15 Period Dramas That Aren't as Soul-Destroying as Outlander Season 1
Even though Starz's Outlander has been a huge hit since it premiered in 2014, it's hard to argue that this time-traveling romantic show is a hard pill to swallow for some fans.
The amount of time the writers waste on romantic subplots immediately alienates fans of the period dramas, who watch the shows for their historical details, not for English nurses falling in love with Scottish highlanders.
In addition, the atmosphere of Outlander is actually quite dark, what with THAT season 1 scene (you know the one). Add to this endless subplots that go nowhere and a slowness that borders on boredom, and it's clear enough: fans of historical dramas deserve better things to do with their time!
Here are 15 period dramas that aren't as dark and heavy as Outlander:
In selecting the shows for this list, we decided to focus on those that share roughly the same historical period as Outlander, as this setting proved to be one of the most endearing to fans of period dramas.
Of course, we also included shows set in other time periods, but all of them share the same basic premise as the Starz show, albeit in a much more interesting and refreshing way.
There are also the aforementioned romance shows, but they spend as much time presenting interesting period details and compelling storylines as they do on romantic trials and tribulations.