We’ve gathered up the period dramas that are newly included with your US Prime Video membership in March, April, and May 2024. We also include titles that can be watched for free with Freevee, no subscription needed.
Then, we share the historical / costume / period dramas that are newly available on Prime Video Add-On Channels to let you know things like the “Seaside Hotel” (Season 10) release date, share titles that are available to rent, and movies and TV series in the genre that are being released to DVD this spring.
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.
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To watch the trailers for the movies and TV series on this list, read further descriptions and add them to your watchlist, just click on “Watch the TRAILER” and “Add to your WATCHLIST.” This is a US-based list, but if you live in Canada or the UK, you can also use our links to check availability in your country.
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.
From British costume dramas to sweeping romantic epics, there’s a lot here by the end of the season; we hope this list helps you discover more period dramas to love.
The winter Prime Video list is here. The summer Prime Video list is here. Also see the list of Period Dramas New on Netflix Spring 2024.
Those who are new here should know that Willow and Thatch also has a special section for period dramas that have been added recently or are coming to different streaming services. See the “New to Streaming” drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Period Dramas Added to Prime Video in March 2024
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).
In this family-friendly British period drama, Sara Crewe had been living in India as the pampered darling of her doting father, a British army captain. Motherless from birth, Sara’s life changes after she is enrolled at an exclusive boarding school in London. When her father suddenly dies and loses their fortune on a failed diamond venture, a new life awaits Sara. Though cold and hungry, Sara endures to find a more lasting part of herself. 6 episodes.
Starring Annette Badland, Miriam Margolyes, Nigel Havers, Amelia Shankley, Maureen Lipman.
Rated 7+
Available March 11
Life in impoverished Depression-era Ireland holds little promise for young Frank McCourt, the oldest son in a tightly knit family. Living by his wits, cheered by his irrepressible spirit, and sustained by his mother’s fierce love, Frank embarks on an inspiring journey to overcome the poverty of his childhood and reach the land of his dreams: America. Nominated for a 1999 Academy Award for Best Original Score and based on Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer-prize winning memoirs.
Starring Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Michael Legge.
Rated R for sexual content and some language
Available March 1
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 12
A harrowing, sprawling mini-series produced by Masterpiece Theatre, “Island at War” chronicles three families – the upper-class Dorrs, the middle-class Mays and the working-class Jonases – as they endure five years under Nazi rule on St. Gregory island, a fictionalized location representing the Channel Islands.
Starring Saskia Reeves, Owen Teale, Julia Ford.
Rated TV-14
Available March 12
Bored in her marriage to a country doctor and stifled by life in a small town, the restless Emma Bovary pursues her dreams of passion and excitement, whatever they may cost.
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Ezra Miller, Paul Giamatti, Logan Marshall-Green.
Rated R for sexual content
Available March 3
The late 18th century England’s benevolent King George III suddenly takes ill and shows signs of mental instability–opening the door for court intrigue and the usurping of the throne by his worthless son, the Prince of Wales. The film took home an Academy Award for its spectacular Art and Set Decoration.
Starring Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm.
Rated PG-13
Available March 1
This diverse, complex and haunting BBC trilogy of William Golding novels charts a dazzling, hazardous sea journey from England to Australia in 1812-1813, as experienced through the eyes of one young Englishman, Edmund Talbot. During his journey, he goes through his own rites of passage from youthful bravado to maturity, from arrogance to humility.
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Harris, Sam Neill.
Rated 16+
Available March 20
Los Angeles, 1930. A street-wise, down on his luck detective, Philip Marlowe, is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress, daughter of a well-known movie star. The disappearance unearths a web of lies, and soon Marlowe is involved in a dangerous, deadly investigation where everyone involved has something to hide. This film is based upon the 2014 novel “The Black-Eyed Blonde” by Benjamin Black, not one of Raymond Chandler’s original Marlowe works.
Starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange.
Rated R for language, violent content, some sexual material and brief drug use
Available March 7
One night in Victorian Melbourne, two gentlemen board a hanson cab…but only one emerges alive. A classic whodunnit adaptation of Fergus Hume’s mystery novel set in 1886.
