What Time Period Would You Choose?
Imagine that you weren’t waking up to Siri’s voice shouting you awake. TikTok wasn’t a thing. Maybe engines on four wheels weren’t what transported you throughout your day. What century would you choose to live in? Let these awesome Netflix period dramas temporarily transport you to another time and place.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton is hot. You’ve seen endless posts about gossip columnist Penelope Featherington and her beau, Colin Bridgerton. Since a worldwide pandemic sent us straight into binging the Bridgerton series, we’ve been hooked on Julia Quinn’s books set-to-screen. The juicy rom-com show about eight siblings on the lookout for their true love continues to suck us into the early 1800s.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Can’t get enough Bridgerton? Check out Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which circles back to the romance that won your heart in the second and third seasons. Yes, Queen Charlotte and King George are in the spotlight.
Netflix, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
Vikings Valhalla
Vikings Valhall: Think aggressive Greenlanders, combat, and “torrid romances”. This series is set in the 11th century and tells a tale of famous Vikings such as Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson, Leif Erikson, and his sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir.
Netflix, Vikings Valhalla (2022-2024)
Barbarians
Another series with the theme of battles and betrayal is 2022’s Barbarians. Based on when the Roman Empire added Germania to their realm in the first century BC, you’ll get a taste of disagreements, rebellion, and lusty encounters. And speaking of the Roman Empire…
Netflix, Barbarians (2020-2022)
The Roman Empire
When you want to know more about the same era of 60 BC to 41 AD in Rome, peek into the three-season docuseries The Roman Empire. We get a look into the lives of three Caesars: Commodus in “Reign of Blood”, Julius Caesar in “Master of Rome”, and Caligula in “The Mad Emperor”. Although not always accurate historically, it’s certainly entertaining.
Stephen David Entertainment, Roman Empire (2016-2019)
The Crown
Who isn’t curious about what goes on behind the scenes for over six decades of Queen Elizabeth II’s life? Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton are three actors in The Crown who portray six decades of a diplomatic, influential queen. The story has been “praised for its depiction of the royal family” and has won several awards, including Primetime Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critic’s Choices, and Golden Globes.
Netflix, The Crown (2016-2023)
The Empress
Another series featuring the theme of royalty is the 2022 series called The Empress. Set in the mid-1800s in Austria, the non-conforming Elisabeth, aka Sisi, steals her sister’s man, Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Austria. Some fans compare Sisi to Princess Diana, who was the extremely loved spouse of Prince Charles, now the king of the United Kingdom. Both Sisi and Diana were known as the “people’s princess”—and both kind souls suffered equally lonely and tragic existences in their realms of royalty.
The Last Czars
Fan of The Crown? Check out the six-part docuseries called The Last Czars. Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia’s Romanov Dynasty, is shown as a loving husband and father—and also the one who ruled his people like a “’callous tyrant’”. The series begins with his evolution to leadership in 1894, shows his abdication in 1917, and ends with his ultimate demise in 1918.
Nutopia, The Last Czars (2019)
Peaky Blinders
If naughty, crime family boys in 1919 Birmingham, England are your thing, then Peaky Blinders is what you’ll want to binge. The context and setting are historically accurate even if the mafia-like family who pretty much controls everything that happens in Birmingham is creatively concocted. If nothing else, check it out for the hairstyles that became all the rage.
BBC, Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
The King’s Affection
Would you choose to go back in time to the extravagance enjoyed by royalty in Korea during the Josean dynasty? Dig deeper into this era and place as you take in The King’s Affection, the tale of a sister secretly replacing her twin brother, the King. Released in 2021, this 20-episode series is the first South Korean show to earn an Emmy.
KBS2, The King's Affection (2021-)
Mr Sunshine
Mr Sunshine is the story of an escapee-turned-officer who’s sent back to his homeland, Korea. He meets and, of course, falls head over heels in love with an aristocrat’s granddaughter. “Dense history” mixed with romance and a tale of lovers with many challenges to overcome make this a much-recommended watch.
Studio Dragon, Mr. Sunshine (2018)
Mindhunter
It’s easy to see why Rotten Tomatoes gave the addictive series Mindhunter a 97% rating. Getting into the minds of serial killers, interviewers Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), and Dr Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) try to figure out what goes on in the psychopathic minds of “history’s most horrible monsters”. It’s dark—and intriguing.
Netflix, Mindhunter (2017-2019)
Call The Midwife
Set in the squalor of East End London in the 1950s and 1960s, Call the Midwife is a more “’feel-good’” version of Grey’s Anatomy. With its “balance of medicine, social commentary, and personal drama”, the 11-season series tells the tale of nurses, midwives, and nuns who work together with pregnant women through poverty, disease, and racism. Based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, Call the Midwife won the BAFTA in 2013.
