We’ve gathered up the period dramas that are newly included with your US Prime Video membership in June, July, and August 2022.
Then, we share the historical / costume / period dramas that are newly available for free with ads on Freevee (formerly IMDb TV), coming to Prime Video Add-On Channels, are available to rent, and movies and TV series in the genre that are being released to DVD this summer.
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 Amazon Prime Video membership.
Check this list throughout the season; we’ll update all the sections (alphabetically) as more titles become available. If some of these titles look familiar, it’s because they were previously available with Prime Video, were pulled off, and now they are back.
To help keep this site running: Willow and Thatch may receive a commission when you click on any of the links on our site and make a purchase after doing so.
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 also 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.
The spring Prime Video list is here. Also see the list of Period Dramas New on Netflix Summer 2022.
Those who are new here should know that Willow and Thatch also has a special section for period dramas that have been added recently to different streaming services. See the “New to Streaming” drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Period dramas leaving Prime Video this season: Leaving July 5: Sunset Song (2015). Read our REVIEW Leaving in September: Elizabeth I – The Virgin Queen (PBS MASTERPIECE).
Period Dramas Added in June 2022
This section contains newly available historical, costume and period dramas (movies and TV series) that are included with your Prime Video membership, or can be watched for free with ads on Freevee (formerly IMDb TV).
Boundless (2022)
Led by the Portuguese Fernando de Magallanes, 237 sailors set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz, Spain) on 20th August, 1519. This Spanish-language series “Boundless” (aka Sin Límites) tells the story of the first sailing trip around the world ever completed, with Rodrigo Santoro and Álvaro Morte in the leading roles. They search for riches, personal glory and fame. Only 18 of them make it back alive, led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, a noble and charismatic character. Ahead of them are three years of mutinies, treacheries, hunger and death. A story full of adventures and emotions where two confronting characters fight for the same objective. Six 40-minute episodes filmed between Spain and the Dominican Republic.
Starring Rodrigo Santoro, Álvaro Morte, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Adrián Lastra, Carlos Cuevas, Pepón Nieto, Raúl Tejón, Gonçalo Diniz, Manuel Morón, Bárbara Goenaga
Rated 16+
Available June 24
From the creator of “Downton Abbey,” this 4-episode limited miniseries is adapted from Anthony Trollope’s novel of the same name. Dr. Thorne lives a quiet life with niece Mary in Greshambury, home of the wealthy Gresham family. Unbeknownst to others, the Greshams have lost their fortune and matriarch Lady Arabella has a scheme to regain it via an arranged marriage with her son and an American heiress. However, her son plans to elope with Mary, which complicates Lady Arabella’s plans.
Starring Tom Hollander, Alison Brie, Ian McShane, Rebecca Front, Richard McCabe.
Rated 16+
Available June 1
The PBS Masterpiece Classic “The Forsyte Saga” is the story of a love polygon that shifts like a kaleidoscope. Soames loves Irene, Irene loves Bosinney, and later, young Jolyon. Young Jolyon’s daughter June loves Bosinney, young Jolyon loves his daughter’s nanny Helene, and later, Irene. Old Jolyon, improbably, is infatuated with Irene. Superior, arrogant and confident, the Forsytes are the ultimate power family.
Originally published in three volumes between 1906 and 1920, The Forsyte Saga was the most popular book on American college campuses during the Roaring Twenties, and it helped win Galsworthy the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932. “The Forsyte Saga” chronicles the lives of an English family over 34 years from the Victorian era through World War I.
Damian Lewis stars as acquisitive, tormented Soames Forsyte with Gina McKee as his reluctant bride, Irene.
Starring Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves, Gina McKee, Amanda Root, Ben Miles, Gillian Kearney, Alistair Petrie, Ann Bell, Malcolm Raeburn, Barbara Flynn, Beatriz Batarda, Julian Ovenden, John Carlisle, Amanda Ryan, Wendy Craig, Maggie Fox, Jowanna Rose, Emma Griffiths Malin, Lee Williams, Corin Redgrave.
Season 1 is available June 30 for a limited time.
1933. An ambitious young journalist, Gareth Jones, travels to Moscow to uncover the truth behind Stalin’s Soviet propaganda that pushes their “utopia” to the Western world. When he gets a tip that could expose an international conspiracy, Jones’ life and the lives of his informants are at stake. Based on a true story that would later inspire George Orwell’s seminal book Animal Farm.
