{"id":364876,"date":"2026-04-05T12:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T12:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/364876\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T12:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T12:48:14","slug":"8-hidden-gem-period-dramas-to-watch-now-on-itv-netflix-the-bbc-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/364876\/","title":{"rendered":"8 \u201chidden gem\u201d period dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Name a better form of escapism than a period drama<\/a>. The tumultuous romances, the costumes\u2026 the scandals! If you think Downton Abbey is as good as they get, then you’d be wrong – and our pick of the hidden gem period dramas to watch now is here to prove it. <\/p>\n

From a 5-star James Norton<\/a> drama to a “forgotten” Nicola Walker series and a Downton Abbey upgrade, we\u2019ve hand-picked the 8 shows that should absolutely be on your radar. So, pack your (imaginary) bags because these are the period dramas to escape with on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.<\/p>\n

The Nevers \"amalia<\/p>\n

HBO\/Warner Brothers<\/p>\n

One for James Norton fans, The Nevers is an unusual \u2013 but very enjoyable \u2013 blend of sci-fi and period drama. Set in Victorian London, at the heart of the series is a group of women known as the Touched, who have “unusual” (see also: supernatural) abilities. The women find themselves forced to live in the shadows of society, but one man, aristocrat Hugo Swann (Norton), takes a particular interest in them – and wants to exploit them for entertainment\u2026 and money. Available to watch now on ITVX<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Paradise \"the<\/p>\n

Nick Briggs<\/p>\n

If you love Sarah Lancashire as much as we do, you\u2019ll enjoy The Paradise, which is based on \u00c9mile Zola\u2019s 1883 novel Au Bonheur des Dames and set in England’s first department store in the 1870s (largely inspired by the original Bon March\u00e9). The story revolves around Denise Lovett (played by Joanna Vanderham), a young girl who takes a job as a salesgirl in the shop before becoming romantically entangled with the charismatic owner. But the main attraction is Sarah, who’s sublime as the store\u2019s Head of Ladieswear. Available to watch now on U<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mary & George \"historical<\/p>\n

Sky<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find one of Nicola Walker\u2019s most underrated performances in this excellent series. Inspired by a true story, Julianne Moore plays the titular Mary Villiers, the woman who moulded her son to seduce King James I and improve the fortunes of her family in the process. Nicola stars as Lady Elizabeth Hatton, the lady-in-waiting for the Queen consort, Anne of Denmark, and her performance as Mary\u2019s adversary is something truly unmissable. If you\u2019re a Downton Abbey fan, think of this as your upgrade. Available to watch on NOW<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Life in Squares\"group<\/p>\n

Ecosse Films<\/p>\n

Penned by BAFTA award-winning writer Amanda Coe (Apple Tree Yard), this three-part series tells the story of the renowned Bloomsbury group, who were united by a desire for freedom in the early 20th century. Featuring a heady mix of sexual radicalism and creative passion, the drama portrays the often tumultuous relationship between painter Vanessa Bell and her sister Virginia Woolf, as well as Vanessa\u2019s sexually complicated alliance with gay artist Duncan Grant and the escapades of many other members of the group, including Duncan Grant (James Norton, again!) and Lytton Strachey (Ed Birch). Available to watch now on Prime Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Last Duel \"jodie<\/p>\n

Patrick Redmond<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been five years since The Last Duel was released, but Jodie Comer\u2019s performance never gets old. The film is a Ridley Scott creation and dramatises the last officially recognised judicial duel in France in very watchable fashion. Matt Damon plays Jean de Carrouges, who challenges his former friend, squire Jacques le Gris (Adam Driver) to fight to the death after Jean’s wife, Marguerite (Comer), accuses Jacques of raping her. It\u2019s brutal, brave and brilliantly thrilling. Available to watch now on Channel 4 Streaming<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Towards Zero \"a<\/p>\n

BBC<\/p>\n

Does anything even come close to an Agatha Christie series? It\u2019s England 1936 and an explosive love triangle creates a deadly web of jealousy and deceit, which can only mean one thing… murder! This atmospheric BBC adaptation has a standout cast that includes the likes of Anjelica Huston, Ella Lily Hyland and Matthew Rhys (The Beast in Me<\/a>). Inspector Leach (Rhys) is tasked with investigating the murder at the centre of the story – and he uncovers some pretty toxic relationships in the process. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Empress \"the<\/p>\n

Netflix The Empress S2\/\/Netflix<\/p>\n

A sort of German equivalent to The Crown, this wonderfully addictive drama centres on a Royal Family and all the trials and tribulations that come with being part of it. Bavarian Duchess Elisabeth \u201cSisi\u201d is our main character who moves to Vienna after falling in love with and marrying her sister\u2019s intended fianc\u00e9, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. Expect explosive love affairs, international scandals and some serious power struggles. Available to watch now on Netflix<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Cranford\"woman<\/p>\n

UKTV<\/p>\n

If you want to see exactly why Judi Dench is a national treasure, watch Cranford. Set in 1840s England, the ladies of Cranford, including Miss Matty Jenkyns (Judi Dench), Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton) and Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie), all live their lives somewhat rooted in the past. But the Industrial Revolution is about to change everything and these ladies will put up quite a fight before it does. A charming series featuring outstanding performances from its leads. Available to watch now on U<\/a>. <\/p>\n

READ MORE TV NEWS HERE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Name a better form of escapism than a period drama. The tumultuous romances, the costumes\u2026 the scandals! If…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364877,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[2974,191792,191793,6565,156,7386,1094,111,139,69,64341,437],"class_list":{"0":"post-364876","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-bbc","9":"tag-best-hidden-gem-period-dramas","10":"tag-best-period-dramas","11":"tag-downton-abbey","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-itv","14":"tag-netflix","15":"tag-new-zealand","16":"tag-newzealand","17":"tag-nz","18":"tag-period-drama","19":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=364876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=364876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=364876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=364876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}