect Bridgerton sweet spot between soap opera and prestige drama. -Liam Hess

Gunpowder




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

This BBC miniseries starring Game of Thrones’s Kit Harington-who also produced the show-takes place three centuries before Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, during a much more violent time for the royal family. The show is based on the real-life 17th-century Gunpowder Plot, in which a group of English Catholics tried to blow up the House of Lords and kill the King of England. Another opportunity to see Harington onscreen is just a perk. -E.S.

Poldark




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

If you ever found yourself wishing that things got a little steamier on Bridgerton, PBS’s Poldark has a smoldering ex–Revolutionary War soldier returning home, where the next battle is for his heart. But seriously, Poldark manages to be both cheesy and well written and acted (it’s Masterpiece, after all)-the best of both worlds. -E.S.

A Very English Scandal




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

If you’re looking for a story packed with gossipy intrigue, A Very English Scandal has all of that and a side of social commentary too. Created by Russell T Davies, the highly respected producer behind Queer as Folk, the Doctor Who reboot, and most recently HBO’s It’s a Sin, this one-off series stars Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw. Retelling the true story of British member of parliament Jeremy Thorpe and the furor caused by his bungled assassination attempt of his male lover, it’s Grant’s darkly comic (and Emmy-nominated) turn as the disgraced politician that steals the show. -L.H.

Call the Midwife




How to Watch: Stream on Netflix

Call the Midwife takes place in London in the 1950s and ’60s at the beginning of Elizabeth II’s reign and follows a group of nurse-midwives. If that sounds like a sleepy premise, it isn’t what you think. The show, now in its ninth season, is incredibly emotionally gripping, as it follows the nurses while they head into impoverished parts of the city to try to help other women. -E.S.

Grantchester




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

Set in a similar era to Call the Midwife, Grantchester has not just a hunky lead (James Norton) as its draw, though that is certainly a major reason to tune in. Norton plays a Cambridgeshire clergyman who ends up solving murders in the bucolic village where he is a vicar. Grantchester has a uniquely high crime rate and a very hip jazz club-a combination you never knew you wanted. -E.S.

All Creatures Great and Small




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

Produced by the BBC and now available to view on PBS, All Creatures Great and Small is a charming interwar drama about a vet working in the Yorkshire Dales, with a perfectly escapist love story that will appeal to anyone who found themselves a little sappy watching Bridgerton’s romantic plotlines. As Vogue’s Marley Marius wrote last month, “it would make for pleasant viewing any year, but with, well, everything going on, the show’s verdant landscapes and uncomplicated ethics feel especially welcome this winter.” -L.H.

