If you fancy stepping back in time for some good old-fashioned escapism and have already worked your way through the likes of Cranford, Downton Abbey and Grantchester, we've got just the thing for you. We've unearthed the best-kept-secret period dramas that you can watch right now - and one is the perfect Grantchester replacement.
From Anna Maxwell Martin's star turn in Bleak House to one of the most scandalous period dramas on TV (that's Lady Chatterley’s Lover, if you're wondering), we've got a series that'll please even the most diehard period drama fans. So, remotes at the ready, as these are the 7 best period dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Sanditon
One of Jane Austen's unfinished manuscripts comes to life in Sanditon, which takes us to the titular seaside "resort" where the young and rather spirited Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) has just arrived. Set in the Regency era, Charlotte has travelled from her rural English home and her host Tom Parker (Kris Marshall) is the man determined to turn the small fishing village into a high-society seaside destination. As comforting as it is compelling, it's the perfect Grantchester replacement. Sanditon is available to watch now on ITVX.
The Mill
This four-part Channel 4 drama transports us to Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire in the turbulent year of 1833. At the height of the British industrial revolution, impoverished adults and children are slaving away on 12-hour shifts while the mill owners prosper. But everything’s about to change when Esther Price (Kerrie Hayes), a fiery Liverpudlian millworker, joins forces with Daniel Bate (Matthew McNulty), a young engineer, and risk their livelihoods to stand up for the workers. Based on the real-life archives of the mill, it’s an eye-opening watch. The Mill is available to watch now on Channel 4.
Home Fires
Inspired by Julie Summers’ 2013 novel, Jam Busters, Home Fires is set in the rural Cheshire community of Great Paxford as the Second World War breaks out and the Women’s Institute is catapulted to the fore of the Home Front. As the series kicks off, there’s a ripple in the group and Joyce Cameron (Francesca Annis) takes over as the new leader, recruiting her friends. The two series follow the inspirational women as they help to keep their community going through the war, while facing their own personal problems. Home Fires is available to watch now on Channel 4.
North and South
Set against the backdrop of Victorian England's industrial north, this adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1855 classic of the same name introduces us to Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe), a southerner who has to move to the northern town of Milton. As a middle-class woman, there's almost nothing she likes about the town; it's dirty, noisy and full of people she detests. But it's not long before charismatic mill owner John Thornton (Richard Armitage) – the personification of everything she hates about the north – enters the mix, and changes everything. North and South is available to watch now on Channel 4.
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Bleak House
Bleak House scooped two BAFTAs when it first aired in 2005 - for good reason. Based on Charles Dickens’ 1853 novel of the same name, the 15-part series revolves around an ongoing estate battle known as Jarndyce v Jarndyce. There are multiple conflicting wills regarding the estate and the winner of the fortune will be rich beyond their wildest dreams - but will they ever reach a conclusion? Anna Maxwell Martin, Gillian Anderson and Charles Dance are among the cast. Bleak House is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
The White Princess
If you fancy seeing a brilliant performance from Jodie Comer, you'll find it in The White Princess. Based on the novel of the same name by Philippa Gregory, the series first debuted in 2017 and centres around the marriage of Henry VII (Jacob Collins-Levy) and Elizabeth of York (Jodie Comer), which ended the Wars of the Roses by bringing together the houses of Lancaster and York. But behind their apparently perfect facade, the real battle for the throne is far from over, as Elizabeth fights mistrust toward her husband, Henry's manipulative mother Lady Margaret Beaufort (Michelle Fairley), and plots against the family from all sides in a bid to become Queen. The White Princess is available to watch now on Channel 4.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover
D.H. Lawrence's scandalous novel comes to life in this fantastic Netflix film, which stars Jack O’Connell as the handsome gamekeeper who aristocrat Lady Chatterley (Emma Corrin) can hardly resist – despite her being married to someone else. Soon the duo embark on a wild and passionate affair and the heroine must choose between her social status and true love. Lust, love and lies await! Lady Chatterley's Lover is available to watch now on Netflix.
