Last Updated on February 9, 2023
While some of the titles below may still be available, for a list of the period dramas recently added to Prime Video, head to the dropdown menu at the top of the page that says “New to Streaming” and choose “New on Prime Video.”
We’ve gathered up the period dramas that are newly included with your US Amazon Prime Video membership in March, April, and May 2020.
Then, we share the historical / costume / period dramas that are coming to Prime Video Channels, are available to rent, and movies and TV series in the genre that are being released to DVD this spring.
Finally, we list some newly added non-period movies and series like British shows and romances that you may also like, that are included with your Prime Video membership.
Check this list throughout the spring; we’ll update all the sections (alphabetically) as more titles become available.
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It’s easy to watch the trailers for the films on this list, or add the movies and TV series to your watchlist: just click. This is a US-based list, but if you live in Canada or the UK, you can use our “Add to your WATCHLIST” links to check availability in your country.
From British costume dramas to sweeping romantic epics, there’s a lot here by the end of the season, so to help you keep track: the blue TVs next to the title mean the film is included with your membership, the orange TVs mean it is available to rent or is available with a Prime Video Channel subscription.
Period Dramas Added in March
This section contains newly available historical, costume and period dramas (movies and TV series) that are included with your Prime Video membership.
Agatha Christie: The Pale Horse (2020)
In this British period mini-series from BBC, based on Agatha Christie’s book of the same name, a mysterious list of names is found in the shoe of a dead woman. Antiques dealer Mark Easterbrook is determined to find out why his name is on the list. His investigations lead him to The Pale Horse—the home of a trio of rumored witches. As more people named on the list are found dead, Mark starts to fear for his own life and sanity.
Is this too the work of the witches of The Pale Horse, and does this mean he is next on their list? Or can he find a rational explanation and identify the killer before they catch up with him? Set in 1961 in London and in the picturesque English village of Much Deeping.
Starring Rufus Sewell, Sean Pertwee, Kaya Scodelario, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Bertie Carvel, Rita Tushingham, Sheila Atim, Christopher Bianchi, Madeleine Bowyer, Georgina Campbell.
Rated TV-14
Available March 13, 2020
The Bletchley Circle (Seasons 1 & 2)
Four seemingly ordinary women become the unlikely investigators of a string of grisly murders in this original thriller, set against the backdrop of post-war London.
Starring Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Sophie Rundle.
Rated TV-14
Available March 18
Cantinflas (2014)
The untold story of Mexico’s greatest and most beloved comedy film star of all time, born Mario Moreno in 1911, and known professionally as Cantinflas. From his humble origins on the small stage to the bright lights of Hollywood, Cantinflas became famous around the world – one joke at a time.
The story centers around one week in the career of producer Michael Todd as he tries to cast the 1950s Hollywood film “Around the World in 80 Days,” and how that intersects with Cantinflas.
Starring Óscar Jaenada, Michael Imperioli, Ilse Salas, Bárbara Mori, Ana Layevska, Adal Ramones.
Rated PG
Available March 1, 2020
Ekaterina: The Rise of Catherine the Great (Season 3)
The year is 1774. Russian lands suffer from drought, hunger threatens the nation. Russia finds itself in two conflicts: a war with the Ottoman Empire and a rebellion, led by a self-proclaimed descendant of the Romanovs. In Paris, a princess claims to be the granddaughter of Peter the Great, and threatens to take the Russian throne. As her power withers, can Ekaterina II defeat the pretenders?
Starring Marina Aleksandrova, Vladimir Yaglich, Sergey Koltakov.
Rated 16+
Available March 27, 2020
The Hours (2002)
Spanning across various time periods in the 20th Century, a drama which revolves around three very different women: two of whom have been profoundly affected by the works of Virginia Woolf; the other woman is Woolf, herself. All three are battling with issues of freedom, responsibility and identity. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Ed Harris, Toni Collette, Julianne Moore, Claire Danes.
Rated PG-13
Available March 1
The Restaurant (Season 1)
Season 1 included with Prime until 3/31/2020. Described as the next “Downton Abbey,” this sprawling ensemble drama begins at the end of WWII and runs across two decades, following the ever-changing lives of the Löwander family and the popular restaurant they run.
The Second World War finally comes to an end and a new, brighter future beckons. In the midst of central Stockholm celebrations, two strangers come together with a quick kiss, parting company immediately after. Upper-class girl Nina and kitchen hand Calle don’t yet know that their brief encounter will come to have tumultuous consequences.
Starring Suzanne Reuter, Mattias Nordkvist, Adam Lundgren, Hedda Stiernstedt.
Not rated but contains nudity and sexual situations.
Available March 1
Richard The Lionheart (2013)
The aging King Henry II has chosen his son Richard to lead England in the coming war against France.
To test Richard’s loyalty, honor and skill, Henry sends him to a hellish prison in which the captives must fight a never-ending stream of enemies in order to survive. As Richard overcomes each new challenger, his strength, ingenuity and character are proven, and the legend of Richard the Lionheart – the chivalrous and brave medieval king – is born.
Starring Burton Anthony Perez, Chandler Maness, Malcolm McDowell, Stewart Arnold.
Rated R for violence and some sexuality/nudity
Available March 1, 2020
Snowy River – The McGregor Saga (1994)
This Australian adventure drama television series based on Banjo Paterson’s poem The Man from Snowy River has no relationship to the 1982 film “The Man from Snowy River” or its sequel. This series takes place in Paterson’s Ridge, a small town set in the mountains near Melbourne, during the late 19th century. It tells the story of Matt McGregor, one of the richest and most influential man in town, as well as widower father of three children: Colin, who’s the town preacher, Rob and Danni, the tomboy youngest daughter. Unresolved sexual tension comes in the shape of Matt’s childhood independent, free-spirited friend, the recently widowed Kathleen O’Neil, who’s returned to Paterson’s Ridge with her son after having spent many years in England.
