The BBC's returning historical drama Wolf Hall has gripped the nation over the past few weeks. The hit period show, starring Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, follows Thomas Cromwell's rise to power under the tyrannical rule of King Henry VIII.
But now that the series has drawn to a dramatic close, you might be on the hunt for your next TV binge. Look no further, here are five shows that are guaranteed to fill the Wolf Hall-shaped hole in your Sunday evening viewing schedule.
© BritBox / ITVVictoria
Watch on ITVX and Netflix
Another royal drama, ITV's Victoria dramatises the early life of the titular monarch, depicting her accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 and her marriage to Prince Albert.
Season one spans 1837 to 1840 and focuses on the monarch's courtship with Albert as well as her close relationship with Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. The next two seasons follow Victoria, Albert and their children later in life as the royal contends with revolutions on the continent and uncertainty around the monarchy.
Like Wolf Hall, Victoria boasts a star-studded cast led by Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes.
Shardlake
Watch on Disney+
Intrigued by the compelling life of Thomas Cromwell? Look no further.
Disney+'s four-part whodunnit sees Sean Bean take on the role of Cromwell, who instructs his shrewd lawyer Shardlake to investigate the murder of one of his commissioners at a monastery. With his political career on the line, Cromwell dispatches Shardlake and his sidekick Jack Barak to Scarnsea, where they receive a frosty welcome from paranoid and suspicious monks who are desperate to preserve their order.
© Rory Mulvey/ SKY UKMary & George
Watch on Sky, NOW and Starz
Like Wolf Hall, this bold Sky drama was met with rave reviews when it arrived on our screens earlier this year. Filled with scandal, affairs and murder, this epic historical series follows the titular mother-and-son duo Mary and George Villiers on their quest for power during the reign of King James I. Julianne Moore stars as Mary, who moulds her son [Nicholas Galitzine] to scheme, seduce, and kill in a bid to conquer the Court of England.
© Christopher Raphael,HuluThe Great
Watch on Channel 4 and Hulu
This satirical black comedy depicts the rise to power of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, who goes from being an outsider to the longest-reigning monarch in the country's history.
Elle Fanning stars as the titular queen as she plots to overthrow her selfish and unpopular husband, Emperor Peter III (Nicholas Hoult).
© BBCThe Hollow Crown
Watch on Prime Video
This critically acclaimed series adapts Shakespeare's history plays, with the first season telling the stories of Richard II, Henry IV & Henry V while the second centres on Henry VI and Richard III. Both seasons boast a star-studded cast, including Ben Whishaw, Patrick Stewart, Tom Hiddleston, Julie Walters, Keeley Hawes, Andrew Scott and Judi Dench – to name a few.
Like Wolf Hall, this BBC series dramatises one of Britain's most politically turbulent periods – and it doesn't disappoint.
© Courtesy of NetflixThe Empress
Watch on Netflix
Just like Wolf Hall, this historical epic went down a storm with viewers when it launched on Netflix back in 2022 and topped the platform's global rankings for non-English language series.
Based on Gigi Griffis' novel of the same name, The Empress tells the true love story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Emperor Franz Joseph and how their romance impacted the royal court.
© Jonathan PrimeMy Lady Jane
Watch on Prime Video.
While Prime Video's period romance is a little less traditional than Wolf Hall's depiction of the Tudor period, it's just as gripping. This eight-parter is a sexy reimagining of the tragic tale of nine-day queen Lady Jane Grey, who is forced to marry notorious rake, Guildford Dudley. This rip-roaring series features a supernatural twist that sees Tudor England divided into humans, aka Verities, and Ethians, who can take animal form.
