This 4-hour romantic period drama is better than Bridgerton

The second half of Bridgerton season 4 is now out on Netflix, and easily topping the charts. Since 2020, this Regency-era romance series has thrilled viewers. It may not be the most action-packed historical fiction show on Netflix, but it’s zesty, sexy, and full of opulent period detail. If you’re the kind of person who loves shows about well-dressed English people trying to restrain their torrid emotions, and there are a lot of you out there, Bridgerton is a must-watch.

But it’s not the only such show available. Bridgerton builds on a long history of juicy English parlor dramas, including some that beat it at its own game.

North & South is Bridgerton with restraint

It lets the romance simmer more

North & South is a four-episode Victorian-era period drama that aired on the BBC in 2004. The BBC didn’t have high expectations for the series and didn’t promote it much, but it proved so popular with viewers that the message board on the North & South website (if you want a reminder that this happened in the mid-2000s) crashed after the first episode aired, forcing the BBC to take it down.

And it’s easy to see why the show caused such a stir. An adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1855 novel, North & South is about Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe), a young woman who moves from the south of England to the north along with her family, settling in the fictional town of Milton, Darkshire. Milton is an industrial town where the mill-owning Thornton family holds a lot of sway. Margaret sympathizes with the mill workers and is initially cold towards the Thorntons, who look down on her and her family on account of their modest means. Still, an attraction smolders between Margaret and John Thornton (Richard Armitage), and the two slowly come to know each other better, despite many mishaps and misunderstandings that fate puts in their way.

The appeal of Bridgerton lies in the simmering romances between the lead characters, with many fans loving to watch leading men like Jonathan Bailey, Regé-Jean Page, and Colin Bridgerton. As John Thornton, Richard Armitage can match any of them. He was so charismatic on North & South that it helped him secure a role as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, which brought him even more notoriety.

The romances on Bridgerton are more pulpy than the one in North & South, more openly saucy and libidinous. And that’s a lot of fun, but there’s also something to be said for a romance like the one between Margaret and John, which is built up over a series of stolen glances and long brooding stretches. Bridgerton cuts to the chase, but North & South knows that in romance, the chase is often what it’s all about.

North & South has more on its mind

It’s not JUST about the romance

I don’t want to come down too hard on Bridgerton, because its fluffier take on history is entertaining and has its place, but it’s not the historical drama you watch if you want something substantive. Bridgerton is scandalous and quippy, but doesn’t have as much going on under the hood as North & South does.

In addition to the slow-burn romance between Margaret and John, North & South explores how the industrial revolution changed England, and digs into the specifics of class struggles during the 1850s. Margaret spends time getting to know some of the mill workers and comes to know how dangerous the conditions in the mills can be; one character even dies tragically after contracting byssinosis from the cotton fibers in the mills. There’s also an intense scene during a strike that puts both John and Margaret in harm’s way. North & South paints characters from every strata of society with nuance and care.

Bridgerton also looks at themes like this, but generally they’re more shallow. Like in the current season, maid Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) disguises herself as an aristocrat and crashes a lavish ball where she meets the eligible Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), and they start a whirlwind romance. The show examines the difficulties they encounter being from different classes, but ultimately it feels more like a Cinerdella-esque fairy tale than a realistic romance.

North & South vs Bridgerton

Light vs dark

And to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with the sort of fairy tale drama you’ll find in Bridgerton. If you prefer that to the more grounded story in North & South, that’s fine. Bridgerton does some interesting things with its more free-form approach to history, like taking the opportunity to populate Regency-era England with far more people of color. There’s a clever way it transgresses against normality that North & South doesn’t do.

But why not have both? If you’re crave a period drama with more meat on the bone, North & South is there for you. And if you’re ready for light and frothy, Bridgerton is waiting.

North & South is easy to stream

North & South is also pretty easy to stream, available on both Peacock, Prime Video, Tubi, and BritBox. And if you don’t have access to those, you can always buy or rent episodes individually at places like Apple TV. At only four episodes long, it won’t cost much.

But if you’re determined to stick around Netflix, you have options there, too, including lots of great detective series and sci-fi movies.