There's some great news to share straight out of 1800s New York City, and by that, of course, I mean HBO has revealed the fate of the underrated hit series The Gilded Age. As season 3 continues to increase the show's ratings year over year, the cable network announced the season 4 renewal two weeks ahead of the upcoming season 3 finale on Aug. 10.
According to HBO, on-the-night viewership has increased for all five weeks during season 3, growing by 20% compared to the numbers from season 2. The latest season hit series-high ratings with the recent episode involving Gladys' wedding to the Duke and again surpassed its series highs to reach a new peak with episode 5, which focused on Marian and Larry's engagement.
The Gilded Age season 4 renewed at HBO
In tandem, The Gilded Age season 3 has enjoyed an increased presence on social media with fans discussing the episodes more and more. That obviously made a season 4 renewal a no-brainer decision for HBO, but even with the series steadily climbing into the mainstream, it still feels as though it's among that cliched group of "best shows you're not watching."
A number of viral social media posts have lamented the fact that HBO "doesn't have a show we can watch on Sunday nights" or that we went from Game of Thrones to Succession to Insecure to Euphoria to nothing on the network. In the replies of these posts, you'll seen a vast majority urging the original poster and others to watch The Gilded Age. It is, after all, a Sunday night HBO show.
The "Sunday night HBO show" has become quite the commodity and the unifying pop culture moment that's constantly craved. Most recently, The White Lotus season 3 and The Last of Us season 2 anchored Sunday nights both on cable and on HBO Max, but many viewers seem to think the network abandoned us long ago. It's not true, and The Gilded Age's ratings are revealing.
Sure, the ratings might not be as massive as any of the aforementioned HBO shows, and the series might not be as universally accessible as a period drama, but that doesn't take away the fact that it's expertly crafted by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and co-showrunner Sonja Warfield, features some of the best actors in its expansive cast (Christine Baranski! Carrie Coon!), and was previously nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmy Awards.
Sometimes, it takes a minute for shows to catch on with a wider audience, even if they're are successful enough to be renewed year after year. As someone who doesn't frequently connect with period dramas and didn't start watching until catching up just before season 3 (after watching Coon in The White Lotus), The Gilded Age is bringing something you can't get anywhere else: Campy humor and soap-level drama with prestige quality. It's just so good and real, unmissable television.
The Gilded Age season 4 renewal news didn't arrive with many details from HBO, but the next season is expected to contain another eight episodes like the previous three seasons. Since there aren't any strikes to contend with this time around, season 4 should premiere much sooner, perhaps before the end of 2026. Coon shared on social media that she's filming something before season 4, suggesting that production could start later this year. Stay tuned for more news and updates!
Watch The Gilded Age on HBO and HBO Max.