period dramas to watch
by stvrla-dona | created - 09 Jun 2020 | updated - 18 Sep 2020 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Death Comes to Pemberley (2013)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Elizabeth and Darcy, now six years married, are preparing for their annual ball when festivities are brought to an abrupt halt. An adaptation of PD James's homage to Pride and Prejudice.
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Anna Maxwell Martin, Matthew Goode, Trevor Eve
Votes: 8,462
2. Persuasion (2007 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Drama, Family
Anne was in love with Frederick, who was rejected by her snobby parents 8 years ago. They've now hit hard times and rent out their mansion to his brother-in-law. He returns a Royal Navy captain. Will he remember Anne?
Director: Adrian Shergold | Stars: Sally Hawkins, Alice Krige, Anthony Head, Julia Davis
Votes: 16,511
3. Bleak House (2005)
TV-PG | 30 min | Crime, Drama
A suspenseful tale about the injustices of the 19th Century English legal system.
Stars: Anna Maxwell Martin, Carey Mulligan, Denis Lawson, Gillian Anderson
Votes: 10,632
4. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001 TV Movie)
200 min | Comedy, Drama
A young, compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his cold-hearted, grasping uncle.
Director: Stephen Whittaker | Stars: John Dallimore, James D'Arcy, Sophia Myles, Diana Kent
Votes: 1,138
5. Nicholas Nickleby (2002)
PG | 132 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
A young, compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his cold-heartedly grasping uncle.
Director: Douglas McGrath | Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Jamie Bell, Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent
Votes: 13,675 | Gross: $1.59M
6. The Woman in White (2018)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A bold new adaptation of Wilkie Collins' classic gothic novel.
Stars: Jessie Buckley, Olivia Vinall, Dougray Scott, Art Malik
Votes: 2,041
7. The Woman in White (1997 TV Movie)
Unrated | 125 min | Mystery, Thriller
The gothic tale of a pair of half-sisters whose lives end up caught in a grand conspiracy revolving around a mentally ill woman dressed in white.
Director: Tim Fywell | Stars: Tara Fitzgerald, Justine Waddell, Andrew Lincoln, Susan Vidler
Votes: 1,218
8. The Woman in White (1982– )
55 min | Mystery, Thriller
In Victorian England, Laura and her half-sister Marian are entwined in a terrifying web of deceit. Laura's doppelganger, a mysterious woman dressed all in white, may hold the key to unlock the mystery.
Stars: Diana Quick, Ian Richardson, John Shrapnel, Jenny Seagrove
Votes: 249
9. Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1998 TV Movie)
180 min | Drama, Romance
A free-spirited yet naive country girl is caught between her wealthy, manipulative "cousin" Alec and the handsome, educated farmer Angel Clare in this Victorian tragedy from novelist Thomas Hardy.
Director: Ian Sharp | Stars: Justine Waddell, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Milburn, John McEnery
Votes: 2,096
10. Berkeley Square (1998)
50 min | Drama, History, Romance
Three young women from very different backgrounds meet, become friends and share experiences when they all gain positions as nannies in the wealthy households of London's exclusive Berkeley Square.
Stars: Victoria Smurfit, Clare Wilkie, Tabitha Wady, Hermione Norris
Votes: 1,216
11. The Buccaneers (1995)
TV-14 | 48 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Four American girls go to England to find husbands.
Stars: Carla Gugino, Alison Elliott, Mira Sorvino, Rya Kihlstedt
Votes: 2,616
12. Babette's Feast (1987)
G | 103 min | Drama
During the late 19th century, a strict religious community in a Danish village takes in a French refugee from the Franco-Prussian War as a servant to the late pastor's daughters.
Director: Gabriel Axel | Stars: Stéphane Audran, Bodil Kjer, Birgitte Federspiel, Jarl Kulle
Votes: 22,044 | Gross: $4.40M
13. Ryan's Daughter (1970)
R | 200 min | Drama, Romance
Set in the wake of the 1916 Easter Rising, a married woman in a small Irish village has an affair with a troubled British officer.
Director: David Lean | Stars: Robert Mitchum, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Christopher Jones
Votes: 10,686 | Gross: $30.85M
14. Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
PG | 137 min | Comedy, Drama, History
Famed swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac is in love with his cousin Roxane. He has never expressed his love for her as he his large nose undermines his self-confidence. Then he finds a way to express his love to her, indirectly.
