Already missing Julian Fellowes' "The Gilded Age" — the historical glamour, high-society drama and the Carrie Coon of it all? Join the club. We're waiting with bated breath to see what kind of ritzy 19th-century hijinks Bertha Russell and Co. will be getting up to in the fourth season of the HBO hit.
Given that the powers that be will have to, you know, film an entire season of TV first, "The Gilded Age" fans can make the wait feel way less dreadful by dipping into yet another sumptuous period drama focused on moneyed society and their very entertaining personal mess: "The Buccaneers." (Because let's be real, you've already definitely binged "Bridgerton," "The Great" and "Downton Abbey," amI right?)
With two seasons down already, with a season 3 renewal still pending, the Apple TV Plus series "The Buccaneers" features 16 hourlong episodes of strong female characters (Agnes van Rhijn would approve!), Anglo-American culture clashes, boundary-pushing fashions, social competitiveness and, of course, young American heiresses (and their mothers) seeking advantageous marriages abroad à la Gladys Russell.
That should keep "The Gilded Age" fans plenty busy until season 4 debuts, but if you need more convincing, here's why you should add "The Buccaneers" to your next watchlist.
What is 'The Buccaneers' about?
While "The Gilded Age" brings viewers into the social and economic tensions within New York high society, the bulk of the action in "The Buccaneers" is set across the pond in 1870s England.
Adapted by creator Katherine Jakeways from the unfinished novel of the same name by Edith Wharton, the Apple TV Plus show revolves around five ambitious young American women who descend upon London high society to secure suitable husbands and shake up old traditions.
Over two seasons, the historical drama sees the women rise through status rankings, all the while navigating new money, old secrets, societal constraints and their fair share of romances. Sounds like enough juicy gossip to fuel another one of Ward McAllister's scandalous society books!
Why you should stream 'The Buccaneers' on Apple TV Plus
"The Buccaneers" isn't just another retread of corsets-and-carriages melodrama. The show has a refreshing youthfulness and charming coming-of-age quality, which helps it stick out from similarly focused period dramas, which typically save its juiciest bits for its grand dames (we're looking at you, Christine Baranski).
As the show's season 2 logline says: "All of the girls have been forced to grow up and now have to fight to be heard, as they wrestle with romance, lust, jealousy, births and deaths … themes consuming all women of any age, no matter what year it is.”
That youthful pluck and modern sensibility also extend to both the looks — from the dresses to the 'dos — and the sounds of the series, which frequently pulls a "Bridgerton" and weaves in contemporary pop music to its soundtrack. That might ruffle some feathers if you're a period-piece purist, but it very much works here: "Anachronistic to the max and loving it, 'The Buccaneers' is a feminist and frothy treat for fans of period piece pageantry," praises the critical consensus over at Rotten Tomatoes.
Watch "The Buccaneers" on Apple TV+ now
More from Tom's Guide
- 29 best Apple TV Plus shows to watch now
- Apple TV Plus's new historical drama is the best show you're (probably) not watching — and it's 93% on Rotten Tomatoes
- How to get Apple TV Plus for free
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