The Downton Abbey franchise may have come to an end, but fans of the genre need look no further. Show creators have called time on the beloved series, which concluded with its third feature film, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, released last year. Express.co.uk counts down the best period dramas for Downton Abbey fans to binge-watch.
6. North and South
North and South is a four-part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's love story of Margaret Hale, a middle-class southerner forced to move to the northern town of Milton. The BBC's 2004 miniseries stars Daniela Denby-Ash as Margaret and Richard Armitage as mill-owner John Thornton. Newcomers often find themselves riveted and watch it all at once.
5. Berkeley Square
Set in 1902, this 1998 British period drama miniseries focuses on three young nannies employed by wealthy families on exclusive Berkeley Square in London. Starring Tabitha Wady, Victoria Smurfit, and Claire Wilkie, the 10-episode show follows their lives and friendships, and continues to be praised by fans.
4. Lark Rise to Candleford
An adaptation of Flora Thompson's memoir, this BBC series aired from 2008 to 2011 and follows daily life in the hamlet of Lark Rise and the market town of Candleford. Starring Julia Sawalha, Olivia Hallinan, and Brendan Coyle, it has been recognized as the best BBC period drama by Screen Rant.
3. Cranford
This comic drama about a small Cheshire town in the 1840s was adapted from Elizabeth Gaskell's novels. The five-part series, first aired in 2007, features an ensemble cast including Dame Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, and Tom Hiddleston. It follows a group of women wrestling with modernity and change.
