Who doesn’t love a good period piece? Netflix is slowly but surely perfecting the genre (and curating its lineup with some help from acquired shows). Each of these titles is absolutely worth a watch if you’re just getting into period pieces or you need another series to scratch your itch. Give them a go if you haven’t binged them already.
The Queen’s Gambit
Adapted from the 1983 Walter Tevis novel of the same name, The Queen’s Gambit tells the story of chess prodigy Beth Harmon. Set in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the plot moves through Beth’s childhood into adulthood, showing how she became interested in the game, how she dominated the game, and how personal afflictions almost cost her everything.
Bridgerton
A pandemic favorite for many, Bridgerton is another period piece adapted from a novel. Shonda Rhimes (the brilliance behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and more) produced the Regency romance and subsequently gave new life to the Julia Quinn book series that started it all. When you’re finished with Bridgerton, give its spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story a go.
Peaky Blinders
If you didn’t get your Cillian Murphy fix watching Oppenheimer, turn on the almost never-ending Peaky Blinders, a crime drama set in 1900s England. There are only 36 episodes, but the show first premiered in 2013 and didn’t end until 2022 (we think it’s fair to blame Netflix for setting the expectation that we’ll have to wait sometimes years before a new season of a show premieres). You might have to watch Peaky Blinders with subtitles on, but it’ll be worth it.
Outlander
Not a Netflix original, but Outlander (again adapted from a book series) has streamed on the platform for years. The show’s seventh season is currently airing on Starz, and it’s been picked up for an eighth and final season, making now the perfect time to get into it if you haven’t yet. This is a good option if you can’t decide which time period you like best as it skips around to multiple historical eras and places.
The Crown
Similar to Outlander in that it spans multiple time periods, The Crown is planning to end after Season 6 (though creator Peter Morgan had stated it would end after Season 5, so who’s to say it won’t continue indefinitely). The Crown follows the British royal family beginning with Queen Elizabeth II on her wedding day and covering every major era through the present day. If you didn’t care about the royal family before, you will after watching The Crown.
Each of these shows is streaming now on Netflix.