Romance TV shows have always been a popular part of television, and the 2020s have seen an influx of amazing period romance stories that elevate the genre. One of the biggest issues with historical dramas, and period pieces in general, is that their outdated political and social ideologies can be uncomfortable or offensive to modern audiences. However, this doesn’t mean viewers don’t want to engage with history or enjoy the chaste love stories and gorgeous costumes that period pieces supply. In the past few years, filmmakers have engaged with this problem by exploring revisionist history narratives and updating old-fashioned plots.

When the hit series Bridgerton was released on Netflix in 2020, it set the stage for other series to follow its lead in revolutionary changes to the genre. The best Colin and Penelope moments in Bridgerton season 3 demonstrate what makes Bridgerton so popular and what the series has done for historical romance. There is a clear need and desire for more exciting romance series’ that allow the audience to feel represented and engaged while providing plenty of steamy and heart-pounding moments. As the 2020s progress, there will only be an increase in romance TV shows set in the past.

10

Our Flag Means Death (2022–2023)

Combining pirates and LGBTQ+ romance, Our Flag Means Death brings swashbuckling adventure to the contemporary world.

Taika Waititi stars in Our Flag Means Death as the famed pirate Blackbeard, who takes Stede Bonnet, played by Rhys Darby, onto his crew. The show’s story reinterprets the true story of Bonnet, a man living in Barbados in the early 1700s who abandoned his life of high-class luxury to be a pirate. While little is known about Bonnet’s motivations or why he would later develop a close relationship with the infamous Blackbeard, Our Flag Means Death takes the narrative and imbues it with romance and comedy.

After crossing paths for the first time, it doesn’t take long for Bonnet and Blackbeard to fall in love. Though the historical accuracy of Our Flag Means Death is low, this was never the point of the warm-hearted series. Where other tales of piracy involve fearsome battle and brutal violence, Our Flag Means Death favors deep interpersonal connections and the idea that the pirate crews were like family and a place of acceptance outside the harsh lines of colonialism. Additionally, the relationship between Bonnet and Blackbeard isn’t the only romance depicted onscreen and is far from the only queer one.

9

The Empress (2022–Present)

When the young Sisi marries the Austrian Emperor, she discovers what it means to rule and what it means to love.

Devrim Lingnau brilliantly brings to life Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the German drama The Empress, which made waves following its release on Netflix with audiences across the world. The Empress follows the story of the real historical figure, Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, also known as Sisi, who’s chosen as the new bride of the young Emperor of Austria. The series begins with their abrupt courtship and Sisi traveling with him to Austria to be married and named Empress. However, even after their marriage, the relationship between Sisi and Franz (Philip Froissant) is never easy.

Not only must Sisi navigate the political den of snakes that is the Austrian court immediately upon her arrival, but she also is just coming into her own as a young woman and discovering what it is to be in love for the first time. In Vienna, Sisi faces many threats and challenges, not the least of which is learning what it means to be a wife and a political figure. The fact that Franz married her for love threatens his already tenuous hold on the crown, and the people of Austria are beginning to rebel against the monarchy.

8

The Buccaneers (2023)

English and American sensibilities chafe in this adaptation of the beloved series.

The Buccaneers TV show takes many more dramatic liberties and modernizes the story beyond what the author of the 1938 book, Edith Wharton, could ever imagine. However, it captures the heart and joyful nature of youth as it tells of the journey of a group of young girls who leave America in search of wealthy and titled husbands in London in the late 1800s. It was not uncommon at this time for the daughters of the newly minted wealthy class in America to go to Europe in search of old money connections that would elevate their standing in polite society.

However, The Buccaneers is more concerned with its characters marrying for love. Overall, the last thing The Buccanneers is worried about is historical accuracy or its many anachronisms. Thankfully, this allows the viewer to let go of their preconceived notions surrounding period pieces and have fun. The show is focused on messages of feminism and friendship in conjunction with its heroines’ love stories, allowing the series to use its modern sensibilities to its advantage. As The Buccaneers season 2 is confirmed, plenty of new dramas and layers of intrigue will be introduced.

7

My Dearest (2023)

The romantic epic K-drama dedicates equal time to history and its sweeping love story.

My Dearest takes place during the Qing invasion of Joseon and pulls no punches in its depiction of this period and the many struggles people faced. The series stars Namkoong Min as Lee Jang-hyun and Ahn Eun-jin as Yoo Gil-chae, a couple who falls in love as the world falls apart. For most of his life, Jang-hyun has closed off his heart to love, but can’t prevent the feelings that blossom for Gil-chae. However, Gil-chae is enmeshed in a love triangle with her best friend and her fiancé, who Gil-chae has long harbored feelings for.

As Jang-hyun is slowly brought into the intricacies of court and Gil-chae’s romantic difficulties, the threat of the Qing invasion grows, and the political context of the story is thrown into sharp relief. As with all TV shows that revolve around war, the fighting leads to the inevitable separation of Gil-chae and Jang-hyun, just as they are able to communicate the depth of their feelings. All the actors involved in My Dearest balance the joy and hope of romance with the devastation of war with nuance and empathy.

6

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)

The spinoff of Bridgerton that deftly explores Queen Charlotte’s past and future.

Watching Bridgerton after the release of Queen Charlotte changes the way audiences look at the Queen, played by Golda Rosheuvel in the later timeline, and India Amarteifio as the young Charlotte. Much can be guessed about Charlotte and her early relationship with King George III (Corey Mylchreest), but Queen Charlotte filled the long-awaited niche of her backstory and the love that developed between the two great royals. Thanks to Queen Charlotte, the Queen’s outlook on love and marriage in the ton makes sense, and viewers find a newfound respect and appreciation for her position as Queen.

