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Upcoming TV period dramas to look out for

From BBC adaptations like Wolf Hall and Call the Midwife to ITV institutions like Downton Abbey and Foyle's War - there are some brilliant period dramas on the way.
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Call the Midwife, BBC One

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We haven't even seen the fourth season and a fifth has already been commissioned!

Call the Midwife returns for a Christmas special before starting again in early 2015.

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2

The Hollow Crown, BBC Two

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Following on from the successful 2012 Shakespeare adaptations, a stellar cast have been confirmed for a series of three more of his histories - Henry VI (in 2 parts) and Richard III.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench and Hugh Bonneville are just a few names appearing in the 2015 drama.

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3

Mr Selfridge, ITV

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Mr Selfridge is also returning for a third season, which picks up in 1919 after the end of WWI.

Production is already finished with an air date rumoured for the beginning of 2015.

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4

Cider with Rosie, BBC One

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Timothy Spall has just been announced as the narrator of the BBC adaptation of Cider with Rosie.

Jessica Brown Findlay has already been cast in one of the lead roles.

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5

Wolf Hall, BBC Two

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Another adaptation, Wolf Hall is the BBC's latest historical drama.

It has been written for television from Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies.

Wolf Hall will air in early 2015.

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6

Partners in Crime, BBC One

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From 2015 onwards the BBC will be the new home of Agatha Christie.

To mark what would be the year of her 125th birthday, there will be two new shows. 

Partners in Crime stars its screenwriter David Walliams - based on the author’s 1950s crime fighters Tommy and Tuppence.

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7

Sherlock, BBC One

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With Benedict Cumberbatch struggling to find a day off, an air date for season 4 of Sherlock is as yet unknown. 

However, it is expected in 2015 along with a Christmas special!

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8

Foyle's War, ITV

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ITV war mystery Foyle's War is returning for an eighth season.

Anthony Horowitz's MI5 drama has moved on from its WWII days with Michael Kitchen's Christopher Foyle finding himself in the grips of the Cold War.

ITV is due to air the new season in late 2015.

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9

Downton Abbey, ITV

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Downton Abbey may only just have finished but Julian Fellowes has made it very clear that he shows no signs of running out of inspiration.

Season six will likely return in the Autumn of next year.

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10

Lady Chatterley's Lover, BBC One

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Lady Chatterley's Lover is part of the BBC's 2015 20th Century literature adaptations season.

This legendary romance tells the story of Lady Chatterley’s affair with her gamekeeper.

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11

The Outcast, BBC One

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Set in the late 50s, The Outcast follows two parallel stories of father and son and how life must go on after the war.

Jessica Brown Findlay has already been cast in one of the lead roles.

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