Posted on 12/22/2020 5:14:17 AM PST by C19fan
Yeah Wives and Daughters is great too, Michael Gambon is unforgettable as Squire Hamley.
How come Upstairs Downstairs isn’t mentioned....among the best of all time.
Yep, she’s fantastic. She always makes us laugh.
I’m a big fan of North and South also.
Bonfire of Destiny is 1897 Paris, so it’s post bonnets but worth a watch. I think it’s on Netflix.
“After a devastating fire in 1897 Paris, three women find their lives upended by betrayals, deceptions and romantic turmoil. Inspired by real events.”
Thank you for the heads up. Anything taking place from the Regency to Edwardian I am game for.
I enjoyed Foyle’s War. The cars, buses and airplanes were amazing. IIRC, they had two operational Spitfires(?) that were actual restored planes (not CGI). Some of the buses were really cool.
It is amazing the effort and money spent on TV shows today!
It’s Australian but “A Place to Call Home” is phenomenal. No bonnets, though.
Loved “The Crown”. Have not seen the most recent season with Diana.
Loved Downton Abbey.
Loved “The Tudors”
Loved Foyle’s War
Did not like Call the Midwife.
I find all of the British produced television dramas so much better written, acted produced than almost anything on us television. US TV actors are models who look good on camera. Very few can act.
Not period pieces but I also loved Broadchurch, Shetland, Black Mirror, Luther, The Fall, Doc Martin, Peaky Blinders, Sherlock, Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, and especially Hinterland.
This is opposed to the absolutely crap that is on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX. Someone at my office suggested I watch “Big Sky” an ABC David Kelly show. David Kelly has produced some decent shows such as “Goliath” with Billy Bob Thorton.
My wife and I made it through 2 1/2 episodes before we had enough. We were actually laughing because is was so stupid and filled with liberal propaganda. Plus is was such a rip off of “Yellowstone”. An actual good American cable show.
Not on the list, but I think very worthy of mention are both the Granada Television Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett (IMHO, the best screen Holmes, ever) and All Creatures Great and Small.
I have no idea if “Peaky Blinders” fits into a British Period Drama. It is British. Is a certain period. Perhaps a drama?
My son told me about it. I wasn’t sure at first - but then got into it and enjoyed it. Lots of violence (about the mob in England), but good characters, etc.
The production was great, and I also love how they tied a lot of the mysteries in with actual history. I read somewhere that when it first aired in the US they had a commentary segment — either before or after the episode — that outlined the history behind the episode. I was hoping that would be on my DVD set, but it’s not.
I like the men’s outfits in Downton Abbey or Foyle’s War, but the ladies are more glamorous in Downton.
Any setting in which everyone looks tidy is a plus for me. Even people standing in soup lines during the Depression looked good by today’s standards!
(/cranky old lady rant)
There are some Scandinavian shows I watched that I enjoyed.
“Bordertown” is a detective in Finland.
“Occupied” is about Russia taking over Norway’s oil production via EU agreement - and Norway’s resistance to it.
Snaglepuss is that you?
My favorite character in North and South was Kirstie Alley as Virgilia.
Top notch. Watched it twice, kids watched it. But as with everything else produced on film today, it is cynical and aims to take the fight out of you. Take cover.
Totally agree!
Loved your take on each one!
Just wanted to put in a good word for Downton Abbey though. Honestly it’s one of the absolute best series I have ever watched. I was a late adapter to it, binge watching it well after the rest of the world swooned. Binge watching is putting it mildly, as I just could. Not. Stop. Each episode was like an excellent feature film. The costumes are drool worthy. The dialogue, the acting, the sets - you just feel as though you are there, part of all of it. After convincing my mom she needed to treat herself to it, I re-watched every episode so she and I could discuss them the next day, and it was like seeing and being with old friends again. Seriously, do yourself a favor and add it to your list, you will be so glad you did!
Also, not a “classic” per se, but an excellent series (on Prime), was Dickensian. I’m a huge Dickens nerd, and this one season series blended characters from multiple Dickens novels into a murder mystery (which was merely the underlying thread which tied all the characters together in the storyline). Truly excellent! Again, the costumes, settings, incredibly realistic actors - a real treat. I’d recommend adding it to your watchlist too!
Enjoy!
Meanwhile, I am going back through your list to find some to add to my watchlist!
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