Starring John Waters, Marco Chiappi, Shane Jacobson.
Rated 13+
Available March 11
1713 Scotland, Rob Roy MacGregor is wronged by a nobleman while trying to help feed his clan through the upcoming winter and in return, devotes his life to becoming a courageous outlaw who fights for the less fortunate. When a harsh winter threatens the majestic Scottish Highlands, Rob Roy Macgregor is forced to borrow money from the less-than-noble Marquis of Montrose to provide for his clan. But when Montrose’s henchman (Tim Roth in an Oscar-nominated performance) conspires to take the wealth for himself, Roy faces charges of being a Jacobite and is thrust into the most challenging battle of his life. Based on a true story.
Starring Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth.
Rated R for violence and sexuality
Available March 1
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. Inspired by real events and based on Rod Miller’s manuscript The Lost Women of Rabaul.
Starring Sarah Snook, Claire van der Boom, Susie Porter, Khan Chittenden.
Rated 13+
Available March 11
In 1905, Marcel Pagnol embarks in his last summer vacation before high school and returns to Provence, France. What begins as a summer of boyish adventures turns into a summer of first love.
Starring Léo Campion, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Mélanie Doutey.
Rated 13+
Available March 3
March 1: Solomon & Gaenor (1999), Sweet Country (2018), Guernica (2016), Seabiscuit (2003), Sleepy Hollow (1999), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Road to Perdition (2002), Old Gringo (1989), The Untouchables (1987). March 3: The Laureate (2022), Tom & Viv (1994), Mad at the Moon (1992). For the kids: Prince Brat and the Whipping Boy (1995). March 4: The Little Foxes (1941). March 5: Leonie (2010), Effigy: Poison and the City (2019). March 6: Passchendaele (2008). March 8: Journey’s End (2018), Child Bride of Short Creek (1981). March 9: When Nietzsche Wept (2007), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999). March 11: Ladies in Lavender (2005). March 12: Where the Red Fern Grows (2003). March 15: A Bear Named Winnie (2004). March 16: A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1987). March 18: The Auschwitz Report (2021). March 19: The Yearling (1994), The Tale of Sweeney Todd (1998). March 20: Napoleon (2002), The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1996), A Merry War (1998), Magic Hour: Tom Alone (1989), Mayflower: The Pilgrims’ Adventure (1979), Haven (2001), Arch of Triumph (1985). March 25: A Woman of Independent Means (1995). March 27: Charms for the Easy Life (2002). March 28: Tell It to the Bees (2019).
For a limited time, watch the first episode of A Gentleman in Moscow (2024) for free.
Our new-in-March Freevee picks: 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. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy. Read the REVIEW.
Anna of the Five Towns (1985): In this 4-episode British period series from BBC, in a smoke-grimed pottery town in late 19th Century England, a young woman struggles to cope with newfound wealth, blossoming love and independence from a miserly, domineering father.
Cambridge Spies (2003): Over 4 episodes, this thrilling BBC spy drama tells the story of Blunt, Burgess, Philby and Maclean, who were the most notorious double agents in British history. In 1934 at Cambridge University, they establish a spy ring fueled by youthful idealism, passionately committed to social justice and to fighting fascism. The four become embroiled in obtaining and passing on vital information, betraying their country.
Also on Freevee, available March 1: Julie & Julia (2009), The Young Victoria (2009), Hannah’s Law (2012). March 3: Why Didn’t They Ask Evans (1981). March 16: Bonhoeffer Agent of Grace (2000).
Period Dramas Added to Prime Video in April 2024
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).
In 1839, the revolt of Mende captives aboard a Spanish owned ship causes a major controversy in the United States when the ship is captured off the coast of Long Island. The courts must decide whether the Mende are slaves or legally free.
Starring Morgan Freeman, Djimon Hounsou, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins.
Rated R for some scenes of strong brutal violence and some related nudity
Available April 1
John Dunbar, a Union Lieutenant of the Civil War, requests a station on the vast sweep of the short grass plains in the Dakotas where he finds himself improbably befriending both a resident gray wolf and a Sioux tribe.
Starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene.