Starring Andrew Clarke, Brett Climo, Guy Pierce, Sheryl Munks, Wendy Hughes.
Rated TV-PG
Available March 6
Twin Rivers (2007)
Set in 1939 Australia, two brothers embark on a 500 mile journey on foot across New South Wales following a dream. A chance encounter with a fellow traveller changes the course of their journey and ultimately, the course of their lives.
Starring Darren Holmes, Matthew Holmes, Joshua Jaeger.
Rated 16+
Available March 14
Wish You Well (2013)
A young girl and her brother come of age at their great grandmother’s house in Virginia during the 1940s. After a family tragedy, a young girl moves from New York with your younger brother to live with their great grandmother on a Virginia farm and comes closer to understanding the land and roots that inspired her father’s writings while discovering herself, the love of family, and the power of truly believing.
Starring Ellen Burstyn, Mackenzie Foy, Josh Lucas, Ned Bellamy.
Family friendly
Available March 16
The following period dramas are also newly available and included with your Prime membership this March. Click on the titles for more information, to watch trailers where available, and to start streaming full movies or episodes:
Available March 1: Silent Tongue (1993), Once Upon a Time in Deadwood (2019), Thousand Pieces of Gold (1991). Available March 3: Agora (2009). Available March 6: The Young Warriors (2006). Available March 10: Greaser’s Palace (1972). Available March 13: Love and Death (1975). Available March 14: A La Vie (2016). Available March 16: Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014). Available March 21: Evelyn (2002), Shackleton’s Captain (2012). Available March 26: Legend of Si Ma Yi (2017). Available March 31: Rob Roy (1995), The Night of the Hunter (1955).
Also see the list of Period Dramas Added to Prime this past Winter.
Period Dramas Added in April
This section contains newly available historical, costume and period dramas (movies and TV series) that are included with your Prime Video membership.
The Black Stallion (1979)
An unforgettable family movie about a boy who forges a special friendship with a wild stallion after both are shipwrecked on a deserted island. Not just for kids, the 1946-set heartwarming adventure was adapted from the beloved novel by Walter Farley. A must-see!
Starring Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr, Kelly Reno, Clarence Muse, Hoyt Axton, Michael Higgins.
Rated G
Available April 1
Foyle’s War (Season 1)
*Season 1 included with Prime until 4/30* Michael Kitchen stars as Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Foyle in this original PBS Masterpiece Theatre mystery series. Set in the beautiful southern English countryside amid the disorder and danger of World War II, “Foyle’s War” takes place far from the glory of the front.
Starring Edward Fox, Dominic Mafham, Robert Hardy. Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell, Joanna Kanska.
Available April 1
Invisible Life (2019)
Two sisters born in Rio de Janeiro make their way through life, each mistakenly believing the other is living out her dreams half a world away.
In Rio de Janeiro in1950, Eurídice, 18, and Guida, 20, are two inseparable sisters living at home with their conservative parents. Although immersed in a traditional life, each one nourishes a dream: Eurídice of becoming a renowned pianist, Guida of finding true love. In a dramatic turn, they are separated by their father and forced to live apart. They take control of their separate destinies, while never giving up hope of finding each other. A tropical melodrama from the director of Madame Satã.
Starring Julia Stockler, Carol Duarte, Flávia Gusmão, António Fonseca.
Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and some drug use.
Available April 3, 2020
Lady Macbeth (2016)
In 19th-century rural England, a young bride who has been sold into marriage discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate.
Newly married to a rich industrialist, Katherine finds herself confined to the house and starved of companionship. Forced to spend her days in endless tedium, when her husband is called away to one of his collieries she begins a passionate and fiery relationship with a young groom from the estate, beginning a conflict with her stern and unforgiving family that will end in tragedy.
Starring Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton, Naomi Ackie, Christopher Fairbank.
Rated R for some disturbing violence, strong sexuality/nudity, and language.
Available April 10
The Lighthouse (2019)
From visionary filmmaker Robert Egger, the period drama follows Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe in a hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers fighting each other for survival and sanity on a remote and mysterious New England islands in the 1890s.
Starring Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Valeriia Karaman, Logan Hawkes.
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, violence, disturbing images, and some language.
Available April 16, 2020
Moll Flanders (1996)
The daughter of a thief, young Moll is placed in the care of a nunnery after the execution of her mother. However, the actions of an abusive Priest lead Moll to rebel as a teenager, escaping to the dangerous streets of London.
Further misfortunes drive her to accept a job as a prostitute from the conniving Mrs. Allworthy. It is there that Moll first meets Hibble, who is working as Allworthy’s servant, but takes a special interest in the young woman’s well-being. With his help, she retains hope for the future, ultimately falling in love with an unconventional artist who promises the possibility of romantic happiness.
Starring Robin Wright, Morgan Freeman, Stockard Channingm John Lynch, Geraldine James.
Rated PG-13
Available April 4
Mr. Selfridge (Season 1)
*Season 1 included with Prime until 4/30* Jeremy Piven stars in this PBS Masterpiece series as a brash American who shows early 1900s Londoners how to shop. Based on the life of colorful retail magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge, the series was created by Emmy Award-winning writer Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Sanditon, Bleak House). Who knew shopping could be like this!
Starring Jeremy Piven, Frances O’Connor, Aisling Loftus, Amanda Abbington, Ron Cook.
