Already binge-watched the second season of Netflix's Bridgerton in its entirety? Twice? Yeah, we're right there with you. Considering that at this point none of us have any clue when the next season is going to drop, we're desperate to find something just as engrossing to watch on TV.
Fortunately for fans of period dramas — or history in general — there's no shortage of options available on streaming services including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and even PBS, but which ones are actually worth checking out?
Quite a few, actually. There are fantastic TV dramas set in so many different eras throughout history, from the roaring '20s to the 18th century and everything before, after, and in-between. Dramas can run the gamut from irreverent and satirical to thrilling and mysterious, so no matter your mood, we guarantee there's a period drama on TV or a streaming service right now that you'll find totally captivating.
To take some of the guesswork out of your search for another bingeworthy historical drama to watch to your heart's content, we've compiled a list of more than 20 fabulously entertaining period series that will keep you satisfied until Lady Whistledown finally spills the tea on the next season of Bridgerton.
'Outlander'
Outlander is a very highly rated Starz original series with a bit of a cult following. It premiered back in 2014 and is in its sixth season. It's a time travel series about a British combat nurse from 1945 who accidentally journeys back in time to the 18th century. In an effort to protect herself, she marries a Scotsman, and they create quite a passionate relationship.
'Call the Midwife'
Call the Midwife, currently in its 11th season, is an incredibly charming show that will tug at your heartstrings. Although it lost some of its luster after many of the original characters began to make their exits, the human interest storylines are enough to keep fans captivated. The series, which is about a group of midwives working in London in the 1950s and '60s, feels nostalgic even though many of us weren't even alive during that time period.
'Mindhunter'
We were completely blown away by the series Mindhunter right from the very first episode. There are only two seasons of the Netflix original, but not because it's been canceled. In fact, series creator David Fincher has said he has no immediate plans to work on a third season, simply because it is so exhausting and expensive. The series is set in the 1970s and stars Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany as the two FBI agents who developed the bureau's profiling method. It's dark, disturbing, and quite thought-provoking, and all of the period details are spot-on.
'The Crown'
If you haven't heard of The Crown on Netflix, you've very likely been living under a rock. The series spans decades and chronicles Queen Elizabeth II's reign, beginning not long before she took the throne in 1953. Although Elizabeth's is the main storyline, the series also touches on the stories of various members of the royal family, including Princess Margaret, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana. It's totally addictive!
'Downton Abbey'
Downton Abbey might be one of the first British TV dramas that truly captivated US viewers. The series, which debuted in 2010, chronicles the lives of the colorful Crawley family, who are British aristocrats, at the start of the 20th century. It's full of twists and turns and just the kind of drama that'll let you escape reality for an hour. It's so beloved that a second full-length feature film based on the series is coming out in May 2022.
'The Queen's Gambit'
If you're among those who think a show about chess holds little appeal, you should think again. Netflix's The Queen's Gambit is so much more than that. Starring the talented Anya Taylor-Joy, it's set in the 1960s and tells the fascinating story of a young chess prodigy who was orphaned at an early age and adopted as a teenager. The series is just as much about her obsession with chess as it is about her life and the deep emotional impact her upbringing and her rise to fame have on her. And the '60s fashions are to die for!
'Alias Grace'
Based on the book of the same name by author Margaret Atwood (who also wrote The Handmaid's Tale), Alias Grace is set in 19th century Canada and tells the story of a psychiatrist who is tasked with deciding whether a working class killer should be pardoned, based on her mental health. It's a gripping, multifaceted story that's based on actual events.
'Cable Girls'
Set in Spain in the 1920s, Cable Girls is the story of four women from different walks of life who are all hired to work for the country's new national telephone company. The wardrobe and sets are magnificent, and the show offers a fascinating look as society changes and more women enter the working world.
