The Gilded Ageseason 4 has recently been announced, though it’s unclear when it will arrive, so in the meantime, you should check out the creator’s other historical drama,Downton Abbey.The Gilded Agehas accomplished something impressive, coming off a rocky start to becomeone of the best currently airing shows on HBO Max.
The series is set in America’s Golden Age, a fascinating time period in the late 19th century when new money and old money began to collide. This decadent class, along with a mobile class of black Americans and a domestic working class bolstered by immigrants, is the focus of the beautifully produced and intriguing series.
The Gilded Age Season 4 Is Confirmed, But It Could Be A While Before It Arrives
The Gilded Ageseason 4 was confirmedon July 11, 2025, a few weeks before season 3’s finale, which shows HBO Max has a lot of confidence in its period drama.The Gilded Ageseason 3 had some of its best viewing numbers of its entire run, andthe season ended with an exciting bang.
Fans and critics alike seem ready for whatever else series creator Julian Fellowes has in store for them. However, viewers should temper their excitement just a bit, because a release date forThe Gilded Ageseason 4 has yet to be announced, and there’s reason to believe it will be a long time before the show returns.
There was about a year and a half between the season 1 finale and the season 2 premiere, and then about another year and a half between the end of season 2 and the premiere of season 3. If that schedule continues, fans shouldn’t expectThe Gilded Ageseason 4 premiere until January 2027 at the earliest.
Downton Abbey Is The Perfect Replacement While Waiting For The Gilded Age’s Return
That could prove to be a grueling 17–18 months for people who just need theirfix of period-style television drama. If you want to look on the bright side, this could be the perfect time to watch (or rewatch) a similarly-styled TV show with six seasons and two movies,with one movie on its way:Downton Abbey.
Downton Abbeyis set in England, specifically in the Northern Yorkshire region, a few decades after the time period inThe Gilded Age. The show follows the aristocratic Crawley family and their numerous servants who experience all the societal-changing events of the early 20th century, sometimes changing to fit the times, and sometimes stubbornly clinging to their pasts.
The aristocracy is put in the crosshairs of the series, withDownton Abbeyexploring the ins and outs of an ancient, impenetrable, and often confusing system of customs, behaviors, and lifestyles. There isn’t a show that gives you such an unvarnished, beautifully crafted look at a forgotten time that is still immensely important, asDownton Abbey.
Downton Abbey & The Gilded Age Are Made By The Same Creator
If you watchDownton Abbey, you may start to get the sense that the show could exist within the same universe asThe Gilded Age. They share many similar qualities in style, themes, writing, and production. These are similarities that can probably be attributed to Julian Fellowes, who created both shows.
An Academy Award and Emmy Award winner, Julian Fellowes is the mind behind both period dramas, includingBelgravia, an underrated series set during the Napoleonic wars, and theTitanicminiseries. He also wroteGosford Park,Vanity Fair, andThe Tourist, along with all threeDownton Abbeymovies.
Fellowes has a fascination with history, and maybe an even greater fascination with how different classes of people can be in proximity with one another while having so little in common and often being openly antagonistic towards one another. This interest is usually reserved for Europe, butThe Gilded Ageallows Fellowes to explore an American branch of this relationship.
How The Two Hit Historical Dramas Compare To One Another
The Gilded AgeandDownton Abbeyhave quite a bit in common, just in terms of look and the “upstairs-downstairs” themes of both shows. However, there are some major differences, not just in terms of obvious settings and characters, but in structure and themes.
The shows depict two different visions of the hyper-wealthy class. InDownton Abbey, the aristocracy has been an institution for centuries, but in the 20th century, they are contending with their new place in the world, a world which may not view them with the same reverence they have always viewed themselves.
InThe Gilded Age, the American upper class is on an upward trajectory. Even the traditionally persecuted class of Black Americans have a chance to make their fortunes. In this new era of wealth, rules and boundaries are tested as everyone scrambles to get their slice of the pie.
The Gilded Ageis probably not ranked as high asDownton Abbeyin most people’s estimations, at least right now, but so far, Fellowes' new series has not shown any signs that it couldn’t be as good as the show that put him on the map. Watch them both and decide for yourself.