Available April 1
The following period dramas are also newly available and included with your Prime membership this April. Click on the titles for more information, to watch trailers where available, and to start streaming full movies or episodes:
Available April 1: Gods And Monsters (1999), Mutiny (1952), The Son of Monte Cristo (1940), Tarzan The Fearless (1933), The Brothers Grimm (2005), The Homesman (2014), The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), Alexander the Great (1956). Available April 4: Angela’s Ashes (2000), Mississippi Burning (1988), The Miracle Worker (1962). Available April 8: Capote (2005), Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha (2015). Available April 15: Legends of the Fall (1994), Jungle Book (1942). Available April 18: Black Book (2006). Available April 21: Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941). Available April 23: Copying Beethoven (2006).
Period Dramas Added in May
This section contains newly available historical, costume and period dramas (movies and TV series) that are included with your Prime Video membership.
The Dresser (1983)
During World War II, the lives and relationships of those within a British traditional touring stage company provide the backdrop for the five-time Oscar nominee, “The Dresser” (Best Picture; Best Actor; Best supporting Actor; Best Director; Best Screenplay Adaptation).
In this compelling study of the intense relationship between the leader of the company and his dresser, Sir, a grandiloquent old man of the theater, has given his soul to his career, but his tyrannical rule over the company is now beginning to crack under the strain of age and illness as he prepares for his two-hundred-twenty-seventh performance of King Lear.
Sir’s fastidious and fiercely dedicated dresser, Norman, submits to Sir’s frequently unreasonable demands, tends to his health and reminds him of what role he is currently playing. The two men are essential to each other’s life. This is a film rich in comedy, compassion and love for theater.
Starring Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Edward Fox, Zena Walker.
Rated PG
Available May 14
Dark Eyes (1987)
Adapted from Anton Chekhov’s short stories, this BAFTA-nominated 19th century set film recounts the life of a poor middle-aged Italian architect named Romano who marries Elisa, a wealthy Russian aristocrat. On one of his frequent trips on board a steamer to a health spa in Russia, he tells the story of his life to a Russian man.
He narrates his encounter with Anna, a young Russian lady with dark beautiful eyes, their brief romantic interlude and his sudden abandonment. Haunted by the memory of that lady, Romano travels to Russia to find her. Also known as “Oci ciornie.”
Rated 13+
Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Elena Safonova, Martha Keller.
Available May 31
The Durrells in Corfu (Season 4)
Based on naturalist Gerald Durrell’s much-loved trilogy of novels and shown on PBS Masterpiece, “The Durrells in Corfu” sees impoverished but sparky widow Louisa Durrell make the radical decision to leave 1930s England to seek out a new destiny for her family.
The future’s looking bright for the eccentric Durrells, as we catch up with their lives on the beautiful island of Corfu in the fourth and final season.
Starring Keeley Hawes, Josh O’Connor, Milo Parker.
Rated TV-14
Available May 3
The Go-Between (1971)
Based on the novel by L.P. Hartley and set in the English countryside, the turn-of-the-century romantic drama recounts the secret love affair between a beautiful heiress, Marion, and the poor tenant farmer, Ted Burgess. The “go-between” in the romance between Marion and Ted is a twelve-year-old boy who unwittingly allows himself to be used as their message bearer.
Starring Julie Christie, Dominic Guard, Alan Bates, Margaret Leighton.
Rated PG
Available May 22
The Living and the Dead (2016)
A BBC mini-series. When Nathan Appleby, a pioneering psychologist, inherits Shepzoy House in a beautiful but isolated Somerset valley, he decides to make a new life for himself and his adored wife, Charlotte. But soon the idyll is compromised by strange and disturbing occurrences that all seem to inexplicably swirl around the increasingly troubled Nathan.Is he being haunted? Why? And by whom?
Starring Colin Morgan, Charlotte Spencer, Malcolm Storry, Kerrie Hayes.
Rated TV-14
Available May 20
The Lover (1992)
In the 1920s a young French girl meets an important Chinese diplomat on the boat down the Mekong river.He is immediately attracted to her and she in turn does not hesitate long before offering the seducer her innocence. She tells him she wants nothing of his money and finally persuades him. But upon her return to France she realizes that in truth she was voluntarily caught.
Starring Jane March, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Melvil Poupaud, Lisa Faulkner, Arnaud Giovaninetti.
Rated 16+
Available May 28
The Man in the Moon (1991)
The heartwarming coming-of-age film set in the 1950s stars Reese Witherspoon as a 14-year-old girl who gets her first difficult lesson in love.
Maureen Trant and her younger sibling Dani share a strong connection, but local boy Court Foster threatens to throw their bond off balance. Dani and Court meet first and have a flirtatious rapport — but when he meets Maureen, he falls hard and they begin a passionate affair. The new couple try to keep their love hidden from Dani, but she soon learns the truth, disavowing her sister. But a heartbreaking accident later reunites the girls.
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sam Waterston, Tess Harper.
Rated PG-13
Available May 1
Neckan (2015)
The story takes place in April 1956, when the Spanish presence in northern Morocco ends. Santiago, a young Spanish lawyer, son of an influential family in Spain, arrives in Tetouan, the capital of the Protectorate. His mission appears to be to find a family and a house, but his fate will dig into a past that no one wants to relive.
Starring Pablo Rivero, Natalia Plascencia, Hermann Bonnin.
