Well, I am still spending most of my time in bed and all of my time in jammies with the flu.  I’ve felt lousy, but I’m so thankful it hasn’t been as intense as I know it can be.  I’m just trying to be gentle and patient with myself even though I’m eager to get back to work.   I’m also thankful that I love my work and miss it when I’m sick!  Anyway, as you can imagine, I’ve been watching a lot of TV as I’ve been under the weather for most of February and that got me thinking about past posts I’ve written sharing some of my favorite period drama series and shows.  I feel like they can’t make period drama series fast enough for me to consume them!  I just love that genre (the costumes, the scenery, the houses, the props) and I enjoy series specifically so a story can unfold without being compressed into a two-hour movie.  The last post of favorites I shared was in 2021, so I figured it was time for another post with some more of my favorites, including some recently released shows.  You can find my part one list of my favorite period drama series HERE and my part two list of favorites HERE

Sanditon – Updated

I wrote about Sanditon in a previous list but felt like it needed an update since only season one was available when I wrote about it.  They have since made seasons two and three to finish out the story.  The first thing you need to know before watching Sanditon is that it wasn’t immediately renewed after the first season.  It was a show that was left in limbo for quite a while and was finally renewed after it gained a fan base that could justify renewal.  This lag time meant that the show lost several of its actors who were no longer available to portray their characters in future seasons.  For this reason, the transition between seasons one and two feels a little disjointed with characters you’ve grown to care about being written out of the story.

Given the challenges of losing at least three meaningful characters in the story, I think that Andrew Davies (the writer) did a good job pivoting and making it all work.  Seasons two and three feel more like a natural story arc because they were approved together.

That being said, I still really enjoyed this show.  While it is not based on a finished Austen novel, I think that Andrew Davies does a good job bringing these characters to life in a way that feels true to Austen (for the most part.)  Most of the storylines have some familiarity pulled from other Austen novels, but there are times when some characters or topics feel like a departure.  I can forgive that, though, because the storylines I like are compelling.

Marie Antoinette

This PBS series starts when a young Marie Antoinette is sent from Austria to France to marry a young Louis XVI before he becomes king.  The story then follows the portrayal of their marriage as they mature and ascend to the thrown.  It also addresses the contentious politics of the French court and the difficulties of these two teenagers who are navigating a life that isn’t really their own.  I have seen other movies and shows on Marie Antoinette and I feel like this one is the best.  I love watching her and Louis become friends and grow to love one another.  I don’t know how historically accurate the show is, but I did a bit of reading after watching it and it sounds like they found a good balance between history and drama.  I was glad to hear it has been renewed for a second season.

Be mindful that the version shown on PBS or in the PBS Passport app is edited for content (although it’s still made for adults) and if you purchase the show on Amazon or Apple, it is not edited.

Great Expectations

I have to include two versions of Great Expectations because they are both well made and I enjoy certain aspects of both of them. The first version is a 2011 BBC production shown on PBS and the second version was released in 2023 on Hulu.  Both have beautiful costumes and sets and do a good job with the complex story and colorful Dickens characters.  The 2011 version with Gillian Anderson feels a bit more traditional while the 2023 version with Janet Coleman has a bit more of an edge.

The 2023 version also completely changes the ending.  There are times when that would really bother me, but I actually like the choices they made and it ended up being a pleasant surprise.  It made me like this version even more for the changes they made.  There are a few odd rabbit trails with minor characters that I don’t recall being in the book, but they were not substantial enough to make me want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I would recommend watching both versions and deciding which one you like better!

Belgravia

Belgravia was a bit of a slow starter for me, but I really enjoyed it once I got into the story.  There are a lot of characters to follow and key bits of information mentioned or shown in passing, so I found I understood the depth of the story much better after watching it a second time.  I think what I like most about this story is that you really like the lead character who is worthy of all of the attention and success he receives.  You also enjoy rooting for the other characters who are working together to support him.  It ends up being a satisfying story arc.

As you can see from the picture, the costumes are also amazing.

Belgravia: The Next Chapter is currently showing on the MGM+ channel on Amazon and I am watching it, but I don’t think it’s as good as the original series.

1883

I haven’t seen Yellowstone, which 1883 is a prequel for, but have found that’s not really necessary.   I might be missing some nuanced references, but it feels like a stand-alone story to me.

Let’s start with the bad.  The show is gritty, but I haven’t found it to be gratuitous or over the top.  I think the makers are trying to give an accurate feel of how harsh life on a wagon train was.  It is rated TVMA, so just be aware of that.  Some of the bleached hair, gleaming white teeth, and makeup are a little distracting in the beginning, but the characters do seem to weather a bit as the show goes on.