The romance between Charlotte and George is just as satisfying, if not slightly more so, than any given romance in a season of Bridgerton. Additionally, much-needed context is given to the history of desegregation and racial equality in Bridgerton‘s revised version of history. Queen Charlotte grapples with the prejudice and uncertainty of the early period of equality and allows its characters to be in conversation with it. Although the viewer knows that the love between Charlotte and George will never be an easy one, watching them grow closer and ensure their country’s future is beautiful.

5

The Great (2020–2023)

Elle Fanning deftly captures the trials and tribulations of becoming one of history’s greatest rulers.

The short-lived but well-loved retelling of the story of Catherine the Great stars Elle Fanning as Catherine and Nicholas Hoult as her cruel and bumbling husband, Peter III. It takes the events that lead to Catherine’s crowning as Empress of Russia and how she overthrew Peter and satirizes and dramatizes them to the extreme. There is little historical realism in The Great, but there are plenty of laughs and scheming in every episode. Watching Catherine rise in power, knowledge, and understanding of the inner workings of the court, as well as grow in self-confidence, is the show’s greatest love story.

However, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Peter and Catherine does have its sweet moments, even if it’s inevitable that Catherine will make him abdicate the throne, and she reportedly despised him in real life. The Great understood that its explicit and raunchy nature required moments of vulnerability and sensitivity for the series not to alienate its audience. In only three seasons, the viewer sees the characters in the show demonstrate admirable character development and show real love towards one another.

4

Fellow Travelers (2023)

Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer make an irresistible pair in this tale of tragedy and true love.

When period pieces are discussed, it’s not uncommon for images of the Elizabethan era, or even ancient times, to come to the minds of audiences. However, as time hurtles forward, period pieces of the near, or slightly more recent, past are becoming more popular. This is the case in Fellow Travelers, which explores queerness in the age of McCarthyism and the Lavender Scare in the 1950s in the U.S. When Hawk (Matt Bomer) and Tim (Jonathan Bailey) meet while working in the government, but their fear consistently keeps them apart, in addition to the political turmoil of the time.

Bomer and Bailey are undeniable as lovers and partners in Fellow Travelers, drawing the audience into their doomed but beautiful love that holds more hope than they thought possible. The series jumps back and forth in time, highlighting the biggest issues of the latter half of the 20th century alongside the ups and downs of Hawk and Him’s relationship. Beginning in the ’50s and stretching into the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic was becoming a national crisis, Fellow Travelers uses history to its advantage, commenting on the policies of the U.S. in conjunction with a universal love story.

3

The Gilded Age (2022–Present)

The Gilded Age shines brightly by setting itself in an age of glittering opulence.

In the time just after the Industrial Revolution and just before the turn of the century, there was a shining moment for the very rich and very powerful. The Gilded Age takes place in New York City in the late 1800s, as old money clashed with new and rising entrepreneurs attempting to navigate the ever-changing social scene. While class divisions and the growing power of wealth and capitalism in the U.S. are large themes in the show, romance is not far behind, as the balls, dinners, and extravagant parties lend themselves to budding love stories.

Many of the primary romance plots involve Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and many of the other younger characters, as their advantageous marriages are on their minds and the minds of the older generation. However, money and power consistently come between young lovers, as it’s of the utmost importance for every character that they’re financially protected. The backdrop of this against imagined events that would have realistically taken place during this time. Though The Gilded Age isn’t based on real people or events, its set design and costuming richly recreate the period.

2

My Lady Jane (2024–Present)

The newest fantasy romance that explodes thanks to the leads’ chemistry.

My Lady Jane stars Emily Bader as the titular Jane Grey, whose story is retold as a romantic epic featuring Edward Bluemel as her charming but debonair love interest, Guildford Dudley. It seems that My Lady Jane is Amazon Prime’s answer to Netflix’s success with Bridgerton, as so far, the series is doing quite well. A large part of this is thanks to the undeniable spark between Jane and Guildford that no amount of great writing and directing can fake. Their chemistry is real and jumps off the screen in every moment they share, making their love scenes endlessly satisfying.

My Lady Jane sets itself apart by including fantasy elements and making one of the central conflicts revolve around the divide between Verity and Ethians, a group of people who can transform into animals at will. This part of the story takes revisionist history to a whole new level, but even in its more ridiculous moments, this magic system doesn’t take the viewer out of the show. My Lady Jane remains rooted in emotional reality because of how strong and genuine the connection between Jane and Guildford is and how much the audience wants them to be together.

1

Bridgerton (2020–Present)

With enemies-to-lovers arcs and slow-burn romances, Bridgerton always delivers what audiences want.

Premiering at the start of the decade in 2020, Bridgerton can be credited with the dramatic increase in interest in TV shows like it. Based on the novel series by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton follows the love lives of the titular Bridgerton children as they navigate the pressures of finding a love match in a reimagined version of Regency-era England. Unlike the books, the Bridgerton show altered the past to have racial equality, ensuring white actors wouldn’t dominate the show. Additionally, Bridgerton season 3 has seen the first sparks of LGBTQ+ relationships, which have only been loosely hinted at before this.

Each season sees the marriage of a new Bridgerton sibling and draws from the book in the series. However, Bridgerton isn’t afraid to make book changes that alter details but stay true to the purpose and themes of the story. Audiences can expect Bridgerton to continue to dominate the period romance genre for years to come as each season carefully sets up the next installment of the narrative. Between the incredible love scenes and the show’s positive messages about loving oneself, Bridgerton‘s popularity continues to soar.