Top 5 Amazing Historical Drama Series To Binge-Watch This Weekend

Do you have trouble choosing a binge-worthy historical drama series you would like to watch this weekend? Fret not, in this article we have compiled a list of the top 5 period drama series you should watch at least once in your lifetime. So, without further ado, dive in.

Queen Charlotte

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a prequel to the Netflix series Bridgerton aired in May 2023. It is set against the backdrop of the early 1800s London Regency era, where King George III allowed African-descent aristocrats to inherit titles as a result of his marriage with Queen Charlotte, who was of African heritage.

Queen Charlotte is a romantic period drama that tells the story of Queen Charlotte, who is betrothed to King George III. In a swoon-worthy tale spanning a couple of episodes, the viewers get to witness Queen Charlotte and King George III transition from mere strangers to passionate lovers. If you are fond of British historical drama, you should definitely watch Queen Charlotte on Netflix.

Bridgerton

Bridgerton is a must-watch series for fans who are obsessed with good period dramas. It is based on the book series by Julia Quinn and produced into a show for Netflix by Shondaland. Bridgerton portrays the lives of the aristocratic and noble Bridgerton family, which consists of eight children and their mother, as they navigate the Regency-era society in search of love. It is fans’ favorite historical drama series to watch based on alternate Regency eras despite inaccuracies in historical costumes.

In the first season of the series aired in December 2020, we find Daphne, the eldest daughter, of the Bridgerton family crowned as the season’s diamond, where she navigates the cutthroat and competitive marriage market and emerges victorious by securing a marriage with elusive and desirable Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings.

The second season of the series, which aired in March 2022, tells the tale of the eldest son Anthony of the Bridgerton family, who is now available on the marriage market. We see Anthony Bridgerton, a former rake, promise himself to this season’s diamond, the lovely Edwina Sharma. It’s a conundrum as Anthony finds himself falling for her charming older sister, Kate Sharma. For fans who enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope, you won’t regret watching Bridgerton season 2, where we witness Viscount Anthony meet his match in Viscountess Kate Sharma.

The third season of the series, which aired in May-June 2024 on Netflix, follows the third son of the Bridgerton family, Colin Bridgerton, the object of Penelope’s unrequited crush, and the third daughter of the Featherington family, Penelope Featherington. It is a heartwarming tale where we see our wallflower Penelope Featherington blossom into a confident young lady. It also features a subplot where we see Francesca Bridgerton, the season’s sparkler; enjoy a quiet romance with John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin, in contrast with the slow-burning, passionate romance of Collin and Penelope. You should watch Bridgerton season 3 if you’re interested in the friends-to-lovers trope.

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is one of the top historical drama series that has won most of the awards, including 59 Primetime Emmy Awards. It is based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy historical novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, which includes “Game of Thrones” as the first book in the series.

Game of Thrones tells the haunting tale of inner disputes among noble families which culminates into a bloody war fought over eight seasons in the seven kingdoms of Westeros and Essos by various noble families power-hungry to sit upon the Iron Throne or to become an independent kingdom.

You should watch Game of Thrones if you want to explore a fictional historical world fraught with political conflicts, betrayals, hidden plots and intrigues, prophecies, dragons, magic, and many more.

The Crown

The Crown is one of the best historical drama series, widely acclaimed for its likeness to real-life events. The Crown tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II, starting from her marriage to Prince Phillip Mountbatten in 1947 and concluding with the marriage between Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles in 2005.

The Crown is accredited for being true to real-life events, although conversations behind closed doors are likely to be imagined; it still tries to remain true to real-life facts. The six seasons of The Crown cover six decades and there are three different actresses who portray Queen Elizabeth II in this series.

It is a historical drama series involving palace politics, inner conflicts, royalty, psychological turmoil, and much more. If you’re a fan of the British royalty and are curious about the inner workings of the palace, this drama is for you.

House of the Dragon

House of the Dragon is a must-watch historical drama series for fans that have been faithfully following George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. It is a prequel of Game of Thrones, which premiered from 2011-19, and is based on George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood” published in 2018. It portrays the internal succession war between Targaryens, a deposed royalty in Game of Thrones, who are divided into two factions: the Greens and the Blacks.

The events portrayed in House of the Dragon occur 100 years after the conqueror Aegon Targaryen, along with his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys, conquered and united the seven kingdoms of Westeros. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones portrays the events that happened after 200 years of the Blacks vs. Greens succession war.

This deadly and devastating conflict led to the decline of the Targaryen family, pitting brother against brother and sister against sister, culminating in infighting and the unfortunate deaths of all of the dragons. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones and are interested in witnessing the Targaryen family at the height of their power, you must not miss watching this show.

In this article, we have talked about the top 5 historical drama series to binge-watch this weekend. From Queen Charlotte and Bridgerton, which are set in the Regency era, to House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, situated in the fictitious world of Westeros and Essos, and finally The Crown, set in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries of the United Kingdom.