Rated PG-13
Available April 1
This classic, 13-episode beloved British costume drama series set in the Victorian era and shown on PBS MASTERPIECE follows the life and loves of Lillie Langtry (Francesca Annis), the dazzling beauty who defied societal convention to woo a slew of wealthy admirers and become an internationally renowned actress. Featuring the legendary Peter Egan (Downton Abbey) as Oscar Wilde and Anton Rodgers (The Merchant of Venice) as Edward Langtry.
Starring Francesca Annis, Peter Egan, Anton Rodgers, Denis Lill.
Rated 13+
Available April 11
From the Emmy-winning “Masterpiece Classic” series comes this dramatization of E. Nesbit’s classic novel about three children whose lives change forever after they move to a Yorkshire cottage near a railway line.
Starring Jenny Agutter, Richard Attenborough, Sophie Thompson.
Rated 13+
Available April 8
April 1: Age of Adaline (2015), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), The Last Temptation of Christ (1998), The Notebook (2004), The Young Messiah (2016), Titanic (1997), The Aviator (2004), West Side Story (1961), Impromptu (1991), The Front Page (1974), The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998). April 2: Serena (2015), Cross Creek (1983). April 3: Big Eyes (2014). April 4: The Railway Man (2014), One Night with the King (2006). April 5: Mary White (1977). April 7: The Hound of the Baskervilles (2003). April 8: Flickers (1980), Stonehearst Asylum (2014), Hamlet (1991), Mrs. Dalloway (1998), Shadrach (1998), The Serpent’s Kiss (1997), Infinity (1996), Mesmerized (1986), Nora (2001), Spring Awakening (1994). April 11: Leonie (2010), Waiting for the Barbarians (2020), Passchendaele (2008), Tom & Viv (1994). April 14: The Flowers of War (2011), Miss Julie (2014). April 16: The Three Musketeers (1974). April 21: The Pardon (2013). April 23: The Whole Wide World (1996). April 28: The Mixer (1992), The White Line (2019). April 29: Billy the Kid (Season 1).
For a limited time, watch the series Wish Me Luck (1988): At the height of WWII, brave British women risk their lives as secret agents in occupied France, and Mr. Selfridge (Season 1): Fresh from a successful retail career in Chicago, a dashing Harry Selfridge arrives in London with his family intent on building the world’s largest department store in the capital’s Oxford Street. Also catch When Calls the Heart (Season 1), and Chaplin (1993) while you can.
Period Dramas Added to Prime Video in May 2024
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).
1904: Dr. Carl Jung takes on a fascinating female patient, who responds to his psychoanalysis so well that they fall in love – but the affair leaves him at odds with his mentor, Sigmund Freud. Based on a true story.
Starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender.
Rated R for sexual content and brief language
Available May 1
From the award-winning director of “Pride & Prejudice” comes a stunning, critically acclaimed epic story of love. When a young girl catches her sister in a passionate embrace with a childhood friend, her jealousy drives her to tell a lie that will change the course of all their lives forever. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this romantic British period drama is based on the novel by Ian McEwan.
Starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Ailidh Mackay, Brenda Blethyn.
Rated R for disturbing war images, language and some sexuality
Available May 1
Set in 19th-century British Columbia, “The Bear” follows the story of a young cub and an adult grizzly as they join forces to survive the perils inherent in their mountain habitat. With each passing obstacle, the two bears further develop a friendship that can only make them stronger – but will it be enough for them to overcome their most deadly enemy?
Starring Tcheky Karyo, Jack Wallace, Andre Lacombe.
Rated PG
Available May 8
This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight, taking on elite rivals from around the world as part of the 1936 Berlin summer games. Based on the 2014 book The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by Daniel James Brown.
Starring Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guinness.
Rated PG-13
Available May 28
Young Coco Chanel works as a seamstress by day and a cabaret entertainer by night, then she meets a wealthy heir and becomes his lover and fashion consultant. Tired of the flowery hats, tight corsets and yards of lace that define women’s fashion, Coco uses her lover’s clothing as a starting point to distill an elegant and sophisticated line of women’s clothing that propels her to the top of Parisian haute couture.
Starring Audrey Tautou, Benoît Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola.
