If you’re a Jane Austen fan, it’s a great time to have a TV! Thanks to Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix, there are so many options to see period dramas available in the palm of your hand. While a few are new options, there are others you’ve heard about and wanted to watch or the title might be completely new to your ears. No matter what you choose however, you’ll be so glad you watched it.
5 Dramas Jane Austen Fans Can Stream Right Now
Pop some popcorn and get your life size cutout of Colin Firth from Pride and Prejudice and watch these top 5 selections:
#1. Victoria – If you’ve ever wondered what life was like for Queen Victoria, you have to head over to PBS to watch this brilliant new series starring Jenna Coleman. It follows her early years, specifically when she became queen at the age of 18 and on to her meeting and marrying Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), who was her cousin! Not only are the acting and writing perfection, but those outfits will make you want to go back in time. Other notable performances include Rufus Sewell who plays the Queen’s mentor Lord Melbourne and Ferdinand Kingsley as Chef Francatelli.
#2. The Crown – You can learn about Queen Elizabeth II, who just so happens to be Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, in the highly-lauded Netflix series The Crown. Being Human star Claire Foy takes the reigns as England’s queen in the series with former Doctor Who star Matt Smith by her side playing Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. Similar to Victoria, the show follows Elizabeth’s love story with Phillip as well as Princess Margaret’s broken engagement to Peter Townsend. It was recently announced that former small-screen serial killer Michael C. Hall joined the cast for season two in the role of American president John F. Kennedy.
#3. Lost in Austen – I recently binged this adorable British mini-series that follows Pride and Prejudice heroine Elizabeth Bennet (played by Gemma Arterton) through a secret door that leads her into present day London. She comes face-to-face with her biggest fan Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) and they switch places! Follow this adventure down the rabbit hole as Price falls for Fitzwilliam Darcy—her dream literary man—while trying to wreck things too much for Elizabeth’s family. Imagine if she gets in the middle of one of the greatest love stories ever told?
#4. Death Comes to Pemberley – Have you ever wondered what happens to the characters after your favorite Austen books finish? The BBC series Death Comes to Pemberley, inspired by a novel of the same name, takes you on a journey to Pride and Prejudice six years after Elizabeth (Anna Maxwell Martin) and Darcy (Matthew Rhys) marry via Netflix. One night, George Wickham (Matthew Goode) and Captain Denny (Tom Canton) head into the woods when a fight breaks out. Wickham is confused and Denny is dead. It’s the murder mystery you didn’t know you ever wanted with characters from Austen’s most popular novel.
#5. Austenland – Ok, I’m cheating a little bit with this one because you do have to buy it on iTunes to stream it but it’s so worth it. Austenland is one of the most underrated titles ever! It’s a fun film starring Keri Russell as Miss Lonelyhearts’ Jane Hayes, who is obsessed with Austen’s love stories and wants to find a classic love like Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s all her own. So, she pays to visit an Austen-themed resort in England. She is dressed in era costumes when she arrives and meets a gaggle of women who share her same dreams. Will Jane find her own Darcy or will this whole experience teach her that fairy tales are for suckers?
