Two lavish period dramas are set to go head-to-head on May 4, as Netflix's 'Queen Charlotte' and ITV's 'Tom Jones' both premiere. The former is a Bridgerton prequel exploring the early marriage of Queen Charlotte to King George III, while the latter adapts Henry Fielding's classic novel, often considered the first English rom-com.
'Queen Charlotte' follows the young princess (India Amarteifio) as she arrives in England to marry the distant King George (Corey Mylchreest). The series features both present-day scenes with Golda Rosheuvel and Adjoa Andoh, and flashbacks with Amarteifio and Arsema Thomas. ITV's 'Tom Jones', written by Gwyneth Hughes, compresses Fielding's 1,000-page novel into four episodes, starring Solly McLeod as the irresistible foundling and Sophie Wilde as his beloved Sophia.
Both shows boast strong casts: 'Queen Charlotte' includes Ruth Gemmell, while 'Tom Jones' features Hannah Waddingham, Felicity Montagu, and Susannah Fielding. The ITV adaptation leans into the novel's bawdy humour, with Tom causing women to swoon wherever he goes, while 'Queen Charlotte' offers a more romantic, though historically loose, take on the royal couple's relationship.