Starring James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, Peter Sarsgaard, Joseph Mawle, Kenneth Cranham, Fenella Woolgar.
Rated 16+
Available June 9
A beautifully crafted feature-length film adaptation of the Charles Dickens Victorian era novel, with an ensemble cast. After Nicholas’ father dies and leaves the family penniless, the Nickleby family moves to London to stay with their Uncle Ralph. Ralph turns abusive and separates the family, which includes sending Nicholas to the cruel and wicked Wackford Squeers. At this horrible escape from the school and set off to reunite the Nickleby family.
Starring Jamie Bell, Charlie Hunnam, Christopher Plummer, Anne Hathaway, Alan Cumming, Nathan Lane, Romola Garai, Jim Broadbent, Henry McGrath.
Rated PG
Available June 1
June 1: The Basket (2000), Bugsy (1991), Fences (2016), The Secret of Roan Inish (1994). June 6: The Legend of Butch & Sundance (2006). June 14: Serena (2014). June 19: Marighella (2021). June 30: For a limited time, watch Home for Christmas for free (When Calls the Heart Season 7).
Also newly available for free with ads on Freevee, no Prime Video membership needed: June 1: Harriet (2019), Interlude in Prague (2017), The Revenant (2015), War Horse (2011).
Period Dramas Added in July 2022
This section contains newly available historical, costume and period dramas (movies and TV series) that are included with your Prime Video membership, or can be watched for free with ads on Freevee (formerly IMDb TV).
While traveling with his father in1946, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a deserted island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once successful trainer. Together they begin training the horse to race against the fastest ones in the world.
Starring Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr, Clarence Muse, Hoyt Axton, Michael Higgins.
Rated G
Available July 1
During World War II, an embittered actor known to others as Sir is well past his prime. Formerly a renowned performer, Sir must now settle for leading a shoddy troupe of aged actors and army rejects in performances of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. His anxiety, regret and age begin to get the better of him, and his work starts to suffer. Only Norman, a timid set dresser who is unfailingly devoted to Sir, can hold the show together as it threatens to collapse.
Starring Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Edward Fox, Zena Walker, Eileen Atkins, Michael Gough.
Rated 16+
Available July 28
Harry Feversham is a soldier with a bright future – until he resigns from his regiment. Harry is branded a coward, disowned by his family, his fiancee and his best friend. After hearing his regiment is attacked, he set out on a journey of redemption. Set during the British Army’s Gordon Relief Expedition (late 1884 to early 1885) in Sudan. This film, with altered plot events, is the latest in a long line of cinematic adaptations of the 1902 novel The Four Feathers by A.E.W. Mason.
Starring Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, Kate Hudson, Djimon Hounsou, Michael Sheen, Kris Marshall, Rupert Penry-Jones.
Rated PG-13
Available July 1
In director Vittorio De Sica’s Oscar-winning masterpiece (1972, Best Foreign Language Film), an aristocratic Jewish family retreats behind the walls of its lush, Italian country estate to take refuge from the approaching fascist storm of the 1930s. Their adult children, Micol and Alberto, gather a diverse circle of friends for tennis and parties at their villa with its lovely grounds, and try to keep the rest of the world at bay. The story’s central figure, young Giorgio, is a middle-class Jew who has always found perfect sanctuary within the Finzi-Continis’ walls and who is in love with his childhood friend from that family, Micol. But tensions between them all grow as anti-Semitism rises in Fascist Italy. This powerful work of memory tragically captures a loss of innocence on both the most personal and historical stages.
In Italian with English subtitles.
Starring Lino Capolicchio, Dominique Sanda, Fabio Testi, Helmut Berger, Camillo Asarei, Inna Alexeieff.
Rated R for nudity
Available July 1
A British romantic period drama fantasy film loosely based on Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel. In 1600, nobleman Orlando inherits his parents’ house, thanks to Queen Elizabeth I, who commands the young man to never change. After a disastrous affair with Russian princess Sasha, Orlando looks for solace in the arts before being appointed ambassador to Constantinople in 1700, where war is raging. One morning, Orlando is shocked to wake up as a woman and returns home, struggling as a female to retain her property as the centuries roll by.
Starring Tilda Swinton, Billy Zane, Lothaire Bluteau, Quentin Crisp, Charlotte Valandrey.
