Let’s be honest — not all of us watch period dramas to sob into our tea.
Yes, history is history. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and the best period dramas don’t pretend otherwise. But sometimes? You just want to escape. You want gorgeous costumes, swoony romance, witty banter, and that magical feeling where you finish an episode and sigh and think, I wish I lived there. (Okay, maybe not WITH the plague and the lack of indoor plumbing, but you know what we mean.)
We love Downton Abbey as much as anyone, but there are seasons of that show that will absolutely wreck you. We’re here for a different vibe today. Think Bridgerton energy — pure, unapologetic fun. The kind of show you put on a Friday night with snacks and don’t move until 2am.
If The Other Bennet Sister has you hungry for more of that delightful, feel-good historical energy, here are the shows you need to add to your watchlist immediately.
Bridgerton
If you haven’t already, start here. Bridgerton is basically the gold standard of escapist period drama — lush Regency settings, irresistible romantic tension, scandal sheets, and an anachronistic pop soundtrack that somehow just works. It’s pure joy in television form, and it set the tone for a whole new wave of historical shows that dare to be fun. Each season follows a different Bridgerton sibling and their road to love, and honestly, every single one is a delight.
My Lady Jane
Oh, this show. If you love your history served with a heaping side of chaos and comedy, My Lady Jane was made for you. The series takes the genuinely tragic story of Lady Jane Grey — who was queen of England for nine days before being executed — and reimagines it as a feminist adventure romp with shapeshifters, romance, and a wonderfully modern sensibility. It never takes itself too seriously, the chemistry between the leads is absolutely electric, and the costumes are stunning. It’s exactly the kind of show that makes you want to immediately call your best friend and demand they watch it with you.
The Great
Billed as “an occasionally true story,” The Great is a hilariously irreverent, wildly inappropriate, and completely addictive reimagining of Catherine the Great’s rise to power in Imperial Russia. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult are absolutely electric together, and the writing is razor-sharp. History purists may clutch their pearls, but the show proudly calls itself “anti-historical” — and that’s exactly what makes it so much fun. This is the kind of show that makes you laugh out loud one moment and gasp the next.
The Decameron
Set in 14th century Italy during the Black Death, The Decameron sounds like it should be grim — but it is absolutely not. A group of nobles and their servants hole up in a luxurious villa to wait out the plague, and what unfolds is a brilliantly bawdy, chaotic, and surprisingly hilarious romp full of scheming, flirting, and social commentary. Think of it as the medieval version of a reality show where everyone is terrible and you can’t look away.
Rivals
Okay, technically Rivals is set in the 1980s, so it’s a recent period drama — but a period drama nonetheless! Based on Jilly Cooper’s beloved novel, it drops us into the glittering, scandalous world of British television in the 80s, complete with shoulder pads, champagne, and absolutely devastating romantic rivalry. It has all the addictive energy of Bridgerton — the scheming, the passion, the will-they-won’t-they tension — just with bigger hair. If you’ve been sleeping on this one, wake up.
Derry Girls
Set in 1990s Northern Ireland during the Troubles, Derry Girls sounds like it could be heavy, and it does handle its historical backdrop with real heart. But at its core, this show is one of the funniest things ever put on television. Following a group of teenage girls (and one hapless English cousin) navigating school, family, and a divided country, it is warm, hilarious, and utterly life-affirming. Not strictly a “costume drama,” but absolutely a period piece — and one of the best shows of the last decade, full stop.
BBC Ghosts
A little bit of a cheat, since Ghosts isn’t set in a historical period — but hear us out. The British original (the OG, before the American remake) follows a couple who inherit a crumbling English manor, only to discover it’s absolutely packed with the ghosts of everyone who ever died there, spanning centuries. You’ve got a Georgian aristocrat, a Viking, a Romantic poet, a 1980s Scout leader, and more — and the show gives each of them their own wonderful backstory told through flashbacks. It’s sweet, clever, and completely charming. The kind of show the whole family can watch together and everyone will love.
Miracle Workers
This one’s a hidden gem. Each season of Miracle Workers is an entirely self-contained anthology set in a completely different time period, with the same cast playing different characters. Season 1 isn’t historical at all (it’s set in Heaven), but the seasons that follow take us to Medieval times, the Oregon Trail, and the Dark Ages — and they are hilarious. Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi together in period costumes is every bit as wonderful as it sounds. If you want something that’s going to genuinely make you laugh and that you can binge in a weekend, this is it.
Our Flag Means Death
A swashbuckling, big-hearted romantic comedy set on the high seas in the 1700s, Our Flag Means Death follows the true story of Stede Bonnet, a wealthy English gentleman who gave up everything to become a pirate — and finds unexpected love along the way. It is quirky, tender, and absolutely hilarious, with a surprisingly moving love story at its center. The whole cast is wonderful, and the show has a warmth to it that will leave you smiling long after the credits roll.
Victoria
For those who want something a little more grounded but still romantic and uplifting, Victoria is an absolute gem that never got quite the attention it deserved. The three seasons follow the young Queen Victoria as she navigates her early reign, falls deeply in love with Prince Albert, and starts a family — all while running an empire. It’s romantic, it’s gorgeous, it’s moving, and it has a fundamentally hopeful and warm spirit that makes it the perfect Sunday afternoon watch. If you want a period drama that leaves you feeling good, this is it.
The best thing about all of these shows is that same quality that The Other Bennet Sister nailed — the sense that history can be a place of joy, humor, and romance, not just suffering. These are shows that make you want to escape into them, to linger in their worlds a little longer.
And honestly? Sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
Which of these are already on your watchlist? Drop a comment below — we’d love to know!