Rated PG-13
Available May 1
Accompanied by haunting memories of his service time in World War II, Dr Lucien Blake returns home to Australia after 30 years to take over his deceased father’s medical practise. As he deals with his own personal loss and changed by his war experiences, the wry, personable doctor performs his other role as police surgeon with gusto. His unconventional and unpredictable manner unnerve some, but it becomes clear Dr Blake is ahead of his time in his use of forensic science, and in his own understanding of the human heart, to help solve murder mysteries in the country town of Ballarat.
Starring Nadine Garner, Craig McLachlan, Charlie Cousins.
Rated TV-14
Available May 25
Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending. Set in early 19th century England, a young woman living in a small village brands herself as a successful matchmaker only to discover her efforts are better spent fixing her own love life instead of those around her.
Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, James Cosmo, Greta Scacchi, Alan Cumming.
Rated PG
Available May 1
Jessica Lange stars in her Oscar-nominated performance of the story of Frances Farmer’s meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood and the tragic turn her life took when she was blacklisted. Based on a true story, set beginning in the 1930s.
Starring Jessica Lange, Sam Shepard, Kim Stanley, Bart Burns, Jonathan Banks.
Rated R for nudity and some sexual situations,
Available May 11
A haunting ghost story spanning two worlds, two centuries apart. While staying at his grandmother’s house during the last days of the Second World War, 13-year-old Tolly is magically transported back in time, appearing as a ghost to his ancestors and helping to solve an age-old mystery. Directed by Julian Fellowes.
Starring Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Alex Etel.
Rated PG
Available May 22
Widowed Elinor Randall and her young daughter Jerrine arrive in a barren stretch of Wyoming in 1910 after Elinor’s application for work as a housekeeper is accepted by Clyde Stewart, a rancher. The work is back-breaking and the isolation is brutal, particularly as winter arrives. Elinor begins to think about homesteading her own property near Stewart’s ranch, but Stewart tries to dissuade her with explanations about the killing conditions and poor rewards, especially for a woman with no man to help her ranch. Although their temperaments are different and little affection exists, Elinor and Stewart agree to marry and combine homesteads. What lies ahead is the severest test of all.
Starring Rip Torn, Conchata Ferrell, Barry Primus, Megan Folsom.
Rated PG
Available May 21
After placing an ad for employment as a governess, Jane Eyre journeys to Thornfield Hall to inquire about a possible position. She is hired by the housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax, to care for young Adele, the daughter of the brooding Mr. Rochester, who lives at the estate. After much trepidation, Eyre and Rochester begin a romantic relationship, but dark secrets surrounding Rochester threaten to destroy the couple’s love. Adapted from Charlotte Brontë’s novel.
Starring Samantha Morton, Gemma Jones, Timia Berthome, Ciarán Hinds.
Read Ranking 5 Jane Eyre Adaptations
Rated PG
Available May 20
Set in England during the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century, the series presents an alternative history where magic is widely acknowledged but rarely practiced. Two men of destiny, the gifted recluse Mr. Norrell and daring spellcasting novice Jonathan Strange, use their magic power to help England. So begins a dangerous battle between two great minds.
Starring Bertie Carvel, Marc Warren, Eddie Marsan.
Rated 16+
Available May 12
Lucien de Rubempré, an aspiring poet in 19th century France, leaves his provincial town for Paris. There, he meets another young writer, Etienne Lousteau, who introduces him to the business of journalism. Lucien soon discovers that the written word can be an instrument of both beauty and deceit.
Starring Benjamin Voisin, Cécile De France, Vincent Lacoste.
Rated 18+
Available May 1
Based on a powerful true story, “The Mill” begins in the turbulent year of 1833, a time when industry is sweeping children as young as nine into the factories and mills to work 12-hour days. But things are about to change as one feisty young girl, Esther Price decides to take a stand against the mill-owners and the lackeys who rule their tired and hungry lives. If you liked “North and South” you’ll probably enjoy this.
Starring Kerrie Hayes, Ciaran Griffiths, Barbara Marten, Matthew McNulty, Katherine Rose Morley.