The good…  The show is beautifully filmed and you really care about the characters and what happens to them.  You feel genuinely gutted when tragedy strikes and wrestle along with the families through impossible situations.  You’re also inspired by acts of kindness, courage, love, and bravery.  You see how the experience changes people for good and bad.  Again, I don’t know how this show ties into Yellowstone, but I imagine that the ending of 1883 adds a rich history to a modern show.  The music is also gorgeous.

Jericho

Jericho is a very random ITV show that I found diving down a rabbit hole looking for a new-to-me period drama series.  Of course, I gave it a try and enjoyed it.  The story follows a woman and her children right after the death of her husband.  He, unfortunately, left her in debt and with nothing, so they had to leave their home as it and the contents were auctioned off and head out to start a new life.  This series does a good job of showing how hard it was for a single woman in that era to gain independence and financial footing in those circumstances.  It is only one season and doesn’t tie up loose ends neatly, but it’s still worth watching.

The Artful Dodger

The series picks up about 15 years after the end of Dickens’ Oliver with The Artful Dodger and Fagin living in Australia.  Jack Dawkins (Dodger) is now an adult and surgeon and his past as a London pickpocket revisits him when Fagin is shipped to Australia as a prisoner. I must say that I was skeptical of the premise of the show, but I was willing to give it a try.  The injection of modern music can sometimes be distracting, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story once I embraced the concept.  Dodger has always been one of my favorite Dickens characters, so it was fun to watch this imagined version of him as an adult.

Tutankhamun

I found the Tutankhamun series when I was scouring Britbox after I started a subscription when I was first sick a few weeks ago.  I started the series without any real expectations, unsure if it would be up my alley, but I loved it!  It was so fascinating watching the quest for an undiscovered tomb in Egypt during the early 1900s.  The timeline and discovery of the tomb seem to be portrayed pretty accurately based on what I’ve read, but the makers do take some creative license with the characters’ personal lives for entertainment purposes.  I had never heard of it before, so I felt like I found a little hidden gem with this one.

The Crown

I finished watching the final season of The Crown a few weeks ago, so I decided to include it in this newest period drama series roundup.  This Netflix show is beautifully made, written, and acted.  From my perspective, they do a fair and respectful job of telling the story of the British royal family.  They could’ve made it salacious, playing up the tabloid articles and the worst behavior from the royals, but they mainly focused on the integrity of The Queen and her unwavering commitment to her role as sovereign in a rapidly changing world.  Of course, they dip into some of the more colorful players like Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden, and it was impossible to avoid Prince Charles’ and Princess Diana’s affairs, but they could’ve gotten much more descriptive with it and they didn’t.

I love the decision to change the cast every two seasons instead of aging young actors.  I enjoyed watching different actors play a continuation of the same role.  In some cases, that might seem forced, but they did a great job of casting and it somehow works.  The writers also do a great job of bringing the audience along, feeling empathy for people who are born into a life they didn’t choose while also acknowledging how privileged, out of touch, and isolated their world can be.

Turn Washington’s Spies

If you’re interested in American history and enjoy period drama series, Turn is a good one to watch.  This show tells the story of the Cupler Ring and how intelligence helped when American independence.  Turn uses real people from history, but there is definitely a lot of fiction thrown in for dramatic purposes.  If you’re a historical purist then it might bother you, but I’m fine with understanding that writers for a TV show are going to take some creative license.  I feel like one does gain a new appreciation for what a dangerous time it was when battle lines weren’t clear, cities changed hands, and it was almost impossible to know friends from foes unless they were in a uniform.

The English

I started The English when it first came out and abandoned it after a few episodes.  It was a little slow to develop, but I finally decided to finish it and I’m so glad I did.  The English finds its footing the further you get into the story and can fully appreciate the motives driving the lead characters.  It’s a beautiful, gentle story of the American West and Emily Blunt is great.

Chernobyl

Jeff and I have watched Chernobyl many times since it was released and it might be one of our favorite series.  This HBO series tells the story of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl and, if you’ve never read about it, this series gives you a new appreciation for what a disaster it actually was.  To compound the environmental and human impacts, the event happened in the former Soviet Union where even acknowledgment of the full extent of human error and the damage it did wasn’t permitted.  The series also does a great job highlighting the heroes and good men and women who worked hard to save lives and prevent further contamination.  It’s a wonderful series and I highly recommend it.

I recently asked my Instagram followers for suggestions of period drama and/or British series and shows to watch and I was flooded with suggestions!  I saved them all to an Instagram Highlight HERE if you’re interested in checking them out.  Many of my favorites from my first two lists were included among the suggestions, but several of the ones I shared today weren’t mentioned, so I feel like I’m sharing some that might be new to my fellow lovers of period drama series.

Feel free to leave comments with any suggestions to share or additional comments about some of my favorites.