There is nothing better than getting stuck into a swooning, daring, exciting period drama, whether it be for the romance, the action, or the melodrama - and 2023 is not going to disappoint with delivering some top options. To step back into the past, here are our top recommendations for period-style TV shows being released in 2023…
The Crown season 6
If you haven't had enough royal drama in 2023 so far, the final season of the beautiful period drama, The Crown will conclude its tale this year. The series will take place in the late 90s and the early Noughties, following creator Peter Morgan's rule of only retelling royal events that occur 20 years before the present day. The series will look at the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed and the beginning of Prince William's relationship with his future wife, Kate Middleton.
WATCH: The Crown will conclude with season six - but are you all caught up?
World on Fire season 2
Fans have waited a long time for the return of this utterly brilliant tale of the beginnings of World War II. With Covid getting in the way of filming this sprawling series, it has been four years since season one - and it looks like some things have changed. While Lesley Manville and Sean Bean won't be returning to the new series, we can't wait to see what's in store for their family and friends next, including soon-to-be Prince Eric actor, Jonah Hauer-King. Don't miss it!
Marvelous Mrs Maisel season 5
This joyful series following the delightful Miriam Maisel will finally conclude in 2023 - and if it doesn't end with Midge becoming the star that she was born to be, we riot!
Check out our incredible 2023 TV digital issue here!
While not much is known about the plot just yet, co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino told The Hollywood Reporter: "It felt like it fit, frankly, with the journey that Midge is on, that she’s so doggedly trying to find the right way for herself — whether it’s misguided or not — and this mission that she set herself on this year that she felt it was like, 'It’s my way or the highway.' It felt like the shake-up needed to happen from somebody who understood her, revered her."
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Outlander season 7
The new season is set to kick off with a bang with Claire at the centre of a murder enquiry. The townsfolk accuse her of the brutal murder of Malva. While it looks like Claire's fate is sealed as she is transported to face charges away from Fraser's Ridge, this is Claire and Jamie - so we're sure that they will find a way to get through it, perhaps even by finding the real culprit behind her death.
The Gilded Age season 2
This charming series is back for season two, and we can't wait! The Julian Fellowes-penned series will rejoin Marian Brook and her wealthy Aunts in their opulent lives in upper American society. Sign us up.
© Photo: SkyFaraway Downs
Remember Baz Luhrmann's stunning film Australia? The movie is now becoming a mini-series, and Baz opened up about what to expect, telling Deadline: "I originally set out to take the notion of the sweeping Gone With the Wind style epic and turn it on its head.
"A way of using romance and epic drama to shine a light on the roles of First Nations people and the painful scar in Australian history of the Stolen Generations. While Australia the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story; one with different layers, nuances and even alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore. Drawn from the same material, Faraway Downs is a new variation on Australia for audiences to discover."
Feud
While the first season of the hit Ryan Murphy show followed the fall-out of Hollywood stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davies, season two will follow Truman Capote's alienation from upper New York Society after writing a scathing satire of all of his closest friends - spilling their secrets while thinly veiled aliases. Truman's actions saw him ostracised from New York society forever - and the story behind it is set to be completely fascinating.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesBridgerton season 3
Welcome back to the Ton! While Anthony and Daphne happily wed, this time we are following Colin Bridgerton as he finds his one true love, which is closer to home than he ever thought. After giving up on her long-harboured crush on the third Bridgerton brother, Penelope decides that it is time to marry and get out from under her mother's feet, and asks Colin to help her woo the men of the Ton, opening his eyes to his beautiful friend.
© Photo: NetflixMasters of the Air
Elvis Presley himself Austin Butler is set to star in this upcoming war drama based on a true story - and more to the point - based on the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Force in World War II. The star is joined by The Capture and Fantastic Beasts star Callum Turner, and it sounds like it will be totally epic.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSanditon season 3
The third and final season of this beloved Jane Austen adaptation will grace our screens one last time in March. But what can we expect? The official synopsis reads: "Series three brings viewers back to the burgeoning seaside resort of Sanditon following the romances, friendships, and struggles of Charlotte, Georgiana, the Parker family and the Denhams. But will new visitors to the picturesque coastal town ruffle some feathers amongst our stalwarts of Sanditon?"
The Great season 3
One of the greatest period dramas is back for a third season of absurd chaos in the Russian court as Catherine the Great rules over her people - including the dethroned Tsar, Peter - with whom she has a hilariously complicated relationship. We can't wait for that and more to be explored in the new instalment starring the incredible Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult.
Funny Woman
Starring Gemma Arterton, the story follows Barbara Parker. Working in a Blackpool rock factory in the 1960s, she decides to become a sitcom star, battling to make herself known in the male-dominated world. Based on Nick Hornby's bestselling novel of the same name.
© Photo: SkyPerry Mason
Ready for more of Matthew Rhys as the 1930s detective? The plot synopsis reads: "Months after the Dodson case has come to an end, the scion of a powerful oil family is brutally murdered. When the DA goes to the city's Hoovervilles to pinpoint the most obvious of suspects, Perry, Della, and Paul find themselves at the center of a case that will uncover far reaching conspiracies and force them to reckon with what it truly means to be guilty."
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