Watch out, Victorian England, the Americans are coming! Apple TV+’s trailer for its upcoming (loose) adaptation of Edith Wharton’s final novel, The Buccaneers, promises plenty of culture clash fun and complicated romances. Much like Netflix’s regency hit Bridgerton, The Buccaneers appears to delight in breaking all of the period drama rules with plenty of sex, a soundtrack full of modern pop music, and a group of young characters who would be right at home in a teen drama. In short, it looks like a blast.
The first trailer is set to the tune of Olivia Rodrigo’s “All-American Bitch,” and introduces a group of young American girls who head to London to find themselves a gentleman. Their path to marriage is instantly complicated by love triangles and the snobbery of the English upper class, who need their new money to keep their lavish lifestyles afloat. As one character cracks, “We must just grit our teeth and think of the bucket loads of cash.”
For their part, the girls aren’t impressed by London society’s antiquated ideas about women. After witnessing debutantes holding up paddles with numbers on them so that eligible bachelors can identify which ones they find the most appealing, Kristine Frøseth’s Nan St. George says, “They’re like cattle... yes, they are lovely, but they’re also human beings who are funny and smart.”
Nan is already giving off major Eloise Bridgerton vibes, and we’re here for it. Read everything we know about Apple TV+’s The Buccaneers so far.
The Buccaneers trailer promises sexy, Victorian-era fun:
What is Apple TV+’s new period drama about?
Set in the 1870s, The Buccaneers explores an era when American families flush with cash sent their daughters abroad to find husbands with titles among England’s upper class. The central “Buccaneers” are a group of friends from families with new money who will be legitimized if they can marry into the gentry. Meanwhile, the old families of England will do anything to hold onto their power — including marrying their sons off to these modern heiresses.
However, the young women at the center of the story aren’t interested in simply securing a proper husband. They want an adventure while they’re in London, and that’s exactly what they’ll get as they attend balls, become entangled in love triangles, and stick together even as they face the twin weights of familial expectations and the disdain of the upper-crust British families they’ve been sent to woo.
Additionally, the show is set to be driven in part by its soundtrack, which includes songs by Taylor Swift, Rodrigo, Maggie Rogers, Bikini Kill, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Angel Olsen, and Brandi Carlile. The series will also feature original music from Folick, Lucius, Alison Mosshart, Warpaint, Gracie Abrams, Sharon Van Etten, Bully, Danielle Ponder, and series composers AVAWAVES.
Who stars in the series?
The Buccaneers features a cast of up-and-coming young actors, including Frøseth (Looking for Alaska), Josie Totah (Peacock’s Saved by the Bell reboot), Alisha Boe (13 Reasons Why), Imogen Waterhouse (The Outpost), and Aubri Ibrag (Dive Club). The five friends will be guided through London society by Mrs. St. George, played by the incomparable Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Mia Threapleton, Josh Dylan, Guy Remmers, Matthew Broome, and Barney Fishwick.
When does The Buccaneers premiere?
The Buccaneers' eight-episode first season kicks off with three episodes premiering Nov. 8 on Apple TV+. After that, new episodes will premiere each Wednesday through Dec. 13.