Not rated
Available May 4
Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)
The rise and fall of the last of the Russian Romanovs; an epic tale of the last years of Russia’s Romanov dynasty, from the birth of Prince Alexis in 1904 until the family’s execution in 1918. From their lavish wedding, to involvement of the mystical holy man, Rasputin, the Czar and Czarina of Russia are out of touch with their people. This gives way to the rise of Lenin and Trotsky who sow the seeds of revolution thus sealing the Russian royal family’s doom. Academy Award for Best Production Design, Academy Award for Best Costume Design winner.
Starring Michael Jayston, Janet Suzman, Roderic Noble, Ania Marson, Lynne Frederick, Candace Glendenni.
Rated PG
Available May 20
Oliver Twist (2007)
The adventures of the orphaned Oliver Twist in Victorian London as adapted in a mini-series by the BBC.
On a dark and stormy winter’s night in a miserable, dank room, lit only by a few candles, Oliver is born into a life of poverty and misfortune. Growing up in a workhouse, watching the suffering and cruelty endured by the boys at the hands of his masters, Oliver decides he wants more and sets out for London. There he meets the Artful Dodger, Nancy, Fagin and gets the first warm welcome of his life.
Starring Morven Christie, Anna Massey, Tom Hardy, Timothy Spall, Edward Fox, Gregor Fisher.
Rated TV-PG
Available May 12
Poldark (Season 5)
The fifth and final season of the beloved British historical drama set in the late 1700s in Cornwall, England, shown on PBS Masterpiece, and based on the novels of the same title by Winston Graham.
Following the death of Elizabeth, Ross Poldark resolves to put Westminster behind him. But when an old friend begs for help, Ross must challenge the establishment again, drawing the Poldarks into greater danger than ever before.
Starring Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ellise Chappell, Tim Dutton, Beatie Edney, Jack Farthing.
Rated TV-14
Available May 17
Rocketman (2019)
Young Reginald Dwight grows up in 1950s Britain, raised by his unaffectionate mother, Sheila, and more loving grandmother Ivy. Reginald begins piano lessons, making his way into the Royal Academy of Music, and eventually changes his name to Elton John and collaborates with singer-songwriter Bernie Taupin to become one of the most iconic figures in pop history. Set to his most beloved songs, it’s the epic musical story of Elton John, his breakthrough years in the 1970s and his fantastical transformation from shy piano prodigy to international superstar.
Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard.
Rated R for language throughout, some drug use and sexual content
Available May 22
Seaside Hotel (Season 1)
*Season 1 included with Prime until 5/31*
“Seaside Hotel” (Badehotellet) is the story about the guests and staff at a beach hotel by the North Sea sand dunes. At the heart of the story is the lives of three young people, the chambermaid Fie, the merchant’s daughter Amanda, and the local fisherman Morten. Their fates are intertwined, and their stories are about emancipating themselves from the plans other people have made on their behalf, the attempts on social ascent, and about losing and finding oneself on the way. The series is inspired by the way of life at the many seaside hotels of the past, and reflects our own time with its mixture of financial crisis, denial, and dreams of happiness.
The story takes place in the years 1928-33 where the world is falling apart. The characters will go through tears and laughter in the captivating journey that takes place as times change from optimism to crisis. It’s a multi-plot-series that dynamically shifts between upstairs and downstairs, and between seriousness and humour.
Starring Ole Thestrup, Bodil Jorgensen, Rosalinde Mynster.
Rated TV-MA
Available May 1
Seberg (2020)
Inspired by true events about the French New Wave darling and Breathless star, Jean Seberg – this noir-ish thriller by Benedict Andrews shows the unraveling and destruction of Seberg’s life and career when Hoover’s 1960’s FBI targets her with overreaching surveillance and harassment in an effort to suppress and discredit her activism and support of the civil rights movement.
Starring Kristen Stewart, Jack O’Connell, Margaret Qualley, Zazie Beetz, Zazie Beetz, Stephen Root.
Rated R for language, sexual content/nudity and some drug use
Available May 15
Sisters of War (2010)
The lives of two Australian women, Lorna Whyte, an army nurse, and Sister Berenice Twohill, a Catholic nun, from New South Wales during World War II.
As WWII rages, a group of Australian nurses and Catholic nuns on a Pacific island become Japanese prisoners of war. Based on real events, this riveting film is a tale of strength, survival, and forgiveness in the most harrowing times.
Starring Sarah Snook, Claire van der Boom, Susie Porter.
Rated 13+
Available May 17
The Spirit of Christmas (2015)
Not exactly period but very light and cute involving a romance with a man from the turn of the century.
12 days before Christmas, Kate is trying to close the sale of a historic inn, only to find Daniel, the ghost of a man who died a century ago, and he needs her help to unravel the mystery of his annual holiday haunting. As they work together, Kate can’t help but fall for this dashing Christmas spirit, and a romance develops that will alter the course of both their lives.
Starring Jen Lilley, Thomas Beaudoin, Kati Salowsky.
Rated PG
Available May 5
The Story of Adele H (1975)
François Truffaut’s intense look at the obsessive love that drives a woman to destruction stars Isabelle Adjani as Adèle, daughter of Victor Hugo, whose obsession with a n’er-do-well soldier causes her to descend into madness.
Starring Isabelle Adjani, Bruce Robinson, Sylvia Marriott.
Rated PG
Available May 19
The Winslow Boy (1999)
When a young boy claims he was expelled for something he didn’t do, his father sacrifices everything to defend his family’s honor. The British costume drama is set in the early 1900s and based on Terence Rattigan’s celebrated play, adapted and directed by David Mamet.
Starring Guy Edwards, Nigel Hawthorne, Gemma Jones, Jeremy Northam, Rebecca Pidgeon.