Rated 16+
Available May 4
In a small Scottish village at the dawn of World War I, Kirsty yearns for adventure and another life across the ocean. When the village hosts a road dance for departing soldiers, the sense of community is soon shattered by an unspeakable incident that changes Kirsty’s life forever.
Starring Hermione Corfield, Morven Christie, Mark Gatiss.
Rated 16+
Available May 1
As the first woman police constable to serve in her West Midlands hometown, Gina Dawson is determined to prove she belongs as a 1950s policewoman working in a man’s world. She’s excited to be the lead on cases, but her independent, outspoken style clashes with the expectations others have for her new assignment: to make the tea for the men and do their typing. This British period television police procedural series was broadcast on BBC One.
Starring Charles De’Ath, John Bowler, Jennie Jacques.
Rated TV-PG
Available May 4
May 1: Ben Hur (2013), Capote (2006) Chocolat (2001), Cold Mountain (2003), Fried Green Tomatoes (1992), Glory (1990), Lizzie Borden Took An Ax (2014), Schindler’s List (1994), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), The Trial of Old Drum (2000). May 2: Evil Under the Sun (1982), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). May 5: Hans Christian Andersen (1952), The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938). May 6: Imaginary Crimes (1994), the period-set comedy Plebs (Seasons 1 – 5). May 8: The Pianist (2003), The Road to Wellville (1994), The Great Train Robbery (2013), A Month in the Country (1987), Céleste (1984), The Swing (1983). May 12: Gallipoli (Season 1), The Last Place on Earth (Season 1), Sounder (1972) – an older but excellent award-winning film. May 14: The Name of the Rose (1986). May 19: A Summer Story (1988). May 20: The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adèle Blanc-Sec (2010), and the partially period-set The Red Violin (1999), Bertie and Elizabeth (2002), Suite Française (2017), The Ranger, The Cook and A Hole in the Sky (1995), A Town Like Alice (1956), Seize The Day (1987), Christmas for a Dollar (2013), Go Tell It On The Mountain (1984), The Corsican Brothers (1941), The Dollmaker (1984), Kingslayer (2022). May 21: Gulliver’s Travels (1996), Sister My Sister (1995), Great Expectations (1946), Les Miserables (1978), A Tale Of Two Cities (1980), The Slipper and the Rose (1976), The Prince and The Pauper (2000), Enemies: A Love Story (1989), Oliver Twist (1951), Henry V (1945), Ballet Shoes (2007), The Governess (1998). May 25: Warsaw 44 (2014), The Ox (1992), Hedda Gabler (1981). May 27: Black Velvet Band (1997).
Period Dramas Added to Prime Video Channels & Rentals
This section contains period dramas added in March, April, and May 2024 (movies and TV series) that are included with add-on Prime Video Channels, are newly available to rent, or have had a significant rental price cut. To save a program to your watchlist, sign up for a free trial of a channel, or check rental prices, click “Add to your WATCHLIST.”
BFI Player Classics: Fitzcarraldo (1982): One of Werner Herzog’s most acclaimed and audacious films, Fitzcarraldo tells the incredible story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an opera-loving fortune hunter who dreams of bringing opera to the heart of the Peruvian jungle In the early part of the 20th century. Add to your WATCHLIST Available March 5
BritBox: Murder Is Easy (2023): The young and ambitious Luke Fitzwilliam arrives from Nigeria with the promise of a job in Whitehall. On the train to London, he meets the elderly Miss Pinkerton, who confides in him that there is a killer on the loose in her village. Read more about it. Add to your WATCHLIST Available March 1
Max: The Zone of Interest (2023): The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp. A hypnotic and deeply chilling masterpiece from filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin), starring Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel. Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Add to your WATCHLIST Available April 5
PBS Masterpiece: Call the Midwife (Season 13): “Call the Midwife” continues to explore complex medical and personal situations on the midwifery and district nursing rounds. It is now 1969, and the British period drama returns with Poplar coping with the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters. Read more about it. Add to your WATCHLIST Available March 17
PBS Masterpiece: The Durrells in Corfu (Seasons 1 – 4): Keeley Hawes stars as an intrepid widow decamping from dreary England to a sun-drenched Greek island with her four recalcitrant children, ages 11 to 21, in this charming and witty adaptation of Gerald Durrell’s memoir, My Family and Other Animals and its two sequels. Add to your WATCHLIST Available May 3 Read our REVIEW