Rated PG-13
Available July 1
A retelling of the biblical book of Hosea set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush of 1850. From Francine Rivers’ bestseller, “Redeeming Love” follows brothel-worker Angel who, new to love, runs from the life she doesn’t think she deserves in this powerful story of perseverance.
Starring Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis, Nina Dobrev, Logan Marshall-Green, Eric Dane, Famke Janssen.
Rated PG-13 (contains sexual violence)
Available July 7
Shakespeare’s epic romance is revitalized by “Downton Abbey” writer, Julian Fellowes, and The Flight of the Innocent director, Carlos Carlei. With an all-star cast it gives a new generation the chance to fall in love with the enduring legend of Romeo and Juliet.
Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti,
Rated 13+
Available July 3
July 1: Blue Sky (1994), Comes a Horseman (1978), Eye of the Needle (1981), Gladiator (2000), Lincoln (2012), The Man in the Moon (1991), Mississippi Burning (1988), Racing with the Moon (1984), Revolutionary Road (2009), Seabiscuit (2003), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Thomasine & Bushrod (1974), Yentl (1984), Waiting for the Barbarians (2019). Also available July 1: the Jane Austen-inspired movies Clueless (1995) and Modern Persuasion (2020), House of Gucci (2021) which begins in the late 1970s. For the family, beginning July 5, try Tall Tales & Legends (Season 1). For a limited time, beginning July 6 watch episode 1 of The North Water (2022) for free. July 11: Crusoe (1989). July 12: Moulin Rouge (1952). July 18: The Star (2002). July 22: Prizefighter (2022). July 24: The Long Walk Home (1990). July 27: Heart of Dixie (1989).
Our Free-on-Freevee Pick:
In the 1960s, Cambridge University student and future physicist Stephen Hawking falls in love with fellow collegian Jane Wilde. At 21, Hawking learns that he has motor neuron disease. Despite this — and with Jane at his side — he begins an ambitious study of time, of which he has very little left, according to his doctor. He and Jane defy terrible odds and break new ground in the fields of medicine and science, achieving more than either could hope to imagine. An Oscar-winning film inspired by Jane Hawking’s book Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen.
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior, Harry Lloyd, Alice Orr-Ewing.
Rated PG-13
Available July 1
Also see: Lady Macbeth (2017).
Period Dramas Added in August 2022
This section contains newly available historical, costume and period dramas (movies and TV series) that are included with your Prime Video membership, or can be watched for free with ads on Freevee (formerly IMDb TV).
A period-set sports comedy series about the World war II era All-American professional women’s baseball league, inspired by the 1992 film. The new television series “A League of Their Own” evokes the joyful spirit of Penny Marshall’s beloved classic, while widening the lens to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball, both in and outside of the AAGPBL. The show, set in 1943 like the movie, follows Carson and Max and a new team with an ensemble of sharp and hilarious characters as they carve their paths toward the field, along the way finding their teams and themselves.
Starring Abbi Jacobson, Chante Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Roberta Colindrez, Nick Offerman, Alex Desert.
Available August 12
August 1: Eadweard (2015), The Education of Little Tree (1997), King Arthur (2004), Mississippi Burning (1988), Mao’s Last Dancer (2009), The World’s Fastest Indian (2005), Wuthering Heights (1970). August 5: Licorice Pizza (2021), The Fourth Musketeer (2022). August 7: Colonel Redl (1985). August 9: The Long Walk Home (1990). August 22: For children: Anastasia: Once Upon A Time (2020). August 31: 1900 (1977).
Period Dramas New to Prime Video Channels
This section contains period dramas added in June, July, and August 2022 (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.
For new with the BritBox Add-on Channel, see this page. For new with Acorn TV Add-on Channel, see this page.
Agatha Christie’s beloved detective solves complex cases with flair and finesse in these two feature-length mysteries from series 7. Set amid the unparalleled elegance of the Art Deco era.
Starring David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran.
Rated 13+
Available July 19 with BritBox Prime Video Channel
Before she was Queen, she was Elizabeth, an orphaned teenager who becomes embroiled in the political and sexual politics of the English court on her journey to secure the crown. Following the death of Henry VIII, his three children; Mary, Elizabeth and Edward are now pawns in a dangerous game as the English court is plunged into a race for control of the new England they find themselves in. 8 episodes.