Rated G
Available May 19
The following period dramas are also newly available and included with your Prime membership this May. Click on the titles for more information, to watch trailers where available, and to start streaming full movies or episodes:
Available May 1: Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Act of Will (1989), Bonanza (Season 1), House of D (2005), Revolution 1917 (2020). Available May 2: Act of Will (1989). Available May 3: The Cat’s Meow (2001). Available May 4: Cattle Queen of Montana (1954). Available May 6: Hanover Street (1979). Available May 8: Guernica (2016). Available May 9: Stand-Ins (1997), April Morning (1988). Available May 29: The Vast of Night (2020). Available May 14: Cromwell (1970). Available May 16: Old Gringo (1989). Available May 17: When We Go To War (2015). Available May 19: Dangerous Liaisons (2012) – this adaptation is set in 1930s Shanghai. Available May 20: The Conspirator (2011), The Great Gatsby (1974). Available May 21: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Road to Perdition (2002), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003), The Red Violin (1998), Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2003), The White Countess (2005). Available May 24: The Hidden Rebellion (2016). Available May 25: Moliere (2007). Available May 28: La Sciantosa (1971).
Also see Edible History (Seasons 1 &2): Hannah Hart embarks on a quest to learn about and recreate the historic recipes of her favorite foods with one caveat: she must use as many period-correct tools and techniques as possible. Will older necessarily mean better? and the British sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo!: A French café owner tries to ride out World War II. Caught between the Gestapo and the Resistance and forced into working with both, René also struggles to hide evidence of his affairs with the waitresses from his wife, who, though she can’t carry a tune, frequently performs as a singer in the cafe. 4 seasons of the BBC series are included with Prime.
Period Dramas New to Prime Video Channels
This section contains period dramas added in March, April, and May (movies and TV series) that are included with add-on Prime Video Channels. If you don’t already subscribe to the channel, follow the link below the film description that says “Available …” to sign up for a free trial.
Beecham House (2019)
From award-winning filmmaker Gurinder Chadha (Bride and Prejudice), “Beecham House” is a six-part drama, taking place in 19th century India at the start of the British Empire, that explores the life of the mysterious John Beecham, a former East India Company employee who buys an imposing mansion in Delhi. Starring Tom Bateman (Vanity Fair, Jekyll and Hyde) as John, Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) as his mother Henrietta Beecham and Leo Suter (Sanditon) as his brother Daniel, “Beecham House” follows the twists and turns, and complex relationships of John and those that surrounded and live in the mansion with him.
Starring Tom Bateman, Lesley Nicol, Leo Suter, Gregory Fitoussi, Adil Ray, Pallavi Sharda, Dakota Blue Richards, Bessie Carter, Viveik Kalra, Marc Warren.
Available March 1, 2020 with PBS Masterpiece Channel
Belgravia (Season 1)
The period drama follows events decades later when the emerging nouveau riche, including the Trenchard family, rub shoulders with London’s established upper classes, and when secrets from the past threaten to emerge.
Starring Tamsin Greig, Philip Glenister, Harriet Walter, Jack Shalloo, Tom Wilkinson.
Available April 12 with Epix Channel
Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood (2019)
Actor Rick Dalton gained fame and fortune by starring in a 1950s television Western, but is now struggling to find meaningful work in a Hollywood that he doesn’t recognize anymore. He spends most of his time drinking and palling around with Cliff Booth, his easygoing best friend and longtime stunt double. Rick also happens to live next door to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate — the filmmaker and budding actress whose futures will forever be altered by members of the Manson Family.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Dakota Fanning.
Rated R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references
Available March 27 with STARZ Channel
Seaside Hotel (Season 4)
It is the summer of 1931. The newspapers are filled with stories of bankruptcy and world crisis. It is a difficult time, but that does not seem to interfere with Andersen’s hotel guests who, once again, packed their bags to spend their vacation at the Seaside Hotel. Fie is now in charge of the hotel and feels obligated to help her younger, rebellious teenage sister with a summer job after she was fired from her last one.
The actor, Weyse’s career is taking off and he has decided to seek shelter from the publicity at the hotel which he may come to regret, as his ex-wife arrives along with Sophus Poulsen, who is Weyse’s archenemy in the industry. Merchant Madsen has still set his sights upon Count Ditmar’s lucrative estates in Copenhagen and tries to gather the required amount of money before Ditmar sells to other buyers. And when Count Ditmar’s mother and German cousin Mitzi move into the hotel, Mr. Aurland is concerned that the ongoing situation in Germany has influenced the new guest, Mitzi, which may cause trouble at the hotel.
Starring Ole Thestrup, Bodil Jorgensen, Rosalinde Mynster.
Available April 3 with PBS Masterpiece Channel.
The Windermere Children (2020)
This unprecedented dramatization is based on the true story of the 300 children who were saved from the Nazi concentration camps after the liberation of World War II. Child psychologist Oscar Friedmann (Kretschamann), art therapist Marie Paneth (Garai), philanthropist Leonard Montefiore (McInnerny) and sports coach Jock Lawrence (Glen), have been given the task of looking after the children once they arrive.
By the lake, the children learn English, play football, ride bikes, express their trauma through painting and begin to heal. Some locals taunt them, but they are embraced by others. Ultimately alone, the children are haunted by nightmares and hope for news about the families they left behind. When news does come, it isn’t good. The children find support, love and family in each other learning that blood isn’t the only thing that makes a family.
“The Windermere Children” is the stark, moving and ultimately redemptive story of the bonds the children make with one another, and of how the friendships forged at Windermere will sustain them as they rebuild their lives in the UK.
Starring Thomas Kretschmann, Romola Garai, Tim McInnerny, Iain Glen.