Parade’s End




How to Watch: Stream on Amazon

Based on the novel by Ford Madox Ford, the BBC’s Parade’s End is heart-wrenching, romantic, and suspenseful. Viewers who prefer period detail in their television fare can take in the gnarly battle scenes and beautiful dinner parties, studded by star performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall. With a script written by Tom Stoppard, every element of this World War I–era love triangle is perfectly paced, to climactic effect. Bring tissues. -E.S.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Luxury bags take over the World Cup: style, status symbol, or just showing off?
UK Parliamentary Committee Launches Inquiry Into Falling Primary School Rolls and Public Service Impact
UK House of Lords Debates Electoral Commission Powers and Political Finance Reform
UK Parliament Considers Expanding Carbon Rules to International Aviation and Shipping Emissions
UK Traffic Commissioner Revokes Hampshire Haulage Operator Licence Over Regulatory Failures
UK Parliament Examines Risks in Public Contracts Awarded to Technology Firm Palantir
UK Competition Watchdog Moves Toward More Flexible Merger Rules to Support Efficiency and Growth
UK Government Seeks Approval for £1.15 Trillion Public Spending Plan Amid Scrutiny Over Department Budgets
UK Parliament Debates Sweeping National Security and Steel Industry Nationalisation Bills
UK Government Issues Formal Apology for Historic Forced Adoption Practices and Announces £4 Million Support Scheme
UK DEFENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY TILTS TOWARD SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT
UK ECONOMIC POLICY OUTLOOK SHAPED BY LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AND FISCAL SIGNALS
STERLING STRENGTHENS AMID SHIFTING MONETARY OUTLOOK AND GLOBAL LABOUR MARKET SIGNALS
UK HPV VACCINATION PROGRAM NEARLY ELIMINATES CERVICAL CANCER DEATH RISK IN YOUNG WOMEN
UK EXPANDS PRISON SAFETY REVIEW AS GOVERNMENT SEEKS WIDER SYSTEM REFORM
UK DRIVES DIGITAL ASSETS STRATEGY WITH NEW STABLECOIN REGULATORY MODEL
UK TO EXPAND AI INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH NEW EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
UK LAUNCHES £15 BILLION DEFENCE TECH SHIFT TOWARD ADVANCED MILITARY SYSTEMS
CIVIL SERVICE FACES SHIFT IN POWER STRUCTURE AS REGIONAL GOVERNANCE PLANS EXPAND
WHITEHALL CONSIDERS MAJOR DECENTRALISATION PLAN WITH SECOND GOVERNMENT HUB IN MANCHESTER
UK TARGETS SERVICES EXPORT GROWTH IN TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA AMID GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
POLICE WATCHDOG PROBES OFFICERS OVER HANDCUFFING OF DYING TEENAGER IN HAMPSHIRE CASE
UK REGULATORS UNVEIL DUAL OVERSIGHT FRAMEWORK FOR STABLECOINS AND DIGITAL ASSETS
KEIR STARMER ANNOUNCES £15 BILLION DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY BOOST IN FINAL MAJOR POLICY MOVE
ANDY BURNHAM SIGNALS STRICT FISCAL RULES AS LABOUR LEADERSHIP RACE SHAPES MARKET OUTLOOK
POUND STERLING HITS ONE-YEAR HIGH AS BANK OF ENGLAND SIGNALS NO IMMINENT RATE CUTS
UK Government Confirms Rejected Asylum Seekers to Remain Amid Enforcement Challenges
UK-China Economic Talks Focus on Services Trade and High-Value Sectors
Buckingham Palace Revamp Plans Unveiled to Modernise Royal and Public Facilities
Two Dead After Light Aircraft Crash in Essex Field, Investigation Underway
Princess Diana Marked at 65 With UK Tributes Reflecting on Her Public Legacy
England Teachers Face New Pay Cap Rules for Academy School Leaders Under Education Reform
Dublin Security Alert Escalates After Stabbing and Reports of Transport Disruption
UK Government Faces Scrutiny Over £10,000 Asylum Living Cost Contribution Requirement
England Prepares World Cup Knockout Match Against Democratic Republic of Congo
Northern Rail Project Warned of HS2-Style Cost Risks by UK Parliamentary Committee
UK Tightens Asylum Rules as Most Rejected Applicants Expected to Remain in Country
UK Heat Health Alert Issued as Temperatures Expected to Exceed 30°C Across England
Halifax Brand to Disappear From UK High Streets in Lloyds Banking Group Restructuring
England Teachers Receive 6.6 Percent Pay Rise Over Two Years as Schools Warn of Budget Strain
UK Defence Spending Plan Sparks Budget Clash as Regional Infrastructure Projects Face Pressure
Inquest Continues in Northern Ireland into Death of Noah Donohoe in Belfast
UK Travel Industry Calls for Suspension of New EU Border System During Peak Holiday Season
Telegraph Media Group Acquired by German Media Firm in £575 Million Deal Completion
House of Commons Warns Northern Rail Upgrade Risks Repeating High-Speed 2 Cost Overruns
UK Transport Unions Warn of Summer Strike Action Over Pay Disputes
UK Health Secretary Calls Maternity Care Review a “Watershed Moment” for NHS Reform
Nigel Farage Faces Questions Over £270,000 Payment Linked to Gold Marketing Firm
Labour Government Faces Internal Division Over North Sea Oil and Gas Policy Direction
National Screening Committee Invites New Proposals for UK Health Screening Programmes
×