The general love for the period piece and historical drama has only become popular in recent years with the release and popularity of Netflix’s, Bridgerton (2020-present) and Queen Charlotte: a Bridgeton Story (2023). In spite of that, there is an entire index of shows that people may not know about because they have blinders on for Lady Whistledown, though I can’t blame them as a fan myself.
I was doing my best to remember when this love for history started – my life is not as glamorous as this nobility – though if I were to take a stab in the dark, I’d say it’s close to reaching a decade. Though there is no fog in my mind at the series that captured my attention. In 2013 the CW released Reign, a fictionalized retelling of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. I was enthralled immediately as a young adolescent who was used to watching Grey’s Anatomy, and had been coming off a run of other CW shows. To me this show was the pinnacle of what television was meant to be. It had romance, heartbreak, male pining, female friendship and turmoil, a wonderful soundtrack that was mostly carried by The Lumineers, and the COSTUMING. When I went to buy my one and only prom dress my inspiration was to find something that made me feel like I could be a character in Reign. Of course all that glitters is not gold, though this story follows Mary, it is far from an accurate portrayal of historical moments that actually occurred, and many characters were added for the purpose of forwarding plot.
For some viewers it’s not all about the facts, and it doesn’t have to be for you either. Most people who watch these shows just want a drama that’s different from their normal viewing, and the same received plot that we’ve been seeing for the past few years now. Sure, you might say to yourself when watching your first series Well of course they’re going to end up together! Don’t you see the tension and the way they’re making eyes at each other across the room? Wrong! It’s sometime during the Victorian era and he’s the crown prince and she’s the servant girl. The best that could happen is that he gets married to some foreign woman that allows them to be together behind closed doors. That’s very unlikely though. But isn’t that drama just fabulous, all the while you learn he’s the son of one of the 40 Edwards or Henrys of England.
It doesn’t always have to be about nobility though, that’s just my cup of tea. So I have done my due diligence in finding shows that are very popular before you go deep diving and finding them yourself. I’ll leave a small description, from IMDb, of each show and any show with an (*) is something that I have seen, so of course I think you should watch it. Some of these shows are also in other languages, and many have won several prestigious awards!
The Great*: (2020 – 2023) A royal woman living in rural Russia during the 18th century is forced to choose between her own personal happiness and the future of Russia, when she marries an Emperor.
My Lady Jane*: (2024) Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guildforf live during the reign of Edward, son of Henry VIII. She unexpectedly finds herself crowned queen overnight and becomes the target of criminals who want her throne and her head.
The Artful Dodger*: (2023 – present) Set in 1850s Australia the series follows the adult double life of Charles Dickens’ famous prince of thieves Dodger, now a surgeon, but who can’t shake his predilection for crime.
The Crown: (2016 – 2023) Follows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.
The Empress*: (2022 – present) Two young people meet. A fateful encounter – the proverbial love at first sight. He is Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, she is Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, Princess of Bavaria and the sister of the woman Franz is to marry.
The Last Kingdom: (2015 – 2022) As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred–born a Saxon but raised by Vikings–seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.
Peaky Blinders: (2013 – 2022) A gangster family epic set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby.
The Gilded Age: (2022 – present) The series follows the conflicts surrounding the new money Russell family and their old money neighbors, the van Rhijn family, in 1880s New York City high society.
Shōgun: (2024 – present) When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby Japanese fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate his enemies.
Outlander: (2014 – present) Claire Beauchamp Randall, a nurse in World War II, mysteriously goes back in time to Scotland in 1743. There, she meets a dashing Highland warrior and gets drawn into an epic rebellion.
Reign*: (2013 – 2017) Mary, Queen of Scots, faces political and sexual intrigue in the treacherous world of the French court.
Bridgerton*: (2020 – present) The eight close-knit siblings of the Bridgerton family look for love and happiness in London high society.
Queen Charlotte: a Bridgerton Story*: (2023) Betrothed against her will to King George, young Charlotte arrives in London on her wedding day and faces scrutiny from the monarch’s cunning mother.