Available April 5 with PBS Masterpiece Channel
World on Fire (Season 1)
Taking place during the first year of the war, “World on Fire” follows the intertwining fates of ordinary people in four countries, Britain, Poland, France, and Germany as they grapple with the effects the war has on their everyday lives. A new episode will debut every Sunday following April 5. On May 17 fans of the series can binge watch it in its entirety.
Starring Helen Hunt, Sean Bean, Lesley Manville, Blake Harrison.
Available April 5 with PBS Masterpiece Channel
Period Dramas Newly Available to Rent
This section contains historical, costume and period dramas (movies and TV series) that are newly available to rent on Amazon this season.
1917 (2019)
Director Sam Mendes brings his singular vision to this World War I epic. Two British soldiers must cross enemy territory and deliver a timely message to stop a deadly attack.
Starring George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch.
Rated R
Available March 10
Anne with an E (Season 1)
The adventures of a young orphan girl living at the turn of the century. Follow Anne as she learns to navigate her new life on Prince Edward Island, in this new take on L.M. Montgomery’s classic novels about Anne of Green Gables.
Starring Amybeth McNulty, Geraldine James, R.H. Thomson, Dalila Bela.
Rated TV-PG
Available April 30
The Call of the Wild (2020)
Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail delivery dog sled team–and later its leader–Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime, ultimately finding his true place in the world and becoming his own master.
Starring Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Cara Gee.
Rated PG
Available March 26
Call the Midwife (Season 9)
The medics and midwives of Nonnatus House are entering a bold and innovative era. They face unexpected challenges as the population shifts, rules change, and old diseases come back to haunt them. Meanwhile, their own experiences are fueled by love, loss, and doubt. And the very future of Nonnatus House comes under threat.
Starring Linda Bassett, Stephen McGann, Annabelle Apsion.
Rated TV-14
Available March 23
The Current War (2019)
The rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse as they race to power the nation.
Edison and Westinghouse — the greatest inventors of the industrial age — engage in a battle of technology and ideas that will determine whose electrical system will power the new century. Backed by J.P. Morgan, Edison dazzles the world by lighting Manhattan. But Westinghouse, aided by Nikola Tesla, sees fatal flaws in Edison’s direct current design. Westinghouse and Tesla bet everything on risky and dangerous alternating current.
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Katherine Waterston.
Rated PG-13
Available March 31
Emma (2020)
Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending is reimagined in this delicious new film adaptation of Emma.
Following the antics of a young woman, Emma Woodhouse, who lives in Georgian- and Regency-era England and occupies herself with matchmaking – in sometimes misguided, often meddlesome fashion- in the lives of her friends and family.
Starring Johnny Flynn, Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Nighy.
Rated PG
Available March 20
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron star in this bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, the film is directed by exciting new filmmaker, Michael Gracey, with songs by Academy Award® Winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Rated PG
Available March 7
Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the timeless and beloved story by Louisa May Alcott of four sisters each determined to live life on their own terms in the time surrounding the Civil War.
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, Florence Pugh.
Rated PG
Available March 10
The following period dramas are also newly available to rent. Click on the titles for more information, to watch trailers where available, and to start streaming full movies or episodes:
Available March 3: Winchester (2018): San Jose, California, 1906. Isolated in her labyrinthine mansion, eccentric firearm heiress Sarah Winchester ( Helen Mirren) believes that she is being haunted by the souls of those killed by the guns manufactured by her company.
Available March 15: A Hidden Life (2019): Based on real events, this is the story of an unsung hero, Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II.
Available April 7: The Windermere Children (2020): Written by Simon Block, this powerful and uplifting drama is based on an extraordinary, untold true story of hope in the aftermath of the Holocaust.
Available April 8: The Seagull (2018): At a picturesque lakeside estate, a love triangle unfolds between the legendary diva Irina, her lover Boris, and the ingénue Nina. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Corey Stoll, Elisabeth Moss.
Available April 15: Little Dorrit (1987): Charles Dickens’ tale of a girl who fights her way out of a debtors’ prison and into society. Part 1 follows her early life, her education, and her strength as those around her grab for quick riches instead of lasting love. The conclusion of Dicken’s classic tale of the strength of the human spirit in a world of impossible odds; in part 2, Little Dorrit cements her love for a young man, and helps him overcome the deceit of his adopted mother. Starring Sarah Pickering, Derek Jacobi, Alex Guinness, Joan Greenwood. Part 1, and Part 2.
Available April 17: Alone in Berlin (2017): In this WWII thriller, Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson are courageous parents driven to an extraordinary act of resistance against the Nazi regime. Based on true events.
Available April 15: Mary Shelley (2018): The torrid true-life tale of how a passionate love affair fueled the creation of trailblazing writer Mary Shelley’s Gothic masterwork, Frankenstein. Elle Fanning stars.
Available April 17: Velvet (Seasons 1 & 2): Spain’s blockbuster TV series takes you to the golden age of haute couture – late 1950s Madrid – where silk, sensuality and seduction flourish in a clothing emporium where everyone would like to shop at least once. What shoppers don’t see, however, is the tender love story unfolding in the Galleries between humble dressmaker, Ana, and Alberto, the owner’s son.
Available April 18: North and South (1985): Two West Point military academy cadets that form a bond of friendship strong enough to survive the forces leading to the United States’ Civil War.
Available April 18: Queen of the Desert (2015): Nicole Kidman plays explorer, diplomat and “female Lawrence of Arabia” Gertrude Bell in the Werner Herzog-directed true story of a woman who defied all convention.
