If you enjoy a period drama as much as we do, you’re probably already familiar with the likes of Downton Abbey, The Hardacres and Bridgerton – but have you watched Lark Rise to Candleford yet? Or even The White Princess? We thought not.
We’ve dug deep into the TV archives to find the beyond brilliant period dramas you probably haven’t seen yet – and one is so good, we’re calling it the new Grantchester. So, settle in, as these are the 7 best period dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Lark Rise to Candleford
Period dramas don’t get much better - or cosier - than Lark Rise to Candleford, which is based on Flora Thompson's memoir about her childhood in the small Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring town of Candleford. We follow Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan) as she moves to Candleford to begin an apprenticeship as a postmistress under her cousin, Dorcas Lane (Julia Sawalha), meeting farm workers, craftsmen and gentry along the way. Watch out for appearances from Dawn French (pictured above), Sheridan Smith and Samantha Bond and listen up for Sarah Lancashire, who plays the narrator. All four series are available to watch now on U.
The Secret Agent
Another star-packed series, The Secret Agent is an adaptation of the classic Joseph Conrad thriller and takes to 1886 London where Verloc (Toby Jones) runs a sex shop - but that’s not all he’s up to. Unbeknownst to his wife, he’s also being paid by the Russian Embassy to spy on an anarchist cell and they’re demanding that he orchestrates a bomb attack. With Line of Duty’s Vicky McClure playing Verlock’s wife Winnie and Stephen playing Chief Inspector Heat, it’s a series you can easily get lost in for hours. Available to watch now on Netflix.
The White Princess
Jodie Comer is practically acting royalty, so it’s fitting that she plays an actual queen, Elizabeth of York, in The White Princess. The eight-part series centres on the marriage of Elizabeth of York and Henry VII (Jacob Collins-Levy), which ended the War of the Roses by uniting the houses of Lancaster and York. But the battle of the throne is far from over as Henry’s manipulative mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort (Michelle Fairley), has her own plans, which involve plotting against the family to secure her own position on the throne. Available to watch now on Channel 4.
All is True
Judi Dench is the standout star of All is True, which chronicles the later years of playwright William Shakespeare as he comes to terms with the death of his son, Hamnet. A film that tiptoes between fact and fiction, Kenneth Branagh both directs and plays Shakespeare, with Dench as his wife Anne Hathaway, with whom he has a fraught relationship. Ian McKellen also stars as the Bard's patron, the Earl of Southampton, while Lydia Wilson plays Shakespeare's eldest daughter, Susanna, and Kathryn Wilder is Judith, Hamnet's twin. A thoroughly brilliant watch. Available to watch now on Prime Video.
A Spy Among Friends
This Cold War spy thriller first aired in 2022 and brings to life the true story of Nicholas Elliott (played by Damian Lewis) who worked for MI6 in the 1960s and discovered that his close friend and colleague Kim Philby had been secretly working as an undercover agent for the KBG. Anna Maxwell Martin plays Lily Thomas, who interrogates Elliott, suspecting him of being complicit, and the intense face-off between her and Lewis makes for truly compelling viewing. “They’re like a sort of game of tennis. So I just really enjoyed them,” Anna has said of the scenes. Available to watch now on ITVX.
The Bletchley Circle
There’s no such thing as too much Anna Maxwell Martin and her performance in The Bletchley Circle proves why. The drama takes us to 1952, where Anna’s Susan Gray and her three former colleagues have resumed their seemingly normal lives after a career at the top-secret Bletchley Park communications centre. But the foursome quickly find themselves pulled into code-cracking of a different kind when a series of murders raises suspicions among them. Smart and endlessly watchable. Available to watch now on U.
Sister Boniface Mysteries
If Grantchester is your idea of the perfect period drama, Sister Boniface Mysteries is what we're calling the new and improved version. A spin-off to the BBC’s beloved Father Brown series, we’re whisked off to the 1960s and the fictional Cotswolds village of Great Slaughter where Catholic nun Sister Boniface (Lorna Watson) lives. But she’s no ordinary nun - she’s a Vespa-riding Sister with a PhD in forensic science, meaning she moonlights as the local police’s scientific adviser and teams up with DI Sam Gillespie (Max Brown), DS Felix Livingstone (Jerry Iwu), and WPC Peggy Button (Ami Metcalf) to do so. Each week, there’s a new case for her to crack in a way that only she knows how. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
