‘My Brilliant Career’ has just the right amount of coming-of-age, celebration of girlhood, impeccable comedy, some sass, and, of course, yearning. With such a strong source material, the adaptation had to be compelling.
Even though Miles Franklin wrote the novel more than a century ago, Netflix’s take on it still feels so remarkably fresh, relatable and full of life. If you’re looking for more stories about women finding their voice in restrictive societies or simply more fun historical watches, these movies and shows are worth turning to.
10. Becoming Jane (2007)
If you are craving more narratives about female writers, why not go for one of the most celebrated writers of all time? ‘Becoming Jane’ is inspired by Jane Austen’s letters, diaries and biography and imagines her early years.
It tells the story of Austen as a feisty young woman trying to find her place in a world that offered women very few choices. Along with it, it also explores her romance with a roguish man named Tom Lefroy.
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9. A Quiet Passion (2016)
In ‘A Quiet Passion’, we find a beautiful exploration of the renowned female writer Emily Dickinson. The movie follows her from her early school years to her later life as a reclusive and largely unrecognised artist.
Once again, we get to see a brilliant woman exploring and creating art in a restrictive society. Unfortunately, most of Dickinson’s masterpieces remained unpublished during her lifetime. Still, the movie offers a very intimate look at her life and work.
8. My Brilliant Career (1979)
If you have watched the ‘My Brilliant Career’ show, then you have definitely heard of the novel that inspired it and this beautiful 1979 film adaptation that is a must-watch for anyone who loved the series.
Just like the show, we follow Sybylla in rural Australia in 1897, trying to escape her expected fate at her family’s country farm by becoming a writer. Though the story is the same, it is told in a very different way, and there’s gorgeous cinematography accompanying it.
7. The Buccaneers (2023-2025)
Based on an unfinished novel by Edith Wharton, ‘The Buccaneers’ is another show with very unconventional female leads and some very well-written romances to root for. It follows five American young women who travel to London during debutante season in hopes of securing husbands and titles.
But as soon as they enter the English high society, they face a great culture clash between their eccentric, extroverted natures and the refined and reserved English traditions and expectations.
6. The Pursuit Of Love (2021)
Based on Nancy Mitford’s beloved novel, ‘The Pursuit of Love’ follows cousins and best friends Linda Radlett and Fanny Logan as they navigate friendship, family and romance in the years leading up to World War II.
Much like ‘My Brilliant Career’, the focus is on women trying to figure out what they actually want from life and experiencing girlhood unapologetically, even when the society has already decided what their lives should look like.
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5. Dickinson (2019-2021)
Another series that depicts the life of Emily Dickinson, this 2019 show takes a very different approach from ‘A Quiet Passion’. The show blends the historical setting with modern language, music, humour, and references.
It is a surprisingly fresh take on the life of the celebrated poet and also handles themes of gender roles, sexual identity, artistic expression, as well as the cultural and political conditions of women during Dickinson’s time.
4. Gentleman Jack (2019-2022)
Set in the 1830s, ‘Gentleman Jack’ follows the remarkable Anne Lister, a fiercely independent woman determined to take control of her own future. After inheriting an estate from her uncle, Anne sets out to restore her family’s fortune.
But doing so means defying nearly every social convention of the era. Things start to get even more complicated when she develops a potentially dangerous romance with fellow landowner Miss Ann Walker.
3. North & South (2004)
There hasn’t been an equal match to this period-drama romance yet. ‘North & South’ is based on the work of Elizabeth Gaskell and follows Margaret Hale. After her family relocates from southern England to the industrial North, Margaret finds herself confronted with an entirely different world.
She meets the Thorntons, a proud family who seem to look down on anyone they consider socially inferior. She particularly clashes with their son, the arrogant but compelling John Thornton, which gradually develops into something much more complicated.
2. Little Women (2017)
One of the most beloved fictional female authors whose story has been adapted countless times is Jo March. And of course, it includes the story of the March sisters as they each try to find their place in the world.
This long-form television adaptation is a particularly compelling watch for anyone who loves stories about women growing up, falling in love and figuring out what they want to be. Like ‘My Brilliant Career’, Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ also celebrates female characters with very different ambitions and personalities.
1. Anne With An E (2017-2019)
Netflix’s ‘Anne With An E’ still holds a special place in fans of historical dramas and literary adaptations. The series follows Anne Shirley, a spirited orphan whose life changes when she is adopted by a pair of siblings and moves to Prince Edward Island.
Much like Sybylla, Anne is a young woman who simply refuses to make herself smaller to fit into the world around her. In fact, she is often at odds with the conservative little community she grows up in and challenges them to confront gender inequality, conformity, freedom of speech and more.
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