This series has a 72% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a new series coming soon

The Buccaneers

This series is Apple TV’s answer to Bridgerton (Image: Apple TV)

After finishing the recent series of Bridgerton, fans of period dramas and romances will likely be looking for another series to enjoy. One that’s been compared to the popular Netflix series is The Buccaneers and is streaming over on Apple TV.

The series, which is based on the 1938 Edith Wharton novel of the same name, tells the story of a group of young American women who arrive in 1870s London in order to secure a wealthy husband, so it’s easy to see where comparisons to Bridgerton come from. The Buccaneers was released in 2023 with 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a second series following in 2025 and a third coming sometime soon. Some fans have even claimed it’s better than Bridgerton.

Buccaneers
The show is based on the 1938 novel of the same name (Image: Apple TV)

Taking to IMDb, one fan, who labelled the series “better than Bridgerton”, added: “I really liked it, at first I thought it was going to be a cheesy quirky knock off Bridgerton, but I was wrong. This was much more real and relatable.”

While another wrote: “This show is so much fun! I hate how many people say it’s trying to copy Bridgerton and fails. This show is amazing on its own and only has slight similarities to Bridgerton.

“If you expect a replica of Bridgerton, you’ll be disappointed. If you expect a fun, entertaining and romantic historical drama, you’ll be delighted.”

While a third added: “I love a period piece, and I love teen dramas. This show is the perfect combo of both!!

The Buccaneers
Fans and critics alike have compared the show to Bridgerton (Image: Apple TV)

“It isn’t record-breaking cinema, and it isn’t revolutionary or anything, but it’s so much FUN to watch, and absolutely nothing about it is predictable either.

“It’s just so entertaining and a world that’s easy to fall into. Plus, I actually genuinely care about these characters and their happiness.”

However, not everyone has been a fan, with one disappointed viewer commenting: “This Apple TV version is cringeworthy on so many levels. From the modern vocabulary, contemporary music attempts to the historical inaccuracies of lords and ladies parading around half-naked (unheard of in the 19th century) among each other.

“They dragged it out with unnecessary plot devices not in the original. The showrunners saw Bridgerton, thought they’d do an update to this story and failed to meet the standards.”