I think we can all agree that the modern world is frequently a busy and bewildering place.
Is it any wonder, then, that period dramas have exploded in popularity in recent years as weary TV viewers seek some respite from buzzing phones, blinding lights, and busy brunch schedules?
No, of course it’s not. Who doesn’t love a bit of Regency pomp, some medieval intrigue, or even 1920s glam?
But where’s the discerning TV fan supposed to find these shows? Well, Amazon Prime Video has a library crammed with enough historical dramas to keep even the most voracious TV binger busy.
Here are the 7 Amazon Prime historical dramas to watch if you love Peaky Blinders
My Lady Jane
For those who like their historical fantasy a bit more punk, I’d recommend My Lady Jane.
Set in an alternate 16th-century England, the series imagines a world where Lady Jane Grey’s brief reign as Queen (she ruled for just nine days before being overthrown by Queen Mary) wasn’t so brief.
Boasting an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the series is a blast featuring thrilling court intrigue, scintillating romance, and even shape-shifting magical creatures (It’s an alternate reality,y just roll with it).
Is it any wonder fans have labelled the series the ‘best show of 2024’ or that George RR Martin has been asking Amazon to consider commissioning a second season?
Black Sails
For a swashbuckling adventure, binge-watch Black Sails, a TV prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island.
Set in the early 18th century, the historical drama follows the pirates of New Providence Island as they hunt for the Spanish shipwreck, Urca de Lima, to uncover treasures.
If that’s not enough to entice you, Tom Long of the Detroit News previously said of Black Sails: ‘Alliances are made and broken, power shifts go this way and that, blood is spilled, and wenches keep wenching. It’s oddly addictive.’
Manhattan
Long before Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, there was Manhattan, which retold the creation of the atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
While the show wasn’t strictly historically accurate (nor did it claim to be), it did feature real-life figures, including head scientist Robert Oppenheimer played by Daniel London.
Manhattan has flown woefully under the radar since its debut more than a decade ago in 2014, but fans, who have rediscovered it on Amazon Prime Video, have described it as ‘captivating.’
The Tudors
If you’re yearning for a British period drama that’s more historically accurate than My Lady Jane, then The Tudors is the answer.
Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII and following the monarch’s many trials and tribulations as his ability to rule was put under strain by international conflicts and political power struggles playing out in his own court.
Upon hitting screens in 2007, the show became the highest-rated Showtime series debut in three years and has been hailed as a ‘masterpiece’ and ‘phenomenal’ by viewers.
The Spanish Princess
Oh, you want to see more of King Henry VIII? Well, look no further than The Spanish Princess, based on the life of one of his many wives.
Running for two seasons, which aired in 2019 and 2020, it stars Charlotte Hope as Catherine of Aragon, the titular princess who was crowned the Queen of England when she married King Henry VIII, played by Ruairi O’Connor.
‘The Spanish Princess is the ideal period soap, dexterously and intelligently balancing the webby intrigue of 16th-century court life with the dewy eroticism of a classic melodrama. There’s no guilt here. Just pleasure,’ The Hollywood Reporter wrote in its review.
Versailles
Lavish series Versailles caused quite a stir when it premiered in 2016 for its graphic sex scenes, including a 24-person orgy, and not shying away from gory violence.
Set in the Baroque era, the show is a no-holds-barred depiction of the court of King Louis XIV (George Blagden) – and the continuous rumours of sex sessions and gluttony that took place in the period.
Speaking about the show previously to Metro, George said: ‘I remember hearing this incredible phrase, “bedrooms were boardrooms at Versailles”, and it’s just such an amazing idea and concept to play with.’
Leonardo
Leonardo has all the ingredients of a classic TV show – a beautiful period backdrop, a complex historical figure and an accusation of murder – so fetch your remote.
It stars Poldark’s Aidan Turner as Leonardo da Vinci and lifts the lid on the Italian artist, inventor and Renaissance man’s personal life, including the belief that he had male lovers.
Describing the series, Aidan previously told Metro: ‘It’s not just a straightforward historical look at his life. We were trying to get to the essence as to who the man was behind the artist.’
An earlier version of this story was published on February 19, 2025.
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