Neal Street Productions, Call the Midwife (2012-)
The Law According To Lidia Poët
If late-19th century life in Italy, crime, and romance turn your crank, then The Law According to Lidia Poët should be on your Netflix bucket list. Based on the true story of the first female lawyer in Italy who is banned from practicing law, Lidia Poët sets out to prove minds, and the system, wrong.
Netflix, The Law According to Lidia Poët (2023-)
All The Light We Cannot See
Based on Anthony Doerr’s book of the same name, the series All the Light We Cannot See takes part in occupied Saint-Malo, France during WWII. Netflix takes a stab at “limited series” and binging the four shorts feels more like clicking on a flick. It’s easy to become obsessed with Mark Ruffalo’s character, Daniel Leblanc, and his blind daughter, Marie-Laure, who’s preoccupied with radio.
Netflix, All the Light We Cannot See (2023)
Versailles
The romanticism of the gilded palace is alive in the series Versailles. Often associated with Marie Antoinette and her husband, Louis XVI, Versailles was in reality constructed and blinged-up well before them, between 1662 and 1715 by the Sun King, Louis XIV. Be careful where you watch it–it’s not exactly family-friendly.
Capa Drama, Versailles (2015-2018)
Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam CJ Walker
You don’t have to go too far back in time to experience Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker. Set in the beginning of the 20th century and based on true event, we watch as Madam CJ Walker lifts herself from poverty to become the first self-made female billionaire.
Netflix, Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam CJ Walker (2020)
Halston
There’s no missing a series that includes Ewan MacGregor as a 1970s fashion designer who adores cashmere and suede. He won an Emmy for his role in the miniseries Halston. Also starring Rebecca Dayan, David Pittu, Krysta Rodriguez, and Bill Pullman, the story is based on Steven Gaines’ book Simply Halston.
Outlander
Even if you haven’t read Diana Gabaldon’s book by the same name, the addictive and steamy series Outlander is more than worth the watch. Stumbling across time travel stones in Inverness, the main character, Claire Randall, is thrust 200 years back to Scotland in 1743. The costumes alone are incredible—not to mention the long list of awards won by the cast and crew.
Left Bank Pictures, Outlander (2014-)
Freud
In a quick eight episodes, Freud sweeps you back to Vienna in 1886. Suddenly you’re surrounded by mystery and delving into Sigmund Freud’s intriguing thoughts and theories in an attempt to solve a criminal case. Not only are you on a thrilling psychological ride but the Victorian-era costumes are to die for.
The Andy Warhol Diaries
The Andy Warhol Diaries is a Netflix docuseries based on an artist famous for his pop art, such as the ever-recognized piece from 1962 called Campbell’s Soup Cans. Based on interviews and Warhol’s diaries, the stories from his last 11 years bring “the late-20th-century New York art scene to life in Warhol’s own words”.
Netflix, The Andy Warhol Diaries (2022)
The Cook Of Castamar
The Cook of Castamar sizzles with more than kitchen cuisine. Set in Madrid in the 1700s, you watch as romance unfolds between the Duke of Castamar and a young woman named Clara Belmonte, who is afraid to leave her home. It proves to be “a gorgeous tale of second chances, self-reflection, and rediscovery”.
Atresmedia Studios, The Cook of Castamar (2021)
The Queen’s Gambit
Even if you’re not a fan of chess, The Queen’s Gambit is a must-see. Child prodigy Beth Harmon escapes a world of poverty and abuse with her extreme chess talents. Traveling around the world with a controlling adopted mother, Beth not only battles staunch and misogynistic elite players—but also sexism, depression, and addiction.
Netflix, The Queen's Gambit (2020)
1899
In the series 1899, two ships mysteriously meet one another at sea. The co-creators of Dark, Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, bring you tantalizing suspense and have you asking endless questions. Ironically, the entire eight parts of the series weren’t shot anywhere near the sea—filming took place entirely inside a German sound stage just outside of Berlin. The international pandemic curtailed previous plans for seaside views in Poland, Scotland, and Spain.
Rebellion
If Ireland is where you want to be, then Rebellion is what you want to watch. In this series, you’ll get some facts about the 1916 Easter Rising which led the way for Irish independence. Though the characters are fictional, the story, props, and setting are historically accurate as pompous Brits meet eager nationalists.
