Even Reddit Swears By These 20 Underrated Period Dramas

What sets these apart isn't just the period setting or the costumes, which, by the way, are spot on, but the storytelling, the depth of character, and, yeah, the kind of plot twists that leave you hanging more than a cliffhanger on a season finale.

They're the kind you binge-watch, then head to Reddit to dissect every detail, from the accuracy of a Victorian handshake to the way candlelight flickers in an 18th-century drawing room.

1. Harlots (2017-2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

In 18th century London, Margaret Wells struggles to reconcile her roles as brothel owner and mother, aiming to raise her family's status, while battling Lydia Quigley, a rival madam in a cutthroat world where one wrong move can spell disaster.

2. Gentleman Jack (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Anne Lister, a landowner in 19th century Yorkshire, defies the expectations of her time with her ambition, intelligence, and romantic pursuits of women, chronicling her life through detailed diaries that reveal her complex personality and social challenges.

3. Duchess of Duke Street (1976-1977)

In early 20th century London, Louisa Leyton rises from being a servant to the owner of the prestigious Bentinck Hotel, facing personal and professional challenges along her journey to become an acclaimed chef and successful businesswoman.

4. Upstairs Downstairs (2010-2012)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 80%

Set in 1936, this series follows the lives of the wealthy Bellamy family and their servants in a London townhouse, detailing the complex relationships and societal changes that affect both the 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' residents.

5. I Claudius (1976)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

This epic series dramatizes the tumultuous reigns of the Julio-Claudian dynasty in ancient Rome, focusing on the unlikely and reluctant Emperor Claudius, who navigates the deadly politics and betrayals of his family and court.

6. To Serve Them All My Days (1980-1981)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 57%

After surviving the trenches of WWI, David Powlett-Jones becomes a teacher at a prestigious boys' boarding school in England, dealing with personal traumas and the impact of social and political changes on his students and himself.

7. Crimson Petal and the White (2011)

In Victorian London, Sugar, a young prostitute, aspires for a better life, becoming entwined with William Rackham, a perfume magnate, navigating a complex relationship that promises liberation but delivers unexpected complications.

8. The Great (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

A satirical, comedic take on the rise of Catherine the Great, from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler of Russia, depicting her tumultuous marriage to Emperor Peter III and her progressive efforts to bring enlightenment to Russia.

9. 1883 (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

A prequel to "Yellowstone, " this series follows the Dutton family as they embark on a perilous journey through the Great Plains towards the last bastion of untamed America, offering a stark portrayal of Western expansion and the dreams and hardships of early settlers.

10. The White Queen (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

Based on Philippa Gregory's novels, this series dramatizes the Wars of the Roses through the perspectives of three influential women: Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, and Anne Neville, showcasing their roles in the power struggles and their impact on English history.

11. The White Princess (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%

A sequel to "The White Queen," this series focuses on Elizabeth of York, her marriage to Henry VII, and the challenges they face from both external threats and within their own court, striving to unite a divided England.

12. The Tudors (2007-2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

Dramatizing the reign of King Henry VIII, this series focuses on his tumultuous political and personal life, including his marriages and the significant religious, political, and social upheavals of the 16th century England.

13. North & South (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 88%

Against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution in Northern England, Margaret Hale, a southerner, moves to the northern town of Milton, where she clashes and then falls in love with John Thornton, a mill owner, exploring the class divide and labor conflicts.

14. Bleak House (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 83%

Adapted from Charles Dickens' novel, this series centers around the long-running legal case Jarndyce and Jarndyce, which affects the lives of several disparate characters in 19th century England, weaving a tale of love, despair, and intrigue.

15. The Alienist (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

In 1896 New York City, criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler teams up with a newspaper illustrator and a police secretary to investigate a series of gruesome murders of boy prostitutes, utilizing emerging forensic methods and psychological insights.

16. Ripper Street (2012-2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

In the aftermath of the Jack the Ripper murders, Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and his team in the H Division of the London Metropolitan Police fight to restore peace to the streets of Whitechapel, dealing with crimes and challenges in a city still haunted by the infamous killer's legacy.

17. Sanditon (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

Inspired by Jane Austen's unfinished novel, this series follows Charlotte Heywood's adventures in the seaside resort of Sanditon, where she encounters love, friendship, and intrigue, amidst the ambitions of the Parker family to transform the town into a fashionable spa destination.

18. Mr Foyle's War (2002-2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 96%

Set during and after World War II in and around Hastings, Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle seeks justice for crimes related to the war, navigating the moral complexities of the time with integrity and insight.

19. The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Uhtred of Bebbanburg, born a Saxon but raised by Vikings, finds his loyalties tested as he seeks to reclaim his ancestral land and navigate the shifting allegiances between the two cultures during the formation of England.

20. Victoria (2016-2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

This series chronicles the reign of Queen Victoria from her ascension to the throne at the age of 18, through her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, highlighting the political, social, and personal challenges she faced while shaping a dynasty.