The streamer might have found the perfect companion, if not a replacement, for the hit series in a similar show. Both of them are centered on women as they explore the choices some had to make during historical eras. This story takes place close to a century after the events of Bridgerton and is set in another location. It’s 1900 in Australia, and the path for most women is prescribed before they were born. But not for Sybylla Melvyn (Philippa Northeast), the main character in the series titled My Brilliant Career.
Like Eloise (Claudia Jesse) from Bridgerton, the young woman at the center of this story also loves writing and wants to make a career out of it, but her family thinks she’d be better off married. Sybylla breaks all social conventions to pursue her dream and embarks on a quest to find a story worth telling — and gain her independence. Choosing between marriage and a career is a no-brainer for Sybylla, but life has other plans. She falls in love, and suddenly the choices don’t seem as simple anymore. What is she to do? Viewers can find out when My Brilliant Career premieres on Netflix on Thursday, August 13.
Who Is Behind ‘My Brilliant Career?’
My Brilliant Career was first adapted in 1979 as a feature film from Australian writer Miles Franklin‘s book of the same name that she wrote when she was a teenager and published in 1901. Judy Davis played Sybylla while the late Sam Neill played the male lead, Harry. 125 years since the novel was published, Netflix’s adaptation, developed by Liz Nolan, is a bit more diverse, with The Newsreader star Phillipa Northeast playing Sybylla while Slow Horses‘ Christopher Chung gets ripped to play Harry. Other cast members include Anna Chancellor (Mrs. Bossier), Genevieve O’Reilly (Helen), Kate Mulvany (Augusta), Jake Dunn (Frank), Alexander England (Julius), Sherry-Lee Watson (Nell), and Miah Madden (Betty).
The six-episode first season of My Brilliant Career hits Netflix on August 13. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