SundanceTV, Rebellion (2016-2019)
Derry Girls
Another series set in the heart of Ireland is Derry Girls. This show about Catholic high schoolers in the 1990s quickly became a fan favorite. A comedy that evokes endless belly laughs, this four-season series got a remarkable 99% from Rotten Tomatoes.
Hat Trick Productions, Derry Girls (2018-2022)
The English Game
A series about how soccer made its way into the world may sound like a snore-fest but in reality, The English Game is “beautifully crafted”. Set in 1870s in Great Britain, you’ll learn how soccer (called football in Europe) went from being a sport for the super-rich to one for the masses.
Netflix, The English Game (2020)
Narcos
In 2015, Netflix released Narcos, the story of Columbian kingpin Pablo Escobar. Told from the perspective of two American DEA agents, you’ll discover how the Medellín Cartel quickly amassed wealth and fame throughout Central America and around the world.
Narcos: Mexico
In 2018, Narcos: Mexico took over where the previous series, Narcos, left off. The three-season series is an action-packed fact-meets-fiction story set in Mexico about the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel.
Netflix, Narcos: Mexico (2018-2021)
Alias Grace
Canadian author Margaret Atwood knows how to tell a tale—and this is more than obvious in the series taken from her book called Alias Grace. The story of two servants, Grace and James, who ended the lives of their masters in 1843 is gripping, chilling, and captivating. We follow the servant Grace and try to figure out what exactly happened—and whether we the watchers are being manipulated.
Halfire Entertainment, Alias Grace (2017)
Troy: Fall Of A City
Drama is huge in Troy: Fall of a City, in which a love affair between Paris, Prince of Troy and his married mistress, Helen of Sparta, causes the 10-year-long Trojan War. It’s only one season, so binge away.
Netflix, Troy: Fall of a City (2018-)
Wormwood
Your trip back in time will only involve about 70 years when you drop into the psychological thriller called Wormwood. The story of CIA’s biological research program in the early 1950s includes actual footage and interviews with covert agent Frank Olson—whose demise remains a mystery to this day.
Kingdom
In 2019, when it was released, the South Korean series Kingdom quickly became a huge hit. How can you go wrong with a plague, Korea in the 1600s, and a king who becomes a zombie and starts attacking everyone?
Anne With An E
Perhaps your trip back in time would be to the tiny island of Prince Edward Island, Canada in the 1890s. If you’ve heard of the book and movie Anne of Green Gables, then you already know the premise behind the television drama Anne with an E. If not, don’t let that stop you from binging the endearing story of a saucy, “beloved” orphan who finds herself in one too many predicaments.
Netflix, Anne with an E (2017-2019)
Cable Girls
After WWI, a Spanish company flaunts tradition and hires women for the role of switchboard operator. The 2017-2020 series called Cable Girls tells the story of four women who didn’t fit the traditional mold or expectations for their gender. Working for reasonable pay, this quartet encounters harsh sexism, and the amount of intrigue and drama will have you on the edge of your seat for three seasons.
Bambú Producciones, Cable Girls (2017-2020)
Frontier
Who knew Canadian history could be so intriguing? Add Jason Momoa, fresh off the set of Game of Thrones, to the 1800s tale of fur traders and colonizer monopoly and you have the thrilling two-season series Frontier. You may be shocked to find yourself bingeing this one.
Take the Shot Productions, Frontier (2016-2018)
When They See Us
The tragic story and the ultimate exoneration of five Black and Latino men is central to the real-life plot of Netflix’s 2019 release When They See Us. This is “a powerful and honest retelling” of horrible events that took place in 1989 in Central Park, New York.
ARRAY, When They See Us (2019)
Godless
Rotten Tomatoes gave Godless a whoppin’ 83% in their rating of the series. It’s understandable why—who wouldn’t want to be transported back to 1884 and a village of widowed women evading a naïve deputy while aiding and abetting outlaws? You’re sure to be surprised, amazed, and fall in love with the drama and action.
Selena: The Series
Based on the life of famous Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, Selena: The Series is a Netflix Original that came out in 2020. Selena encountered racism, sexism, and management problems. Spoiler alert: It also covers the dreadful way her life ended in 1995 at the age of only 23.
The series also might leave you heartbroken for another reason, like many other fans. When some people raised certain critiques about the show, the writers admitted that many of those perceived flaws were due to issues with Netflix behind-the-scenes. Allegedly, the studio refused to pay the writers fairly, gave the show a lower budget than most Netflix Originals, and placed harsh time constraints on the writers, wanting them to write both seasons (18 episodes) in the amount of time it would usually take to complete one season. The writers were eventually given more time to work on the script but admit that the issues behind-the-scenes took a little bit away from their overall vision for the series.
