Ever think you were really meant to live in another decade? Another century? Another millennium? These historical TV series are so transporting that — depending on what you’re into — you can watch them and feel like you’re riding in a carriage in Regency England, fighting alongside Highlander rebels in 18th-century Scotland, or chatting with the buzziest avant-garde artists in 1980s New York City.

Bridgerton

The era: Regency England

Dearest readers: Romance author Julia Quinn’s sizzling set of novels about eight siblings (the Bridgertons) meeting their love matches in early 19th-century society inspired the fanciful series Bridgerton. Pour a cup of tea, and let the soothing sound of Lady Whistledown’s voice carry you back to a stylized version of the 1810s. This royal romance series is sure to sweep you off your feet, while offering a glimpse into the complicated hierarchies of high society in London’s Regency era. Ready your scandal sheets for the show’s third season, which arrives in two parts later this year.

Bridgerton

2020

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Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

The era: The series follows two plotlines that take place in 1761 and 1817. 

Put on your biggest wig and pour yourself a cup of tea for this Bridgerton prequel. A 17-year-old Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) — and her royal romance with King George (Corey Mylchreest) — holds the spotlight in this series set decades earlier, while also providing glimpses into events that unfold between Bridgerton’s second and third seasons. If the original series pointed to the couple’s complex and passionate romance, Queen Charlotte unspools its origin story amid the queen’s rise to power and prominence. 

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

2023

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The Crown

The eras: England, 1947–2005 

Follow the exploits of the British monarchy as it adapts to social and political change over the course of more than five decades. The accession to the throne and early reign of Queen Elizabeth II is the focus of Season 1 — but that’s just the beginning. Over the course of six seasons, three different actors portray Elizabeth (Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton) as the monarch faces the political and personal events that defined her reign, which includes her relationship with her sister, Princess Margaret; her son Prince Charles’ tumultuous marriage to Princess Diana; and their sons William and Harry coming of age in the royal spotlight.

The Crown

2016

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The Empress

The eras: Mid-1800s during Franz Joseph’s rule in Austria 

All the royal drama unfolds when the rebellious Elisabeth (Devrim Lingnau) — known as Sisi — meets Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria (Philip Froissant). But the couple’s passionate romance causes disorder in the dynasty’s power structure when Elisabeth refuses to conform to the governing court’s rigidity. Much like Princess Diana after her in the 1980s, Elisabeth captivated as a 19th-century “people’s princess,” bringing her excellent fashion, kindness, and vulnerability to the public. But her story — while captivating — was also tragic, as she struggled through lonely days, unable to fit in with the royal customs of the Habsburg court. 

The Empress

2022

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Peaky Blinders

The era: 1919 Birmingham, England 

This period drama follows Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), the cunning leader of the Peaky Blinders crime family, who oversees operations in post-World War I Birmingham. While the series follows the Shelby family as they build their fortune, it also tells the story of the interwar years in Britain, which saw efforts for radical economic and social development. Each season is grounded in historical context, though many of the characters and plotlines are fictional. 

Peaky Blinders

2013

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Vikings: Valhalla

The eras: Early 11th century

Skål! This series takes place over a thousand years ago and follows some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived, including the explorer Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), his sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). At this time, tensions between the Vikings and the British have reached a boiling point and they may be on the brink of war. To complicate matters further, the Vikings themselves are clashing over their conflicting Christian and Pagan beliefs. As they navigate these conflicts, Erikson, Eiríksdóttir, and Sigurdsson embark on an epic journey to battlefields ranging from the (fictional) Danish settlement Kattegat to England and beyond.  

Vikings: Valhalla

2022

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All the Light We Cannot See

The era: The final days of World War II in 1945 

It’s 1945 and the Nazi regime is about to fall. Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti), a blind French girl, and her father, Daniel Leblanc (Mark Ruffalo), have fled German-occupied Paris, seeking refuge in Saint-Malo, France. It’s here that Marie-Laure’s story crosses paths with that of an unlikely companion, Werner (Louis Hofmann), a brilliant and sensitive German teenager who was enlisted in Hitler’s regime to track down illegal radio broadcasts. As their journeys collide, a story unfolds about the possibilities of finding love, hope, and connection — even in the darkest of times. The four-part limited series is based on Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of the same name, and brought to the screen by director and executive producer Shawn Levy.

