Top 10 period dramas ever – and Downton Abbey is only number 9
There are plenty of period dramas available on streaming services like BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Netflix and ITVX – but which ones are worth a weekend binge-watch?
IMDb has you covered. Express Online filtered the TV shows on offer by rating, and the top spot went to a rather unexpected contender, with ITV hit Downton Abbey close to the bottom of the top 10 TV dramas and miniseries. Meanwhile, shows like The Gilded Age and Call the Midwife don't even make the list.
So what does? We have you covered.
Streaming free on Prime Video, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel follows New York housewife Midge, who decides to pursue a career in stand-up comedy after the breakdown of her marriage. The show, set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, stars Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein.
Seamlessly blending comedy and drama, the series is a perfect lighthearted watch, running for five seasons as Midge hones her comic skills and fights jealous managers and colleagues.
(Image: Prime Video)
An ITV show that needs no introduction, Downton Abbey only comes in ninth on the list. Its five series are available to stream free on ITVX, and are based on older shows like Upstairs, Downstairs – showing the stark class divide between servants and the upper classes in a huge manor house.
The series was created by Julian Fellowes, the mastermind behind The Gilded Age and Gosford Park. Starring Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery, it has spanned six series and three feature films – the last of which is set for release this September.
(Image: ITV)
Western series 1883 comes in at number eight. The Yellowstone prequel follows the Dutton family, who flee poverty in Texas through the Great Plains to seek a better life in Montana.
It stars real-life husband and wife duo Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and is comprised of just 10 episodes across a single season – but its sequels 1923 and Yellowstone make for perfect binge-viewing.
(Image: Paramount)
Mad Men is one of the most famous shows on the list, and follows businessman Donald Draper through his professional and personal life in 1960s New York. It helped to launch the career of The Handmaid’s Tale icon Elisabeth Moss, and stars Jon Hamm and January Jones.
Mad Men’s seven series are currently streaming free on U, and are available to watch on Netflix and Prime Video.
(Image: Netflix)
A highlight of Cillian Murphy’s incredible acting career, Peaky Blinders is set in Birmingham in the early 1900s – following Thomas Shelby and his ruthless gang who sew razor blades into their peaked caps.
The BBC drama spanned six series and is available to stream free on iPlayer.
(Image: BBC)
Daily Express