Starring Alicia von Rittberg, Romola Garai, Jessica Raine, Leo Bill, Jamie Blackley.
Rated TV-MA
Available June 12 with STARZ Prime Video Channel
An epic three-part series that charts the rise and fall of the Boleyns. A story of love, sex and betrayal, told from the the family’s unique perspective with narration of historical academics juxtaposed with actors performing several significant scenes.
Starring Shelley Conn, Elizabeth McCafferty, Max Dowler.
Available August 28 with PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel
From Walter Presents. When Ida is saved at the prestigious Charité hospital in 1888 Berlin, Germany, she has no money to cover the cost. In lieu of payment, she begins to work off her debt as a nurse.
There she witnesses history being made as she gets an inside look into cures for tuberculosis and diphtheria and discovers her passion for medicine. “Charité” is a Cinderella story intermixed with the exciting real-life research and work of the doctors at the hospital.
6 episodes, in German with English subtitles.
Starring Alicia von Rittberg, Mala Emde, Nina Gummich, Maximilian Meyer-Bretschneider, Matthias Koeberlin.
Rated TV-MA
Available August 12 with PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel
In 1971, our heroes investigate suspected IRA retaliations, the murder of a local cab driver, and the peculiar killing of a college fellow which results in putting one of their own in imminent danger. As Endeavour shows signs of a struggle with his inner demons, the team wonders if he is beyond the point of no return. 3 episodes, shown on MASTERPIECE MYSTERY!
Starring Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, Anton Lesser, James Bradshaw, Sean Rigby, Abigail Thaw.
Rated TV-14
Available June 19 with PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel
Although Will lives the life of a clergyman, sometimes he can’t help but fall into more worldly habits as he solves murders in the bucolic village of Granchester. The series picks up in the long hot summer of 1959 with wedding season in full swing in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester where once again, Will and Geordie are on alert for suspicious happenings. 6 episodes, shown on MASTERPIECE MYSTERY!
Starring James Norton, Robson Green, Morven Christie, Al Weaver.
Rated TV-14
Available July 10 with PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel
The Ainsworth family are the proprietors of a fine hotel for British and upper-class travellers on the magical Italian Riviera during the Roaring 20s. The hotel has only been open a few weeks, but already the business and personal problems are mounting for its co-proprietor and moving spirit, Bella Ainsworth. Shown on PBS, read more about it here.
Starring Natascha McElhone, Anna Chancellor, Mark Umbers, Lucy Akhurst, Louisa Binder, Elizabeth Carling, Oliver Dench.
Rated TV-14
Available June 19 with PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel
Filled with romance, success and scandal, the Italian language series “Luisa Spagnoli” follows the true story of the rags to riches life of the world-famous Italian chocolatier and fashion designer who blazed a trail for working women in the early 20th century.
In 1920’s Perugia, Italy, Luisa Spagnoli is a woman of humble origins who, with great determination, decides to take over a small pastry shop on the verge of bankruptcy. Teeming with entrepreneurial spirit and endowed with extraordinary modernity and creativity, she establishes herself as a leading businesswoman and visionary, revolutionizing candy and chocolate from a luxury product of the rich, into one accessible for all. 4 episodes, from Walter Presents.
Starring Luisa Ranieri, Vinicio Marchioni, Matteo Martari, Elena Radonicich, Federica de Cola.
Rated TV-MA
Available June 17 with PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel
New Period Dramas to Rent
Discover the mystery, picture the possibilities, experience a new era. From award-winning creator Julian Fellowes comes the motion picture event “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” The much-anticipated cinematic return of the global phenomenon reunites the beloved cast as they go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ newly inherited villa is now available to stream at home.
Starring Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Allen Leech, Tuppence Middleton, Imelda Staunton.
Rated PG
Available June 8
Yorkshire, 1834. All eyes are on Anne Lister and Ann Walker as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple. Anne Lister’s entrepreneurial spirit frightens the locals as much as her unconventional love life and, with Halifax on the brink of revolution, her refusal to keep a low profile becomes provocative and dangerous. A British period drama from the BBC, 8 episodes. The second season again uses the real life diaries of Lister – part of which were written in code – as its source, with every part of Lister’s story based in historical fact and the five million words she wrote in her journals.
Starring Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle, Gemma Whelan, Ben Hunter, Gemma Jones.