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet, Vincent Perez, Jacques Weber
Votes: 25,955 | Gross: $15.14M
15. The Go-Between (1971)
GP | 116 min | Drama, Romance
A tale of torrid and forbidden love between a couple in the English countryside.
Director: Joseph Losey | Stars: Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Dominic Guard, Margaret Leighton
Votes: 6,306 | Gross: $0.75M
16. The Invisible Woman (2013)
R | 111 min | Biography, Drama, History
At the height of his career, Charles Dickens meets a younger woman who becomes his secret lover until his death.
Director: Ralph Fiennes | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Hollander
Votes: 10,481 | Gross: $1.23M
17. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
PG-13 | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Young lovers, and soon to wed, Hero and Claudio conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles, Benedick and Beatrice, to wed as well.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Kate Beckinsale
Votes: 52,023 | Gross: $22.55M
18. Anne of Green Gables (1985)
TV-G | 100 min | Drama, Family
An orphan girl, sent to an elderly brother and sister by mistake, charms her new home and community with her fiery spirit and imagination.
Stars: Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth, Patricia Hamilton
Votes: 22,665
19. Pride and Prejudice (1940)
Approved | 118 min | Drama, Romance
The arrival of wealthy bachelors in town causes an uproar when families with single daughters aggressively seek engagements, including the Bennet family, with five eligible daughters.
Director: Robert Z. Leonard | Stars: Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland, Edna May Oliver
Votes: 9,225
20. The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 142 min | Action, Drama, Romance
Paris, 1792: After France becomes a republic, aristocrats are guillotined. The English Sir Percy tries to save as many as he can as The Scarlet Pimpernel in disguises.
Director: Clive Donner | Stars: Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, Ian McKellen, James Villiers
Votes: 5,159
21. Emma. (2020)
PG | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.
Director: Autumn de Wilde | Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Josh O'Connor
Votes: 62,773
22. My Brilliant Career (1979)
G | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A proud young woman in early 20th century Australia must choose between marriage and independence.
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes, Robert Grubb
Votes: 4,802
23. Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991)
PG | 116 min | Drama, Romance
After a rich Edwardian widow impulsively marries a handsome but poor Tuscan dentist and dies in childbirth, her English in-laws try to gain custody of the baby.
Director: Charles Sturridge | Stars: Helena Bonham Carter, Judy Davis, Rupert Graves, Helen Mirren
Votes: 2,443 | Gross: $1.40M
24. Oscar and Lucinda (1997)
R | 132 min | Drama, Romance
In mid-1800s England, Oscar is a young Anglican priest, a misfit and an outcast, but with the soul of an angel. As a boy, even though from a strict Pentecostal family, he felt God told him ... See full summary »
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 7,197 | Gross: $1.51M
25. The Duchess of Duke Street (1976–1977)
TV-PG | 50 min | Drama
Louisa Trotter works her way up from being a skivvy to being the queen of cooks, cook to the King, and owner of the Bentinck Hotel. Her life and happenings among the guests and staff of the hotel make up the 31 episodes.
Stars: Gemma Jones, Victoria Plucknett, John Welsh, John Cater
Votes: 1,541
26. A Month in the Country (1987)
PG | 96 min | Drama
Two soldiers (Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh) recover from World War I while spending a summer in a Yorkshire village.
Director: Pat O'Connor | Stars: Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh, John Atkinson, Jim Carter
Votes: 1,957 | Gross: $0.44M
27. Mary Bryant (2005–2007)
R | 62 min | Adventure, Drama
A young woman is transported to the New South Wales penal colony in 1788.
Stars: Romola Garai, Jack Davenport, Alex O'Loughlin, Sam Neill
Votes: 2,579
28. The Princess of Montpensier (2010)
Not Rated | 139 min | Action, Drama, History
Based on the classic didactic novel, the action centers on the noble lady who soon becomes exposed to the sexual and political intrigues of the French court of the religious wars era.
Director: Bertrand Tavernier | Stars: Mélanie Thierry, Lambert Wilson, Gaspard Ulliel, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet
Votes: 4,286 | Gross: $0.34M
29. The Horseman on the Roof (1995)
R | 118 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
In a time of war and disease, a young officer gallantly tries to help a young woman find her husband.