'Peaky Blinders'
If you can handle quite a bit of graphic violence, Peaky Blinders is a must-watch series. Starring Cillian Murphy and set in Britain in the early 1900s, it's about a family of petty gangsters who eventually turn their operation into a huge and lucrative operation. It's in its final season and has all the aspects of a good drama: love, family, turmoil, crime, grief, and so much more.
'Gentleman Jack'
HBO's Gentleman Jack is a truly unique show. It's based on the real life of British LGBTQ+ activist Anne Lister, who lived in — get this — the early 19th century. The show's not about her sexuality, though; instead, it chronicles her return to her hometown as she sets about restoring her family's estate.
'The Gilded Age'
Another HBO period series, The Gilded Age, premiered early in 2022, perhaps with the goal of jumping on the success of Netflix's Bridgerton. Starring big names including Cynthia Nixon, Christine Baranski, and Taissa Farmiga, it's set during the Gilded Age in the US and follows a young woman who moves from small-town Pennsylvania to New York City after her father's death. She sets about figuring out her place between her old-money family and her new-money neighbors.
'The Paradise'
We binge-watched the first two seasons of The Paradise a few years back when we came across it on Netflix, and we've wanted more ever since. Sadly, it's not to be (it was canceled), but if you haven't seen this show, you should definitely check it out. It's about a working class woman who nabs a job in a fancy department store and discovers a whole new world.
'Poldark'
Poldark is yet another BBC series, based on the popular book series by Winston Graham. It's about a British army officer (played by the hunky Aidan Turner) who returns home to Cornwall, England, after fighting in the American War of Independence. He tries to restore his fortunes by reopening one of his family's derelict copper mines and eventually falls in love. Full of drama, action, and romance, it's definitely a good stand-in for Bridgerton.
'The Great'
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Hulu premiered The Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, and although a lot of people missed it, the series quickly gained a loyal following. The show is highly rated thanks to its perfect blend of comedy and drama. It tells the dramatized story of Russia's Catherine the Great and the coup she staged on her husband to steal the throne.
'Harlots'
A Hulu original, Harlots came out in 2017. There are three seasons of the show, which is set in a London brothel in the 18th century. It's about the owner of the brothel and how she goes about raising her daughters in such an unconventional setting. Notably, the second of two seasons stars Liv Tyler.
'Dickinson'
Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Dickinson is an Apple TV+ original series that ran for three seasons. An interesting twist on the story of famed American poet Emily Dickinson, it explores how she might have viewed gender, sexuality, family, and society, based on what we know of her poetry and her standing in society.
'Grand Hotel'
A Spanish series, Grand Hotel is set in the year 1905 and follows along as a man shows up at a hotel in the countryside to investigate the disappearance of his sister. He gets a job, ends up falling in love, and teams up with his love interest to figure out what happened to his sister, dodging danger along the way.
'Belgravia'
Starring Yellowjackets' Ella Purnell, Belgravia is a British period drama based on the novel of the same name by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. It follows the Trenchard family, who attend the now legendary ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond, the night before the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In the aftermath, lots of drama ensues in their wealthy neighborhood.
'Victoria'
Jenna Coleman plays a young Queen Victoria in the series Victoria, which follows her life from the time she took the throne in 1837 at just 18 years old until she began courting and eventually married Prince Albert, played by Tom Hughes. The show chronicles her life as she establishes her role and comes into her own as a monarch.
'Sanditon'
The PBS series Sanditon actually came out before Bridgerton, despite many people's assumptions that it was made after Bridgerton became so popular. It's an adaptation of the last (unfinished) novel that author Jane Austen wrote, about a young woman who visits a seaside resort town on the cusp of major change. She immediately meets and clashes with the handsome and brooding Sidney Parker, played by Theo James. Get caught up quickly, because the second season is airing on PBS now.
'The Knick'
If you like both medical dramas and period dramas, The Knick is the show for you. The Emmy-winning series, starring Clive Owen, tells the stories of the doctors at New York's famed Knickerbocker Hospital, which was in operation from 1862 to 1979 and had quite a disturbing history, despite being at the forefront of modern medicine.