Rated TV-MA
Available June 13
New Period Drama DVD Releases
This section contains a selection of historical, costume, and period dramas and other titles of interest that are being released this season to DVD and Blu-ray.
1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story (2021): 1883 follows the original Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It’s a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana. Available here August 30, 2022.
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022): The much anticipated cinematic return of Downton Abbey follows the Crawleys and their staff as they welcome a movie crew and their glamorous stars to Downton for the filming of a new silent movie, while other members of the family go on a grand adventure to a villa in the south of France to uncover a mystery about the Dowager Countess and her past. With a screenplay by Julian Fellowes and starring the original cast alongside exciting new additions, Downton Abbey: A New Era is packed full of exuberant moments, excitement and humor, tears of joy and sadness and new beginnings for all your favorite characters. Available here July 5, 2022
Endeavour: The Complete Eighth Season: The year 1971 has barely just begun and CID is still reeling from the events of the past year. Any hope of remaining on light duties has vanished and the team find themselves right back in the thick of it. Available here July 12, 2022
The Gilded Age: The Complete First Season: A period of immense economic change, of huge fortunes made and lost, and the rise of disparity between old money and new. A wide-eyed young scion of a conservative family, Marian, embarks on a mission to infiltrate the wealthy neighboring clan or her aunts Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook, dominated by ruthless railroad tycoon George Russell, his rakish son, Larry, and his ambitious wife, Bertha. In this exciting new world that is on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path? Available here July 26, 2022.
Grantchester: The Complete Seventh Season: It’s the long hot summer of 1959 and wedding season is in full swing in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester. As the Reverend Will Davenport (Tom Brittney) unites happy couples in holy matrimony, Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green) finds himself trying to repair his own marriage to estranged wife Cathy (Kacey Ainsworth). Available here July 26, 2022.
Hotel Portofino (2022): Set in the breathtakingly beautiful resort of Portofino, “Hotel Portofino” is a story of personal awakening at a time of global upheaval in the traumatic aftermath of World War I, and of the liberating influence of Italy’s enchanting culture, climate and cuisine on British ‘innocents abroad.’ Available here July 12, 2022.
Mothering Sunday (2021):On a warm spring day in 1924, house maid and foundling Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) finds herself alone on Mother’s Day. Her employers, Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), are out and she has the rare chance to spend quality time with her secret lover. Paul (Josh O’Connor) is the boy from the manor house nearby, Jane’s long-term love despite the fact that he’s engaged to be married to another woman, a childhood friend and daughter of his parents’ friends. But events that neither can foresee will change the course of Jane’s life forever. Available here June 28, 2022.
Mr. Malcolm’s List (2022): In 19th century England, jilted by London’s most eligible bachelor, Julia convinces her friend to play the role of his ideal match. Soon, Mr. Malcolm wonders whether he’s found the perfect woman or the perfect hoax. Available here August 23, 2022.
The Northman (2022): From visionary director Robert Eggers comes “The Northman,” an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. With an all-star cast that includes Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe. Available here June 7, 2022
Other Shows You May Also Like
This section contains a curated list of movies and TV series newly included on Prime, that are NOT period dramas. We think fans of period and costume dramas will enjoy them just the same. Follow the links to watch the trailers. You may also like:
Available in June: June 1: Annie Hall (1977), Feast of Love (2007), Juno (2007), The Love Letter (1999), Philadelphia (1994). June 3: From Russia with Love (1963). June 7: Fisherman’s Friends (2019). June 9: The Last Bus (2021). June 11: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). June 14: Greenfingers (2001). June 17: The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022). June 21: I Am Love (2009). June 23: Marry Me (2022). June 24: Southside with You (2016). June 28: Labor Day (2013), Moon Rock for Monday (2022).
Available in July: July 1: Little Man Tate (1991), From the Vine (2019), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961).
Available in August: August 1: The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Eat Drink Man Woman (1994), (500) Days Of Summer (2009), Mamma Mia! (2008), Once (2007), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Stanley & Iris (1990), Under the Same Moon (2008). August 2: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), The Children’s Hour (1961). August 12: Joanna Lumley’s Britain (2021). August 22: Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont (2005), Believe (2013), Bowling (2012). August 25: Captain Fantastic (2016). August 27: Butterflies Are Free (1972).
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to see The Period Films List, with the best British period dramas, historical and costume movies and TV series sorted by era.
