‘Sanditon,’ ‘Tom Jones’ & More Female-Led Period Dramas to Watch in 2023

Whether you’re looking forward to returning favorites like Sanditon or the prequel spinoff Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, television is shining a light on the leading ladies of period dramas in 2023. Here are a few to look out for.

Hannah Waddingham in Tom Jones (Premiering in 2023, PBS)

No, of course the Ted Lasso star isn’t playing the title role in this Masterpiece adaptation of Henry Fielding’s colorful The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling — but Waddingham does have a title: Lady Bellaston, lusty society schemer and thwarter of true love.

India Amarteifio in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Premiering in 2023, Netflix)

Or, When Charlotte Met King George… Their love story unfolds in this before-she-was-crowned limited series prequel about Bridgerton’s imperious, gossip-loving monarch. Bonus: We’ll see how the ton, that rigidly defined high society, came to be.

(Credit: PBS)

Emilia Schüle in Marie Antoinette (Sunday, March 19, 10/9c, PBS)

Young, rebellious but très élégant! France’s Austrian dauphine turns Versailles upside down while trying to navigate court and produce an heir in a drama from a screenwriter of 2018’s The Favourite. (check local listings at pbs.org)

Related

25 Shows to Get Excited About in 2023

Rose Williams in Sanditon (Sunday, March 19, 9/8c, PBS)

Third time lucky in the final season? Charlotte Heywood has loved and lost twice at the seaside town. Had Jane Austen finished the novel Sanditon, surely she would have written a joyous ending! (check local listings at pbs.org)

This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s 2023 Preview issue. For more inside scoop on what’s coming to TV and streaming in the new year, pick up the issue, on newsstands now.