About the Show

Set in the United States during the Gilded Age (from the 1870s to about 1900), this HBO series created by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) follows naive young Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), who moves from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father, to live with her thoroughly old-money aunts. She quickly finds herself in the middle of the social war between old-money New Yorkers and a new, wealthy family.

Video Highlights

International

Queen Bees and Wanna Bees in The Gilded Age Season 1

10 February 2022

The Gilded Age Season 1 tells a fun and familiar story: from Gossip Girl to The Kardashians, high society hates new money upstarts!

Who’s Who

Marian Brook

Marian (Louisa Jacobson) discovers after her father’s death that he left her with no money. She has to move out of the only home she’s known to move in with her only surviving relatives, her aunts in New York City. While mourning the loss of her father, she quickly must adjust to life in the big city, where old-money New Yorkers are resistant and feel threatened by the change that a new, wealthy family is bringing into their community.

Peggy Scott

Peggy (Denée Benton) is a young African-American woman who helps Marian when she’s stranded at a train station. When the pair arrive in New York City, the roles are reversed, and Marian helps her new friend. There’s more to Peggy than she lets on, but her primary goal is to succeed as a writer.

The Aunts

Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon) are the younger sisters of Marian’s late father. After he failed to take care of them, they had to learn to take care of themselves, and that wasn’t always pleasant, but sacrifices had to be made. They now live a comfortable life as old-money New Yorkers, and although 1 is more lenient, the other is very resistant to the change that a wealthy new family brings into the community they built. Ada is the poor, spinster sister.

The Russells

Mrs Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) is determined to use her money and position to break into a society that resists change at every turn. George Russell (Morgan Spector), her husband, is a classic robber baron of his own time. He's fond of his wife and his children, but utterly ruthless in business.

Watch The Gilded Age Season 1, Tuesdays at 20:30 on M-Net (DStv Channel 101)

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High society shakedown in Old New York in The Gilded Age Season 1