The Gilded Age’s Weekly Schedule Helps Build a Rare Sense of Community, Says Executive Producer

The Gilded Age has become a standout hit not just because of its lavish costumes and dramatic storylines, but because of the shared experience it creates for viewers, according to executive producer and writer Sonja Warfield.

Speaking at The Gilded Age’s Television Academy For Your Consideration event on Nov. 18, Warfield said one of the show’s biggest strengths is its traditional weekly release schedule on HBO.

“It’s on HBO and it’s on one night a week,” Warfield explained. Unlike many streaming shows that drop entire seasons at once, The Gilded Age gives audiences time to sit with each episode. “People are watching everything at different times on different platforms,” she said. “But our show comes out every week.”

Warfield believes that format helps bring viewers together. In an era when binge-watching is common, she says the weekly rollout recreates something that’s been missing for a long time: shared conversations. “It forms a bit of a community,” she noted, adding that traditional “water-cooler talk” has largely disappeared because people consume shows at different speeds.

The HBO drama, which debuted in 2022, is set in late 19th-century New York and explores wealth, power, and social ambition during America’s Gilded Age. The series stars The Gilded Age cast members Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski, and Louisa Jacobson.

In July, HBO confirmed that the series has been renewed for a fourth season. Season 3 wrapped up in August after eight episodes, leaving fans eager to see what happens next.

Morgan Spector, who plays railroad tycoon George Russell, said he hasn’t yet seen scripts for the upcoming season. Still, he’s hopeful about the future of George’s complicated marriage to Bertha Russell, played by Carrie Coon. Spector described their dynamic as a “profoundly erotic relationship” and said he hopes viewers will see the couple find their way back to each other.

Coon echoed that optimism, suggesting Bertha is determined to get what she wants. “Bertha says she knows what she wants and what she wants is George back,” she said, adding that she’s betting on Bertha to succeed. Coon also commented on why fans are drawn to the couple, saying, “I think respect is really sexy in a time where there isn’t much.”

Series creator Julian Fellowes has also hinted that the story is far from over. In a July interview, he said he doesn’t have a fixed ending in mind for the show. Instead, each season is written to feel complete while still leaving room for future stories. “That is the sort of double discipline that we write to,” he explained.

For now, fans can revisit all the drama, romance, and rivalry. The first three seasons of The Gilded Age are currently available to stream on HBO Max.