PBS Masterpiece: House of Promises (2022): The story of a great love and a legendary department store. The young Vicky Maler comes from the provinces to dazzling Berlin in the 1920s, which are not only golden, but also marked by great poverty. Times are tough. And it’s about to get tougher: Vicky falls in love with the seemingly penniless pianist Harry. What she doesn’t know yet, he is none other than the son of her boss, the department store owner Arthur. The class divide between them turns into a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, as his father has different plans for Harry. And so begins a love story that will always be impossible. But against all odds – or precisely because of them – it will outlast decades. Add to your WATCHLIST Available March 8
PBS Masterpiece: Nolly (2023): Helena Bonham Carter stars in Nolly. Nolly reveals the story of Noele “Nolly” Gordon, one of the most famous faces on British TV in the 1960s and 70s, whose unceremonious firing from her hit show at the height of her career was front-page news. Read more about it. Add to your WATCHLIST Available March 17
PBS Masterpiece: Our Miracle Years (Season 2): Follow three sisters of an industrialist family in post-war Germany. In a politically, morally and economically destroyed country, these young women reinvent themselves and set the course for their future. From “Walter Presents,” in German with English subtitles. Add to your WATCHLIST Available March 22
PBS Masterpiece: Poldark (Seasons 1 – 5): Aidan Turner stars as Ross Poldark, a dashing redcoat who returns to Cornwall after battle to discover that his father is dead, his lands are ruined, and his true love is engaged to another. Can Poldark change his destiny, restore his lost fortune, and reclaim his sweetheart? Based on Winston Graham’s sweeping series of historical fiction books. Add to your WATCHLIST Available May 28
PBS Masterpiece: Seaside Hotel (Season 10): At Andersen’s Seaside Hotel by the North Sea dunes, meet the chambermaid Fie, the merchant’s daughter Amanda, and the local fisherman Morten, whose fates are intertwined, as they seek to emancipate themselves from the plans other people have made on their behalf. From Walter Presents, in Danish with English subtitles. Add to your WATCHLIST Available May 31
Rental: Dreamland (2019): When a young man discovers a wounded, fugitive bank robber hiding out in his small Great Depression-era Texas town, he finds himself torn between claiming her bounty and his ever-growing attraction to the seductive criminal. Add to your WATCHLIST Available May 12 Read our REVIEW
Rental: The Great (Season 3): Season 3 of “The Great” sees Catherine (Elle Fanning) and Peter (Nicholas Hoult) attempt to make their marriage work after some seemingly insurmountable challenges. Peter witnessed his own attempted murder at Catherine’s hands and she has imprisoned all of his friends. Add to your WATCHLIST Available May 11
Rental: Sense and Sensibility (2023): A new musical by Paul Gordon based on Jane Austen’s classic novel following the 19th-century middle-class life of the relationships of the Dashwood sisters. Filmed live on stage at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Add to your WATCHLIST Available April 25
Rental: The Taste of Things (2023): Set in France on a country estate in 1889, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel) as a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie (Juliette Binoche). They share a long history of gastronomy and love but Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her. Add to your WATCHLIST Available March 27
Rental: The Two Faces of January (2014): In the 1960s, a couple befriends a young guide during a European trip. Their friendship quickly takes a dangerous turn when it morphs into a love triangle rife with envy, obsession, and murder. Add to your WATCHLIST Available May 6
Rental: Wicked Little Letters (2023): In 1920, when people in Littlehampton–including conservative local Edith–begin to receive letters full of hilarious profanities, rowdy Irish migrant Rose is charged with the crime. Suspecting that something is amiss, the town’s women investigate. Add to your WATCHLIST Available May 7
STARZ: Mary & George (Season 1): Mary & George is a dangerously daring historical psychodrama about an outrageous mother and son who schemed, seduced and killed to conquer the court of England and the bed of King James I. Starring Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine, Tony Curran. Add to your WATCHLIST Available April 5
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.
Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen (2023): Lucy Worsley discovers the origins of Agatha Christie’s macabre magic. Read more about it. Available HERE April 23, 2024
All Creatures Great & Small (Season 4): Spring 1940. With Europe at war and Tristan away serving, Siegfried and James bring in some extra hands to help around the practice: highly efficient bookkeeper Miss Harbottle, and student vet Richard Carmody. Happily married Helen and James begin to think about their future despite the looming possibility that James could be called up to serve. Available HERE March 12, 2024
Freud’s Last Session (2023): London, September 3rd, 1939. The world is on the brink of war. In his final days, Sigmund Freud, a recent escapee with his daughter from the regime, receives a visit from the formidable Oxford Don C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia). On this day, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century intimately engage in a monumental session over the belief in the future of mankind and the existence of God. Available HERE March 26, 2024
Funny Woman (2023): In mid-’60s Britain, Barbara Parker (Gemma Arterton) believed she was meant for more than being that year’s Blackpool beauty queen. Setting out for a London acting career under the stage name Sophie Straw, her looks and comic chops made her a breakout sitcom sensation, but sustaining success in a male-dominated industry would prove something else again. Telling miniseries take on Nick Hornby’s “Funny Girl” co-stars Rupert Everett, Tom Bateman, Arsher Ali, Morwenna Banks, Leo Bill. Available HERE April 2, 2024
Nolly (2023): In 1964, veteran stage actress and TV host Noele Gordon (Helena Bonham Carter) took the role of hotel proprietor Meg Richardson on the British soap opera “Crossroads”-and over 18 years, her efforts on the low-end but undeniably popular series pushed her into national iconography. By the early ’80s, however, she was at loggerheads with producers looking to oust her-and that turbulent moment is the focus of this flashy biodrama. Max Brown, Antonia Bernath, Bethany Antonia also star. Available HERE April 2, 2024
The Color Purple (2023): A story of love and resilience, “The Color Purple” is a decades-spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. Available HERE March 12, 2024
The Crime Is Mine (2023): In 1930s Paris, Madeleine, a pretty, young, penniless and talentless actress, is accused of murdering a famous producer. Helped by her best friend Pauline, a young unemployed lawyer, she is acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. A new life of fame and success begins, until the truth comes out. Available HERE March 26, 2024
The Taste of Things (2023): Set in France on a country estate in 1889, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel) as a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie (Juliette Binoche). They share a long history of gastronomy and love but Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her. Available HERE May 7, 2024
Paris Police 1905 (2022): A young, ambitious detective is thrust into a dangerous murder investigation against the dark backdrop of La Belle Epoque. Available HERE March 26, 2024
Poor Things (2024): The incredible tale of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by a brilliant and unorthodox scientist. Seeking the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. Available HERE March 12, 2024
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 March: March 1: My Sailor, My Love (2023), At First Sight (1999), Bull Durham (1988), Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Take Shelter (2011), Field of Dreams (1989), Friday Night Lights (2004), Minnie And Moskowitz (1971), Premonition (2007), Return to Me (2000), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), The Break-Up (2006). March 4: Mao’s Last Dancer (2010). March 5: Carmen (2022). March 12: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023). March 14: Frida (2024).
Available in April: April 1: The Station Agent (2003). April 8: Peak Practice (1993), Coronation Street (Season 1). April 16: Hidden Villages (Seasons 1 – 3), The Private Lives of The Tudors (Season 1), Barbara (2012). April 29: The Holdovers (2023), Harry Wild (Season 1).
Available in May: May 1: Because I Said So (2007). May 2: The Idea of You (2024), Erin Brockovich (2000), Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994), Rear Window (1954), Steel Magnolias (2012), The Big Chill (1983), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). May 2: Sixteen Candles (1984). May 4: Rain Shadow (2007). May 8: Sliding Doors (1998). May 12: Britain by Narrowboat (Season 1), Restoration Home (Season 1), Two’s Company (Seasons 1 – 4). May 20: The Third Man (1949), The Prisoner (Season 1), Homecoming (1996), Daisies In December (1995). May 21: The Lady Vanishes (1938). May 25: Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop (2021). May 29: Woman in Gold (2015).
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.
