Top 5 Period Dramas you should watch
Be whisked back to the past with these top five adaptations of classic novels.
List activity
71 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
5 titles
- StarsDaniela Denby-AsheRichard ArmitageTim Pigott-SmithNorth and South is a four-part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's love story of Margaret Hale, a middle-class southerner who is forced to move to the northern town of Milton.Based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s gritty novel, North and South is an absolute favourite of mine. Richard Armitage of The Hobbit fame and My Family’s Daniela Denby-Ashe star in what is undoubtedly one of “the most celebrated costume dramas of all time”, where an opinionated middle-class Margaret Hale moves to the North of industrialised Britain and meets a severe Mr Thornton, and sparks fly. Not just a love story, though, since this drama is much more sensitive and thought-provoking than its big sister Pride and Prejudice. If you love period dramas, this is not one to miss.
- StarsRuth WilsonToby StephensLorraine AshbourneA young governess falls in love with her brooding and complex master. However, his dark past may destroy their relationship forever.Unlike its more famed film version with Mia Wasikowska, the four-part 2006 Jane Eyre is delicate and detailed in its depiction of Jane and her romance with Mr Rochester. With more minutes on the clock, it feels less rushed, and you have more of a chance to appreciate the convincing, moving acting and tangible chemistry. Dark and passionate, this adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s immortal favourite is a must-see for period-drama addicts.
- DirectorJon JonesStarsGeraldine JamesMichael JuddJulia DeardenA young woman's penchant for sensational Gothic novels leads to misunderstandings in the matters of the heart.This time in a 90-minute film, Austen’s innocent and imaginative heroine Catherine Moorland is reincarnated by the wonderful actress Felicity Jones. This delightful drama is entertaining and will transport you into the nineteenth century like no other. Though short, Northanger Abbey is a gem amongst the numerous Austen adaptations.
- StarsRomola GaraiMichael GambonJonny Lee MillerEmma Woodhouse, a wealthy young woman living in the early 19th century, whose misplaced confidence in her matchmaking abilities occasions several romantic misadventures, which leads her into deeper meanings of love and lifePeriod drama Queen Romola Garai plays the title role in the 2009 version of Austen’s well-loved classic. Garai’s animate portrayal of the devious, matchmaking lead is the main attraction here, and brings to life everything a good period drama needs.
- StarsMatthew MacfadyenClaire FoyTom CourtenayThe Dorrits are a family whose life revolves around the Marshalsea, a debtor's prison. Amy Dorrit's kind nature brings the family into contact with a wide swath of English society, from the poorest to the richest, and back again.Claire Foy is Dickens’ kind and introverted Amy Dorrit who spends her life looking after her father in a debtors’ prison. As one of the poorer-known Dickens novels, this adaptation was simply not advertised as much as it deserved to be, but its fourteen episodes are well worth the watch. Also starring Matthew Macfadyen, better known for his role as Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, Little Dorrit is a sweet and thoughtful story that you’ll never forget.