Game of Thrones Legend’s 4-Part Darker Bridgerton Alternative Is a Streaming Smash on MGM+

After starting out in West End plays, Kit Harington became a household name as Jon Snow in HBO’s Game of Thrones, the adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Now, with the series long over, Harington has moved on from swords, political machinations, and murdering an aunt-slash-lover for a period romance that’s much darker and bloodier than the bright ballrooms of Bridgerton.

According to FlixPatrol, the BBC and MGM+ adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities has been climbing MGM+’s U.S. chart. It reached No. 1 at one point and currently sits at No. 2, behind the horror series From. FlixPatrol tracks relative rankings on a platform’s chart, not viewing hours or audience numbers.

Harington described the story as one of Dickens’ “most propulsive, iconic, exciting, prescient pieces” in an interview with TODAY. The four-part series premiered on MGM+ in September, with new episodes arriving weekly.

Harington Takes On Sydney Carton

Harington is an executive producer on the series through Thriker Films, the company he leads with creator Daniel West, and he also plays Sydney Carton, a brilliant but cynical, self-loathing English barrister. The story unfolds during the French Revolution, with a love triangle at its center that drives the characters’ decisions and fates.

François Civil plays Carton’s rival and lookalike, Charles Darnay, an aristocrat who condemns the upper class’s exploitation of the lower class. Mirren Mack plays Lucie Manette, the woman at the center of the triangle.

The series was created and written by Daniel West, whose credits include Gunpowder and Top Boy, and directed by Richard Clark, whose credits include Outlander. Lucie brings Carton and Darnay into the same orbit and leads their story through triumphs, marriage, tragedy, and murder as political strife closes in.

Dickens Gets a Modern Update

The adaptation puts the spotlight back on Dickens’ novel, which hasn’t had a major TV series since the 1980s, according to Movieweb.

Harington told PEOPLE he believes it’s the “right story to tell right now,” a modern love triangle that’s “intense, sweeping, heartbreaking, and weepy.” The series has mostly positive reviews and an 80% Rotten Tomatoes score.

For anyone who likes historical drama or Dickens, it might be a good palate cleanser between binges. “If you know the story of old or are coming to it new, I think you’ll love it,” Harington said.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]