Available April 25: Promise at Dawn (2017): From his childhood in Poland to his adolescence in Nice to his years as a student in Paris and his tough training as a pilot during World War II, this tragi-comedy tells the romantic story of Romain Gary, one of the most famous French novelists and sole writer to have won the Goncourt Prize for French literature two times.
Available April 25: Robert the Bruce (2019): King Robert the Bruce is injured and on the run from the English army. On the brink of defeat, a widow and her family nurse him back to health and join The Bruce as he sets out to claim the long-awaited freedom of Scotland.
Available April 29: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982): During the French Revolution, a mysterious English nobleman known only as The Scarlet Pimpernel (a humble wayside flower), snatches French aristos from the jaws of the guillotine, while posing as the foppish Sir Percy Blakeney in society. Percy falls for and marries the beautiful actress Marguerite St. Just, but she is involved with Chauvelin and Robespierre, and Percy’s marriage to her may endanger the Pimpernel’s plans to save the little Dauphin.
Available 30: The Girl King (2015): A portrait of the brilliant, extravagant Kristina of Sweden, queen from age six, who fights the conservative forces that are against her ideas to modernize Sweden and who have no tolerance for her awakening sexuality.
Available May 7: Vatel (2000): Starring Uma Thurman, Gerard Depardieu and Tim Roth, “Vatel” is based on the true story of an ordinary man, a decadent king and the woman caught between them! In the west of France, Prince de Conde has a scheme to save his bankrupt province: he’ll regain the favor of King Louis XIV with a weekend of spectacle and merriment.
Available May 27: Barkskins (2020): Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx, “Barkskins” follows a disparate group of outcasts and dreamers battling to escape their pasts while navigating the brutal frontier hardships, competing interests and tangled loyalties at the crossroads of civilization: the New World.
New Period Drama DVD Releases in Spring 2020
This section contains a selection of historical, costume, and period dramas that are being released this season to DVD and Blu-ray.
1917: At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them. Read our REVIEW Available HERE March 24, 2020
A Ben of All Trades: For children. Young Benjamin Franklin wants to be a sailor, but his father won’t hear of it. He tries the trades of candle maker, joiner, boot closer, and turner, which bore him. Curious and inventive, Ben prefers to read, swim, fly his kite, and fly his kite while swimming. But each time he fails to find a profession, he takes some important bit of knowledge with him, leading him to become the astonishingly versatile genius we remember today. Inspired by The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Michael J. Rosen’s wry tale captures Ben’s spirit in evocative yet playful language. Available HERE March 17, 2020
Agatha and the Truth of Murder: Based on Agatha Christie’s eleven-day disappearance in 1926, the period mystery follows a young Agatha Christie as she attempts to solve a real-life murder. When the god-daughter and namesake of Florence Nightingale is found murdered on a train with horrific head injuries, the public outcry and subsequent investigation fail to catch the killer. Driven to distraction by the lack of progress and the failure of the police, Florence’s partner of 26 years, Mabel Rogers, begins her own investigation. Mabel identifies a number of suspects, but cannot find any definitive proof which will expose the murderer. At her wits’ end, she makes an appeal to the creator of Poirot. Read our REVIEW Available HERE April 20, 2020
Call the Midwife: Season Nine: The medics and midwives of Nonnatus House are entering a bold and innovative era. They face unexpected challenges as the population shifts, rules change, and old diseases come back to haunt them. Meanwhile, their own experiences are fueled by love, loss, and doubt. And the very future of Nonnatus House comes under threat. Available HERE May 19, 2020
The Current War: Director’s Cut: The epic story of the cutthroat competition that literally lit up the modern world. Benedict Cumberbatch is Thomas Edison, the celebrity inventor on the verge of bringing electricity to Manhattan with his new DC technology. On the eve of triumph, his plans are upended by charismatic businessman George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), who believes he and his partner, Nikolai Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), have a superior idea for how to rapidly electrify America: with AC current. As Edison and Westinghouse grapple for who will power the nation, they spark one of the first and greatest corporate feuds in American history. Available HERE March 31, 2020
Emma.: Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending is reimagined in this delicious new film adaptation of Emma. Handsome, clever and rich, Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a restless “queen bee” without rivals in her sleepy little English town. In this glittering satire of social class, Emma must navigate her way through the challenges of growing up, misguided matches and romantic missteps to realize the love that has been there all along. Available HERE May 19, 2020
Jamestown: The Complete Collection: From the makers of “Downton Abbey” comes the story of the first British settlers in America. For 12 years, Jamestown has been populated by men, but the settlement is thrown into disarray when the first women, including Alice, Verity and Jocelyn, arrive in this land of hope and opportunity. Read our REVIEW Available HERE March 10, 2020
Little Women: Writer-director Greta Gerwig has crafted a “Little Women” that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author’s alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig’s take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on their own terms – is both timeless and timely. Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, with Timothée Chalamet as their neighbor Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March. Read our REVIEW Available HERE April 7, 2020
Love Among the Ruins (Remastered): A romantic comedy-drama starring screen legends Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier. Made for television, “Love Among the Ruins” was a precious one-time-only collaboration between stars Hepburn and Olivier. The scene is Victorian London, where wealthy widow Hepburn is being sued for breach of promise by her much-younger ex-fiancé. Olivier is the highly respected barrister engaged to defend Hepburn in court. The usually reserved Olivier relishes the opportunity to see Hepburn, who 40 years earlier had been his lover. He is driven to hilarious distraction by Hepburn’s adamant insistence that she has never seen him before in her life. Winner of 6 Emmy Awards. Available HERE April 21, 2020