All the Light We Cannot See

2023

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The Law According to Lidia Poët

The era: Late 19th-century Italy 

This period piece, which mixes crime, drama, and romance, is based on the true story of Italy’s first woman lawyer, Lidia Poët (Matilda De Angelis). After she finds herself disbarred due to a misogynistic court judgment that bars women from practicing law, Lidia is determined to change the system. Throughout the series, she investigates murders and fights for her right to practice law with help from her older brother Enrico (Pierluigi Pasino) who’s also an attorney, and Jacopo (Eduardo Scarpetta), an alluring journalist who helps put a spotlight on Lidia and her fight for gender equality. 

The Law According to Lidia Poët

2023

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The King's Affection

The era: Korea’s Joseon dynasty 

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and in this story our king carries the weight of a secret. When the crown prince is killed, his twin sister, Dam-yi (Park Eun-bin), is persuaded by their mother to take his place and become king. In her efforts to keep her true identity a secret, Dam-yi distances herself from those around her. But over time, she can’t deny her romantic feelings for one man in her royal orbit, the crown prince’s tutor, Jung Ji-un (Rowoon). 

The King's Affection

2021

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Call the Midwife

The era: Post-World War II London 

Travel back in time to London’s East End during the postwar baby boom with the nurses, midwives, and nuns who work at Nonnatus House. The show’s 11 seasons follow the many midwives who dedicate their lives to helping the most vulnerable women in their community receive the best medical care possible as they bring new life into the world. Call the Midwife is based on the bestselling memoirs by Jennifer Worth. 

Call the Midwife

2012

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Versailles

The era: 17th-century France

There’s decadence here, and lots of it. More than a century before the torch-wielding masses would come for Marie Antoinette and her husband, Louis XVI, it was his ancestor, the Sun King, Louis XIV (George Blagden), who expanded the Palace of Versailles into a gilded masterpiece. This series shines a light on the Sun King’s reign, the monarchy’s troubles, and plenty of NSFW new-palace intrigue. Plus, the series’ pitch-perfect opening credits — both the song, “Outro” by M83, and the graphics — will live in your head rent-free “now and foreverrrrr...”

Versailles

2015

Remind Me

Roman Empire

The era: Ancient Rome, circa 60 B.C. to 41 A.D.

Three of Rome’s most, shall we say, “memorable” emperors are profiled in the Roman Empire docuseries, and each one gets his own aptly named season: Season 1 is “Reign of Blood” for Commodus (Aaron Jakubenko), Season 2 is “Master of Rome” for Julius Caesar (Ditch Davey), and Season 3 is “The Mad Emperor” for — you guessed it — Caligula (Ido Drent).

Roman Empire

2016

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Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker

The era: Turn-of-the-20th-century United States

Octavia Spencer was nominated for an Emmy for playing real-life entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker in this limited series. Born in poverty on a Louisiana plantation to formerly enslaved people, Walker built a beauty empire — butting heads with Booker T. Washington (Roger Guenveur Smith) in the process — and eventually became the first woman to be a self-made millionaire.

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker

2020

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Outlander

The eras: 1945 Scotland, 1743 Scotland (and many more)

Mark me: Traveling through time doesn’t get any sexier than the way Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) do it. The series, based on author Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novels, starts in post–World War II Inverness, Scotland. But before long, the clock mysteriously winds back to the 1743 Scottish Highlands, pre–Battle of Culloden. That’s not the only stop on Jamie and Claire’s journey — decade or continent — but the suspense is part of the fun, so we’re stonewalling.

Outlander

2014

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The Andy Warhol Diaries

The era: Late 1970s to 1980s New York City

“People say that the way things happen in movies isn’t real. But actually it’s the way things happen in life that’s not real,” Andy Warhol wrote. “Movies make emotions look so strong, whereas when things actually do happen to you, it’s like watching TV. You don’t feel anything.” This poignant docuseries examines the Pop artist’s final 11 years through his personal diaries, bringing the late-20th-century New York art scene to life in Warhol’s own words. Along the way, via Warhol’s journals and interviews with art-world insiders, you’ll meet such boldfaced names as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Debbie Harry, and Keith Haring, as well as Warhol’s longtime romantic loves.

The Andy Warhol Diaries

2022

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The Queen's Gambit

The era: ’60s US, Mexico City, Paris, and Russia

Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), a child prodigy turned chess champion, is technically a fictional character, but real-life chess grandmasters consulted on the story. An adaptation of Walter Tevis’ novel of the same name, The Queen’s Gambit, set largely in the swinging ’60s, is stylish, smart, and chic, with costumes and sets that are as mesmerizing as Beth’s chess moves.

The Queen's Gambit

2020

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