The five-part thriller-mystery, which originally aired on the BBC, is directed by Black Mirror’s Carl Tibbetts

A BBC mini-series from 2018 which could pacify Bridgerton fans’ period drama cravings has recently joined Netflix.

The Woman in White, a five-part thriller-mystery, is based on the 1860 novel of the same name by Wilkie Collins. It stars Ben Hardy as Walter Hartright, an artist who is pulled into a mysterious world after meeting a ghostly woman – dressed in white – one night.

The drama briefly trended in the top 10 when it was first added to the streamer – but blink and you’ll miss it. The Lost Daughter’s Jessie Buckley, Queens of Mysteries’ Olivia Vinall and Mission: Impossible 2’s Dougray Scott join Hardy in the stellar line-up.

Ben Hardy and Olivia Vinall in the BBC’s Woman in White (Image: BBC)

Soap fans might recognise Hardy, as he played Peter Beale – the son of Ian and Cindy, and Lucy’s twin brother – in the BBC show Eastenders between 2013 and 2015. Fiona Seres, whose previous work includes 2005’s Tangle and 2019’s Strangerland, served as screenwriter, while Black Mirror’s Carl Tibbetts was director.

The drama has been rated a decent 80 per cent by critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads: “The Woman in White’s campy convolutions can’t quite sustain the intrigue it aspires to, but a game cast and pounding pace will satisfy those looking for a stylish — if somewhat demanding — whodunit.”

It could be the ideal fix for those of us who are patiently waiting for our next Bridgerton update. The smash-hit series returned in two parts this spring in May and June.

The series traced the journey from friendship to love between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) – and included some pretty steamy scenes which sent viewers’ hearts racing. Understandably, fans are eager for more – and are probably wondering which romance Bridgerton will focus on next.

Season four was already given the greenlight in 2021, meaning fans can rest assured there will be more to come. Producer and creator Chris Van Dusen confirmed that year that Netflix had renewed the series for another two seasons – covering series three AND four.

While season four doesn’t yet have a premiere date, it’s possible the earliest it could air is 2025. New showrunner Jess Brownell previously told Refinery29: “We actually don’t know when it’s gonna drop. We’re still making sure that we write the best possible script that we can before we start production. But we’re really thrilled with what we’ve been working on – so hold out hope!”

Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton and Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton (Image: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
That leaves us wondering – whose love story will take centre stage in Bridgerton’s next chapter? Talking to Refiney29 once again at the recent premiere in Australia, Brownell remained understandably tight-lipped. But she did tease: “I can tell you that I know who it’s gonna be. We are in the middle of writing it right now.”

Of course, season four could take a number of directions. If it’s based on the third Bridgerton novel, it would focus on Sophie Beckett and her fairy-tale romance with Benedict Bridgerton. Or, their story could be skipped until a later series – which means the focus could instead shift to Eloise Bridgerton, whose storyline really picked up at the end of season two.

Or maybe Francesca Bridgerton could be at the centre of season four instead. Time will tell!

As Netflix isn’t even halfway through Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton collection of novels – there are eight in total – fans can remain confident that there’ll be even more drama to come.

The Woman in White is streaming now on Netflix.