6 shows like Bridgerton to watch until the second season

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Shows To Watch While Waiting For Bridgerton Season 2: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey — Courtesy of BritBox /

6. Shows like Bridgerton: Downton Abbey

You’ve probably at least heard of Downton Abbey. This show is not exactly a hidden gem, it’s very popular. However, while you’re waiting for Bridgerton season 2, here’s why you should watch or rewatch all 6 seasons of Downton Abbey on Amazon Prime Video or HBO Max. The stories are somewhat similar. There may be no Lady Whistledown at Downton Abbey but the story told surrounding the Crawley family will absolutely remind you of the Bridgertons, except with one slight difference.

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The Bridgertons have many children and are currently being led by Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and while the Crawleys have 3 daughters, they were not lucky enough to have a boy.

Due to the time period, this means that Downton Abbey itself is going to go to someone outside the immediate family when the current Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) dies. Unfortunately, due to the Titanic sinking, the estate is left without an heir. Enter Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens).

The members of the Crawley family are not too excited to see him when he arrives and happens to actually work for a living. He is a lawyer and that, unfortunately, doesn’t impress most of the other Crawleys. No, they consider it somewhat scandalous, from the Dowager Countess Violet (Maggie Smith) to the oldest daughter Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery). Mary early on spars with Matthew and the two of them seem somewhat at odds in general what with him inheriting her family home and all.

Surprisingly given the odds stacked against them, much like our Duke and Duchess in Bridgerton, Matthew and Mary end up falling in love. So if you’re looking for a good love story while you’re waiting for Bridgerton Season 2, there’s definitely one here. Albeit one with a sadder ending, one that Dan Stevens still feels the need to apologize for. We won’t give away all the twists and turns but rest assured that there are plenty. We’ve just given you a glimpse into the beginnings of the show. Much like Bridgerton, Downton Abbey also shows the lives of those not in the upper classes, such as the servants who work for the Crawleys.

5. Shows like Bridgerton: The Paradise

This show is slightly different from Bridgerton, in that its main characters actually need to work for a living. However, while you’re waiting for Bridgerton Season 2, we think The Paradise, which is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, would be a nice substitute. While the majority of the main characters are not upper class, we do see a glimpse into the upper classes’ life through characters like Lord Glendenning (Patrick Malahide) and his daughter Katherine (Elaine Cassidy) . Though The Paradise mainly follows those who work in a department store with that name, they regularly come into contact with upper-class people through their work.

The Paradise follows Denise Lovett (Joanna Vanderham) as she moves to England from the small town of Peebles in Scotland to help her uncle Edmund (Peter Wight) in his shop. Unfortunately, Edmund Lovett can not afford to take Denise in due to the fact that his business is not doing well. This is because the Paradise is nearby and the store is beating out all its competition. Denise quickly finds a job at the Paradise as a salesgirl, where she catches the attention of John Moray (Emun Elliott), the owner of the store.

And yes, they fall in love. But the similarities to Bridgerton don’t end there. Besides the insights into upper (and lower and middle) class life and the epic love story, The Paradise also offers a plot with plenty of twists and turns. You might think you know what’s going to happen while watching, but you don’t always.

So come into the world of The Paradise. You won’t regret it. Plus there are only two seasons so it’s a quick binge-watch, much like Bridgerton.

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