Downton Abbey hooked me five minutes into the first episode of season 1 when I discovered it on Netflix last winter. British accents, period costumes, rambling old mansions, romance, melodrama — what’s not to love? I neglected the laundry, the gray ring around the bathtub and just about everything else until I watched entire first season.
That’s the bad thing about having full seasons of TV shows available at the the push of a button. It’s like giving a sugar addict a stack of Hershey bars.
I finished season 1 just in time for the season 2 premiere on PBS. There was no long, agonizing wait to learn what would become of Mary and Mathew or Mr. Bates and Anna. Well, until season 2 ended. It’s still a long 76 days until Downton Abbey returns to Master Piece Theater this January, and it’s left me jonesing for some good British period drama.
Here are some of my other favorite shows with foreign accents, vintage costuming and historical dialect. If you’re missing the Crawleys and their hired help, these shows should hold you over until the New Year:
Call the Midwife – This series airing on PBS right now follows several young midwives who work along side an order of nuns in 1950’s east London. It’s heartwarming, entertaining and at times heart-wrenching.
Where to Watch: Set your DVR and you can catch the last few episodes. The first episode are available online at PBS.org. You can get the series on disc from Netflix or on Amazon Instant Video as well.
Upstairs Downstairs – The original Upstairs Downstairs (I just started watching, and for a 40-year-old TV series it holds up pretty well.) was very popular when it aired in the 1970’s . It followed the story of the wealthy Bellamy family and their servants living in a townhouse in London. (There are many similarities between this one and Downton.) In 2010 they made a new version of Upstairs Downstairs — same townhouse, different wealthy people and servants.
Where to watch: Season 2 of the new version is airing on PBS’s Masterpiece Classic now. Set your DVR for upcoming episodes. Past episodes of season 2 and season 1 are also available at PBS.org. You can get season 1 discs on DVD from Netflix, and it’s available to watch instantly Amazon.
The original 1970’s series is available to watch instantly through Netflix and Amazon.
Cranford and Return to Cranford – Dame Judi Dench (Don’t you just like saying that? Dame… The British get to have all the fun.) heads up the cast of this mini-series set in 1840’s rural England. The colorful female characters struggle to come to terms with change brought in by the industrial revolution.
Where to watch: Cranford and its sequel Return to Cranford are available on disc from Netflix and for instant watching through Amazon.
The Hour – The Hour follows TV journalists in 1950’s London who get involved with intrigue and espionage while standing up to government censorship. It’s part romance, part spy thriller. Think Mad Men meets Bourne meets 60 minutes.
Where to watch: Season one is available on disc through Netflix and to watch instantly on Amazon. You have time to catch up before season 2 begins on BBC America November 28th.
Copper – This series has a bit of a twist. It’s a British made, but it’s a crime drama set in post-civil war New York City. The story follows an Irish-American cop who stands up for the down-trodden in the poor, immigrant Five Points neighborhood. There’s a bit of everything. Even an ME who uses rudimentary CSI techniques to solve crimes.
Where to watch: This is airing now on BBC America. It’s also available on disc from Netflix and to watch instantly on Amazon.
Not Period, but Still British
Sherlock – This reincarnation of the familiar story takes the detective and Dr. Watson into the 21st century. You’re probably wondering how many ways they can they re-tell the same story? But this one is well worth your time. It features excellent writing, acting and employees clever use of modern technology in the plot. (It pre-dates the recent Lucy Liu version on CBS. Wonder where they got that idea?)
Where to watch: It’s available on instant play and disc through Netflix and instant play on Amazon. Season 3 will air eventually on PBS, but it’s still in the works.
Monarch of the Glen – This show is more of a dramedy that boarders on campy, but the cast of lovable, eccentric characters wins you over. It tells the story of a modern-day Scottish Earl and his family who are now broke, and trying to save the family estate. The upper-crust mix with the hired help to create humorous, romantic and touching story lines.
Where to watch: The complete series is available through Netflix on disc.
Not British, but Still Great Period Dramas
Bomb Girls – This is a Canadian series (They’re almost British) set in Canada during WW II. It follows the story of several young women who work in a munitions factory. There’s a lot of drama, romance and it touches on the difficulties women faced transitioning from the home to the work place when all the men went off to war. This show if worth it for the great the costuming alone.
Where to watch: This just aired on Reelz cable channel. It’s not available on video yet, but keep an eye out for it on Netflix and Amazon. You might be able to catch repeats on Reelz too.
Mad Men – Our own made in the USA period drama, Mad Men follows the story of a group of employees working at an ad agency in 1960’s Manhattan. The writing has a literary quality about it. Through sheer genius this show manages to make you empathize with characters that aren’t even likable. The acting is beyond good, and the costuming and sets have a cinematic quality about them. It won 4 Best Drama Emmys if you need anymore proof of how good it is.
I warn you, Mad Men is a gateway to watching entire TV series in two days on Netflix. It’s how it all started for me. In fact, I found Downton Abbey while searching for something to fill the void after I ran out of Mad Men episodes on Netflix.
Where to Watch: Seasons 1 -4 are available on disc from Netflix, and both Netflix and Amazon for instant watching. Amazon also has season 5 instantly which just came out on DVD. You can catch reruns of season 5 on AMC also. Season Six airs sometime next year on AMC.
There you go. Pace yourself, and don’t forget to feed your kids.
Lark Rise to Candleford is a favorite of mine. I discovered it on Youtube. Since living here in Australia, I’ve also discovered Heartbeat and The Royal.
Would you believe that I have never actually watched Downton Abbey!? :O
Dropping by from the Live Laugh Rowe blog hop. 🙂
I’m hooked on Call the Midwife too! I love all the detail in the British productions. I first got hooked on the Jane Austen movies. I only wish she had lived longer so she could have written more books. I think I have all of her books and all of the movies. I collect British films from that era. We now own the first and second series of Downton Abbey and can’t wait until the third.
Le sigh.
I need more shows to watch!
There’s nothing cozier than curling up with a show, is there? Maybe adding hot chocolate and popcorn to the mix? 🙂
2013 cannot come sooner! I’ll be screaming “Downton Abbey!” when the ball drops on New Year, just wait and see!
In the meantime, my husband and I watched “Lost” on Netfix in its ENTIRETY (we have 4 more episodes to go), so I think now is a great time to get reacquainted with some British accents. I’ve heard about “Call The Midwife” but I dunno – I’ll check it out. And anything Judi Dench, I’m in, and Mad Men I only got to half of this current season before we started that stinking Lost series (which I am addicted to).
… I’m so going to be glued to the TV, aren’t I?
if you cant wait for January, you can view the UK season 3 episodes of Downton Abbey at http://www.simplyjune.org/
I loved season 1 of Downton Abbey! I think i watched it all in two days…. but I haven’t seen season 2 yet. I’ve been waiting for it to come to Netflix.
Those other shows look pretty good too. Thanks for the list!