If you’ve gobbled up all of Bridgerton season four part one, and you’re impatiently waiting for the next instalment to drop – we’ve got your yearning needs covered.
Bridgerton has satiated our hunger for Regency romance and teased us with sometimes protracted, nonetheless hugely satisfying, love stories since 2020.
And now it’s back with more moments of longing and desire, to help us get through these glum winter months.
With only four episodes of the new series dropping, you wouldn’t be amiss to devour them in one or two sittings.
Fear not, gentle reader, if this has been the case, for we have plenty of other shows that will be most appropriate to satisfy your need for a good yearn.
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Starting off with what is often held up as the gold standard in this department – it’s the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Pride and Prejudice (1995)
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has been adapted many times, and another one is around the corner – but the BBC nailed it in 1995.
Starring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett, this series is a beautiful adaptation of the legendary classic that defined the modern romantic novel.
As the Bennett sisters face increasing pressure to wed before they hit shelf-life (worryingly early in Regency England), Elizabeth (the second-eldest) meets Mark Darcy of Pemberley Estate.
What follows is a number of misunderstandings that see the pair looking unlikely to succeed as a romantic couple, but an overriding connection means their futures change course.
Viewers like Wulfstan10 call it ‘hard to beat’. He writes on IMBd: ‘I fail to see how anyone could have portrayed Darcy better than did Colin Firth […]
‘His looks, and especially his eyes, say so much of the complexity of his character and his feelings with subtle expressions.’
While Keng5 gives it the highest praise: ‘It is rare to find a Jane Austen dramatisation that comes so near to being perfect on every level, and that stays so true to the original novel.’
Pride and Prejudice is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
The Hunting Wives
The Hunting Wives is a perfectly trashy, addictive and lustful series that portrays a fervour we don’t see enough of on our screens.
After Sophie (Brittany Snow) moves to the fictional town of Maple Brook in Texas, she is greeted by her husband’s colleagues and their partners.
Leading the pack of hunting wives is Margo (Malin Åkerman), who develops a soft spot for Sophie.
Their shared desire is palpable throughout the first few episodes, although at first, Sophie doesn’t know what to do with it.
As the series progresses, their relationship turns into something more, and the women become entwined in each other’s lives against the backdrop of a community in turmoil over the murder of a local teenager.
People have been lusting over the steamy scenes, and PlayfulQuietDreamer said on Reddit they were ‘instantly hooked’.
As well as being intensely sensual, the show has a whodunnit through-line which sees viewers coming back for more.
Yeahnahmaybe68 said: ‘The crime aspects add interest as the series goes on.’
However, they included some sage words of advice: ‘Don’t watch with your Grandma.’
The Hunting Wives is available to watch on ITVX.
Normal People
The TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People is a modern classic in the romantic genre.
For Connell and Marianne (Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones) their love affair starts when they’re at school, as do their unhealthy habits as a couple.
They can’t be open about their relationship at first, partly down to Connell’s supposed social status at their sixth form in Dublin, versus Marianne’s reputation as an outsider.
Despite their undeniably deep understanding of one another, things get lost in communication between the two parties as they work out their relevance in each other’s lives.
It was a huge hit when it came out in 2020, and has remained well-loved since.
Did you watch Normal People when it premiered?
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YES
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Rotten P on Rotten Tomatoes claims: ‘Normal People is a quietly devastating and profoundly moving exploration of first love and human connection.’
Phoebe D can attest to the themes we mention: ‘The intricate struggle of two broken people yearning to connect deeply and finding that only with each other.’
Normal People is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
One Day
If you’re into slow-burning romances, then One Day is the show for you.
The Netflix series hit our screen two years ago and is based on the David Nicholls book published in 2009.
It follows Emma and Dexter’s long, and at times frustrating, love story.
But what is great romantic pining without some exasperation and blockages along the way?
Leo Woodall plays the impenetrable Dexter Mayhew, and Ambika Mod is the warm, and occasionally unforgiving, Emma Morley.
One Day draws on all the emotions – popcultureSp00nie22 sums it up on Reddit: ‘It is an absolutely lovely and heartbreaking show.’
Beth-angela96 agrees it’s a worthwhile watch: ‘It’s tragic, and funny, and beautiful… just like life.’
And even if you’re not a fan of the genre (which by this part of the article, would be strange), you might still enjoy the show. AHorseisHuman1966 claims: ‘I don’t like romcoms or even straight-up romance films, but I loved this.’
One Day is available to stream on Netflix.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
It would be difficult not to mention The Summer I Turned Pretty here – as it is the show that reignited a love and need for yearning amongst women aged anywhere between 18-35.
This coming-of-age series sent fans feral over its three-season run.
Meet Belly, a teenager on the cusp of womanhood who is navigating her first loves – only problem is, they’re brothers.
The seasons divided viewers into two camps, Team Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Team Conrad (Christopher Briney), and had audiences guessing which she’d pick right up until the very end.
Vanessxiabelle on IMBd raved about the series: ‘I would’ve been happy with regular clichée teen romance, but it’s so so much more than that.’
While @thisuserisneww on X said: ‘I honestly don’t think any other show could ever replicate that feeling for me.’
The Summer I Turned Pretty is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
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