The Gilded Age (TV series)

Did You Know?

• In Australia, the series premiered on Paramount+ as a 'Paramount+ Exclusive' on January 26, 2022, marking the first time a recent HBO series skipped Foxtel.
• The first season was released on DVD on July 26, 2022.

Synopsis

Set in the 1880s, The Gilded Age depicts the cultural and technological changes of late-19th-century America, focusing on the tension between New York City's old and new monied elite. The van Rhijn family represents old money, while the Russell family represents new wealth. The story centers on Bertha Russell's efforts to ascend Manhattan's social ladder, as described by Brian Phillips of The Ringer: the new-money Russells move in across from the old-money Mrs. van Rhijn, with Mrs. Russell determined to gate-crash elite opera boxes and Mrs. van Rhijn looking down on those whose fortunes are younger than the Declaration of Independence.

Cast and characters

Carrie Coon plays Bertha Russell, matriarch of the Russell family. Morgan Spector portrays George Russell, her husband and a robber baron. Louisa Jacobson is Marian Brook, orphaned niece of Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Forte. Taissa Farmiga plays Gladys Vere, Duchess of Buckingham (née Russell), the Russells' daughter. Harry Richardson is Larry Russell, their son. Thomas Cocquerel appears as Tom Raikes in season 1. Jack Gilpin plays Mr. Church, the Russell butler. Christine Baranski portrays Agnes van Rhijn, widowed matriarch of the van Rhijn family. Cynthia Nixon plays Ada Forte, Agnes's younger sister. Blake Ritson is Oscar van Rhijn, Agnes's son. Denée Benton plays Peggy Scott, an African American woman working as Agnes's secretary. Simon Jones is Mr. Alfred Bannister, the van Rhijn butler. Ben Ahlers plays John "Jack" Trotter from season 2 onward. Michael Cerveris appears as Mr. Watson from season 2. Celia Keenan-Bolger plays Mrs. Bruce from season 2. Debra Monk is Mrs. Armstrong from season 2. Donna Murphy portrays Caroline Schermerhorn Astor from season 2. Kristine Nielsen plays Mrs. Bauer from season 2. Kelli O'Hara is Aurora Fane from season 2. Patrick Page plays Richard Clay from season 2. Taylor Richardson is Bridget from season 2. Douglas Sills plays Monsieur Baudin from season 2. John Douglas Thompson portrays Arthur Scott from season 2. Erin Wilhelmi plays Adelheid Weber from season 2. Kelley Curran is Mrs. Enid Winterton (née Turner) from season 2.

Production

In September 2012, Julian Fellowes told The Daily Telegraph he was working on a spin-off prequel of Downton Abbey, initially conceived as a book and planned for ITV, focusing on Lord Grantham and Cora's romance. In January 2016, Fellowes said he had not yet written the script but planned to do so that year, with shooting at the end of the year. On June 4, 2016, Fellowes told the Los Angeles Times he was up to his neck in research, clearing decks to focus solely on The Gilded Age, noting that the new-money Americans of the 1880s and 1890s redesigned being rich in a way different from Europe. NBC announced the show in January 2018, originally planning ten episodes for a 2019 premiere. Fellowes called it the fulfillment of a personal dream. In May 2019, the series moved from NBC to HBO with a straight-to-series order. The series premiered on January 24, 2022, consisting of nine episodes.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 79% approval rating based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10; the critical consensus calls it a seamless transatlantic transition of Fellowes' upstairs-downstairs intrigue. Metacritic assigned a score of 68 out of 100. Linda Holmes of NPR praised it as sharp and well-cast, while Lucy Mangan of The Guardian called it sheer agony. The second season received a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10; the consensus notes it is more topical while owning its frivolous appeal. Metacritic gave it 73 out of 100. Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com commended the season for letting its cast shine, and Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly described it as opulent, over-the-top escapism. Chitra Ramaswamy of The Guardian found it visually impressive but lacking sharpness. The third season has a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 34 reviews, with a consensus that the ensemble has juicy material and the show has plenty new to say; Metacritic assigned 73 out of 100.