Expect sweeping romances and glimpses into another era
Sometimes you just need to disappear into another century for a while — corsets, candlelight, and all. Whether you’re craving a slow-burn romance, a royal power struggle, or a little scandal in a drawing room, period dramas are basically the ultimate escape hatch from real life.
We scoured the internet (and our own watchlists) to round up the shows that pull you all the way in and don’t let go.
Need an Escape? Watch These Period Dramas Next
Chances are you’ve already binged the obvious picks like Downton Abbey or The Crown. Instead, here are some lesser-known gems worth adding to your queue.
Outlander
Outlander started as a romantic book series before becoming a serial drama, and it delivers a much spicier storyline than most period pieces. Perfect if you want a little more heat with your history.
The Empress
Fair warning: you’ll finish this one and immediately start waiting for the next season. Set in the mid-1800s, it follows the true story of how the Princess of Bavaria became the Empress of Austria.
Peaky Blinders
A century removed from most of these picks, Peaky Blinders is all mysterious subplots, magnetic characters, and moody atmosphere. It’s not a romance, but it’s every bit as enthralling.
Versailles
If royalty is your thing, Versailles is a must. Love, hierarchy, power, betrayal, manipulation — it’s all here, dialed up to eleven.
The Great
This one shows up on basically every “period drama recommendations” list, and for good reason. Part comedy, part drama, it’s a satire following how “Catherine the Nothing” becomes “The Great.”
Marie Antoinette
Produced by the BBC and Canal+, this is a stunning, sweeping look at the true life of one of history’s most fascinating women.
The Tudors
Who had more drama, romance, and chaos in their life than Henry VIII? Released back in 2007, The Tudors is still an incredibly bingeable classic for period drama lovers.
The Serpent Queen
Another great 16th-century period drama, this one follows Catherine de’ Medici as she moves from Florence to France and weds a nobleman. Her real story led to her producing three heirs and ruling alongside them — but this show digs into the darker side of how she got there.
Harlots
A grittier, more unfiltered look at the era, Harlots follows the ladies of the night and everything that came with that line of work. Plus, Nicola Coughlan is in the cast!
Call the Midwife
This one comes up on a lot of recommendation lists, including ours. It doesn’t hit quite the same beats as the others on this list, but it has that same immersive period-piece feel.
Reign
Set in the 1500s, Reign is great if you love the politics behind a royal marriage. It’s based on the true story of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, as she plans to wed the prince of France for a political alliance.
Dickinson
Streaming on Apple TV+, Dickinson takes the “period drama” label and turns it on its head — a wildly modern, genre-bending take on the life of poet Emily Dickinson, complete with an anachronistic soundtrack and a sharp, funny script. It’s proof that an escape into the past doesn’t have to feel stuffy.