The Gilded Age Returns for Season 4 on November 1

The Gilded Age returns for Season 4 on November 1, and its last season finished with bigger audiences than the one before it. Variety reported the new season date and the viewing figures this week.

The period drama was created by Julian Fellowes, who also made Downton Abbey, and it premiered in 2022. The show was first announced at NBC in 2018. It is filmed in New York City, and it follows the families of the city's rising wealth in the late 1800s.

Morgan Spector plays George Russell, a robber baron whom fans have nicknamed Train Daddy. Carrie Coon plays Bertha Russell, his wife. Denée Benton plays Peggy Scott, an aspiring writer.

Viewing grew through the back half of Season 3. According to Variety, every episode in that second half set a viewership record. The season finale drew 5 million viewers over three days, an 88% rise on the premiere.

The season also picked up recognition. Season 3 received eight Emmy nominations, more than the first two seasons combined. The Emmys are the main American television awards, and nominations are chosen by industry voters.

Season 4 includes a subplot about anti-monopoly legislation, which means laws designed to stop a single company from dominating a market. The first Gilded Age was itself a period when a few large railroad, steel and banking firms grew very powerful, so the storyline fits the setting.

The subject is also live in the business behind the show. HBO, the network that carries The Gilded Age, became part of the new Skydance Corp. through a merger. Several U.S. state attorneys general challenged that merger on antitrust grounds, which is the law that polices deals that could reduce competition. Skydance Media and Paramount Global announced completion of their merger in August 2025.

Paramount Skydance has also proposed acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal valued at $110 billion. Reuters reported in July that U.S. states concerned the deal would hurt competition could sue to block it. The deal's outcome is not yet settled, and no suit has been confirmed.

For viewers, the immediate news is simple. The next season starts on November 1, and the Russells and their neighbours are back on screen. The show's returning audience has grown with each season, and Season 4 will show whether that trend continues.