The past is the new present.
Ever think you were really meant to live in another decade? Another century? Another millennial? These historical TV series are so transporting that — depending on what you’re into — you can watch them and feel like you’re riding in a carriage in Regency England, fighting alongside Highlander rebels in 18th-century Scotland, or chatting with the buzziest avant-garde artists in 1980s New York City.
Bridgerton
Dearest readers: Romance author Julia Quinn’s sizzling set of novels about eight siblings (the Bridgertons) meeting their love matches in early 19th-century society inspired the fanciful series Bridgerton. Pour a cup of tea, and let the soothing sound of Lady Whistledown’s voice carry you back to a stylized version of the 1810s. This royal romance series is sure to sweep you off your feet, while offering a glimpse into the complicated hierarchies of high society in London’s Regency era. Ready your scandal sheets for the show’s third season, which arrives in two parts later this year.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Put on your biggest wig and pour yourself a cup of tea for this Bridgerton prequel. A 17-year-old Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) — and her royal romance with King George (Corey Mylchreest) — holds the spotlight in this series set decades earlier, while also providing glimpses into events that unfold between Bridgerton’s second and third seasons. If the original series points to the couple’s complex and passionate romance, Queen Charlotte unspools its origin story amid the queen’s rise to power and prominence.
The Crown
Follow the exploits of the British monarchy as it adapts to social and political change over the course of more than five decades. The accession to the throne and early reign of Queen Elizabeth II is the focus of Season 1 — but that’s just the beginning. Over the course of six seasons, three different actors portray Elizabeth (Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton) as the monarch faces the political and personal events that define her reign, which includes her relationship with her sister, Princess Margaret; her son Prince Charles’ tumultuous marriage to Princess Diana; and their sons William and Harry coming of age in the royal spotlight.
The Empress
All the royal drama unfolds when the rebel Elisabeth (Devrim Lingnau) — known as Sisi — meets Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria (Philip Froissant). But the couple’s passionate romance causes disorder in the dynasty’s power structure when Elisabeth refuses to conform to the governing court’s rigidity. Much like Princess Diana after her in the 1980s, Elisabeth captivated as a 19th-century “people’s princess,” bringing her excellent fashion, kindness, and vulnerability to the public. But her story — while captivating — was also tragic, as she struggled through lonely days, unable to fit in with the royal customs of the Habsburg court.
Peaky Blinders
This period drama follows Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), the cunning leader of the Peaky Blinders crime family, who oversees operations in post-World War I Birmingham. While the series follows the Shelby family as they build their fortune, it also tells the story of the interwar years in Britain, which saw efforts for radical economic and social development. Each season is grounded in historical context, though many of the characters and plotlines are fictional.
Vikings: Valhalla
Skål! This series takes place over a thousand years ago and follows some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived, including the explorer Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), his sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). At this time, tensions between the Vikings and the British have reached a boiling point and they may be on the brink of war. To complicate matters further, the Vikings themselves are clashing over their conflicting Christian and Pagan beliefs. As they navigate these conflicts, Erikson, Eiríksdóttir, and Sigurdsson embark on an epic journey to battlefields ranging from the (fictional) Danish settlement Kattegat to England and beyond.
All the Light We Cannot See
It’s 1945 and the Nazi regime is about to fall. Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti), a blind French girl, and her father, Daniel Leblanc (Mark Ruffalo), have fled German-occupied Paris, seeking refuge in Saint-Malo, France. It’s here that Marie-Laure’s story crosses paths with that of an unlikely companion, Werner (Louis Hofmann), a brilliant and sensitive German teenager who was enlisted in Hitler’s regime to track down illegal radio broadcasts. As their journeys collide, a story unfolds about the possibilities of finding love, hope, and connection — even in the darkest of times. The four-part limited series is based on Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of the same name, and brought to the screen by director and executive producer Shawn Levy.