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau | Stars: Olivier Martinez, Juliette Binoche, Pierre Arditi, François Cluzet
Votes: 6,396 | Gross: $1.88M
30. Camille (1984 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama, Romance
Camille is a courtesan in Paris. She falls deeply in love with a young man of promise, Armand Duval. When Armand's father begs her not to ruin his hope of a career and position by marrying ... See full summary »
Director: Desmond Davis | Stars: Greta Scacchi, Colin Firth, John Gielgud, Billie Whitelaw
Votes: 593
31. Lady of the Camelias (1981)
115 min | Drama, Romance
A young girl from the provinces, comes to Paris with one goal: to become a part of the rich bourgeoisie. To achieve this she will use her unique beauty and charm.
Director: Mauro Bolognini | Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Gian Maria Volontè, Bruno Ganz, Fabrizio Bentivoglio
Votes: 720
32. A Summer Story (1988)
PG-13 | 95 min | Drama, Romance
Frank Ashton and his best friend are hiking across Dartmoor when he twists his ankle. Frank goes for help at a nearby farmhouse where he stays for a few days and falls in love with Megan.
Director: Piers Haggard | Stars: Imogen Stubbs, James Wilby, Susannah York, Kenneth Colley
Votes: 1,223 | Gross: $0.46M
33. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982)
540 min | Drama
A young, compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his cold-hearted, grasping uncle.
Stars: David Threlfall, Alun Armstrong, Roger Rees, Bob Peck
Votes: 548
34. Widows' Peak (1994)
PG | 101 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
In 1934, an English widow moves to Widows' Peak, Ireland. She befriends other widows and the son of one. Hostility escalates between her and an Irish spinster.
Director: John Irvin | Stars: Joan Plowright, Mia Farrow, Natasha Richardson, Adrian Dunbar
Votes: 1,881 | Gross: $6.24M
35. Les Destinées (2000)
180 min | Drama, Romance
In late nineteenth century Charante, Protestant minister Jean Barnery causes local disquiet when he arranges a separation from his obsessive wife - and more talk when he decides to take her... See full summary »
Director: Olivier Assayas | Stars: Emmanuelle Béart, Charles Berling, Isabelle Huppert, Olivier Perrier
Votes: 1,310 | Gross: $0.23M
36. Hard Times (1977– )
203 min | Drama
Thomas Gradgrind, a wealthy, retired merchant in the industrial city of Coketown, England, devotes his life to a philosophy of rationalism, self-interest, and fact. He raises his oldest ... See full summary »
Stars: Patrick Allen, Timothy West, Rosalie Crutchley, Jacqueline Tong
Votes: 133
37. Under the Greenwood Tree (2005 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 93 min | Drama, Romance
In this lighthearted romance from Victorian novelist Thomas Hardy, the beautiful new village school teacher is pursued by three suitors: a working-class man, a landowner, and the vicar.
Director: Nicholas Laughland | Stars: Keeley Hawes, James Murray, Terry Mortimer, Richard Leaf
Votes: 2,989
38. Aristocrats (1999)
TV-14 | 300 min | Drama, History
18th-century England and Ireland viewed through the eyes of four beautiful high-born sisters - Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, great-granddaughters of a king, daughters of a cabinet minister, and wives of politicians and peers.
Stars: Siân Phillips, Alun Armstrong, Ben Daniels, Serena Gordon
Votes: 1,772
39. Love in Chains (2019–2023)
Drama, Romance
Katerina Verbitskaya grew up as a noble lady with her godmother Anna Chervinskaya. But everyone thinks that she was only Peter Chervinsky's property.
Stars: Olesya Zhurakivska, Katerina Kovalchuk, Mikhail Gavrilov, Fabiola Stevenson
Votes: 478
40. Doctor Thorne (2016)
TV-G | 48 min | Drama
Penniless Mary Thorne grows up with her uncle, Doctor Thorne, and develops a friendship with the family at the nearby Greshamsbury Park estate.
Stars: Harry Richardson, Tom Hollander, Stefanie Martini, Rebecca Front
Votes: 5,239
41. Banished (2015)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History
British convicts have been sent to Australia as punishment for their crimes. As they try to live their new lives, they have to live with the new rules. The soldiers also have to adjust.
Stars: Orla Brady, Ewen Bremner, MyAnna Buring, Ryan Corr
Votes: 4,164
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