Show Boat (The Criterion Collection): Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s immortal musical adaptation of Edna Ferber’s sprawling novel receives its most faithful and enduring cinematic adaptation under the elegant direction of James Whale. A rich portrait of changing American entertainment traditions and race relations, “Show Boat” spans four decades and three generations as it follows the fortunes of the stage-struck Magnolia (Irene Dunne), an aspiring actor whose journey takes her from her family’s humble floating playhouse in the 1880s South to the height of fame in the 1930s North. The cast of show-business legends includes Helen Morgan, Hattie McDaniel, Charles Winninger, and the great Paul Robeson, whose iconic, soul-shaking rendition of “Ol’ Man River” is one of the crowning glories of the American stage and screen. Available HERE March 31, 2020
Vienna Blood: This thrilling crime period drama shown on PBS, from acclaimed screenwriter Steve Thompson (Sherlock), is set in 1900s Vienna a hot bed of philosophy, science and art, where a clash of cultures and ideas collide in the city’s grand cafes and opera houses. Read more about it Available HERE March 3, 2020
When Calls The Heart: Finding Home: It’s Christmastime at Hope Valley! The residents of the town are coming together for the holidays, while also overcoming challenging obstacles. Available HERE March 3, 2020
World on Fire: This PBS period drama is an adrenalized, emotionally gripping and resonant World War II drama that follows the intertwining fates of ordinary people in five countries as they grapple with the effects of the war on their everyday lives. Set in Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States, the events of the seven-hour series take place during the first year of the war. Read more about it Available HERE April 21, 2020
Wuthering Heights: Recently re-discovered 1958 televised adaptation starring Rosemary Harris and Richard Burton, which aired on CBS, as part of the series “DuPont Show of the Month.” Mistreated foundling Heathcliff and Catherine fall in love, but she marries a wealthy man, Edgar Linton so Heathcliff becomes obsessed with getting revenge. Nor can he satiate his thirst for revenge, manifested through his own loveless marriage to Edgar’s sister Isabella. In this television adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, realism and gothic symbolism combine to form a romance novel that’s full of social relevance. Follow the self-destructive journey of Heathcliff as he seeks revenge for losing his soul mate, Catherine, to Edgar Linton. Themes — such as good versus evil, chaos and order, selfishness, betrayal, and obsession — intertwine as the story unfolds. A symbolic and psychological study of the nature of love. Available HERE May 12, 2020
Other Shows You May Also Like
This section contains a curated list of movies and TV series new and are included on Prime, that are NOT period dramas. We think fans of historical and costume dramas will enjoy them just the same. Follow the links to watch the trailers. You may also like:
Patrick Melrose (2018)
Set over five decades from the 1960s to the early 2000s, the son of an aristocratic English family seeks redemption and recovery. Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this harrowing and humorous five-part SHOWTIME limited series. Based on the acclaimed novels by Edward St. Aubyn, the limited series tracks Patrick from a deeply traumatic childhood in the South of France, through substance abuse in his twenties in New York and, ultimately, toward recovery back home in Britain.
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hugo Weaving, Pip Torrens, Jessica Raine, Sebastian Maltz.
Rated TV-MA
Available March 1
Also available:
Available March 1: Deck The Halls (2011): Based on the book by bestselling mystery author Mary Higgins Clark comes this holiday whodunit. A female detective teams up with an amateur sleuth to find her missing father.
Available March 1: Eyes Of An Angel (1991): John Travolta is a downtrodden single father raising his daughter under difficult circumstances in Chicago. The young girl comes upon and then nurses a wounded Doberman used for fighting, back to health. Duped by underworld types he was working as a courier for, father and daughter leave the dog and flee cross-country to Los Angeles with both canine and mobsters in pursuit.
Available March 1: Henry’s Crime (2010): Released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit, an ex-con targets the same bank he was sent away for robbing. Starring an ensemble cast including Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga and James Caan.
Available March 2: This Beautiful Fantastic (2016): Set against the backdrop of a beautiful London garden, this contemporary fairy tale centers on the unlikely friendship between a reclusive young woman who dreams of writing children’s books and a cranky widower. Facing eviction over her neglected garden, Bella (Jessica Brown Findlay) meets her grumpy, loveless, next-door neighbor (Tom Wilkinson), who happens to be an amazing horticulturalist.
Available March 3: Roman Holiday (1953): Audrey Hepburn captured an Oscar for her portrayal of a modern-day princess, rebelling against the royal obligations, who explores Rome on her own. She meets Gregory Peck, an American newspaperman who, seeking an exclusive story, pretends ignorance of her true identity. But his plan falters as they fall in love.
Available May 1: Masterpiece: Inspector Lewis (Season 1): *Season 1 included with Prime until 5/31* Inspector Robert Lewis and Sergeant James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them.
Available May 1: The Good Karma Hospital (Season 1): *Season 1 included with Prime until 5/31* After the initial culture shock, Ruby learns to deal with the hospital’s demanding schedule and many eccentric inhabitants, including her enigmatic colleague, Dr. Gabriel Varma and nearby beach bar owner, Greg.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to see The Period Films List, with the best British, historical and costume dramas sorted by era. Also see the Spring 2020 Schedule of Period Dramas on PBS Masterpiece.
Timothy J Perkins
December 18, 2020 at 7:42 pm (4 years ago)please sign e up for the news letter
Marina
May 18, 2020 at 6:52 pm (5 years ago)Love this site
Edith Mascolo
May 10, 2020 at 5:48 pm (5 years ago)Watched The Pale Horse – an Agatha Christie drama. Rufus Sewell is an excellent actor. If you want to be on the edge of your seat and try to guess the outcome of the mystery, this is the film for you.