Come for the Periods, Stay for the Dramas

Hey, friends! The world is on fire! I think the occasional respite is a good idea, so I’ll be sharing my thoughts on some period dramas I love (and perhaps some I have mixed feelings about) on a monthly-ish basis for the foreseeable future, by which I mean, probably until the dollar fully collapses and I become an early casualty of the water wars.

Am I a trained historian? No. But am I a trained film critic? Also no. BUT do I have many passionate opinions about history, much of which I’ve read about, and history-inspired media, much of which I’ve seen? Heck yeah. Honestly, by 2025 standards, I’m overqualified to run the Library of Congress. Let’s do this.

If you know me, and/or if you’ve listened to my limited-run podcast about screen adaptations of Jane Eyre (Back on the Eyre, eight episodes plus two bonus episodes, available in all the podcast places), you’ll have some idea of what to expect: irreverent enthusiasm, varying degrees of background knowledge, and wholly subjective takes.

As with the podcast, familiarity with a featured movie or show may enhance your experience but is definitely optional. I’ll be adopting a recap-centric approach here, so you can follow along even if you’ve never seen the work in question. I’ll cover what happens in the movie or show, my thoughts on its relationship to historical accuracy, and what I like best or find most striking about it as a piece of art.

I’ll aim to keep my posts short and snappy enough that you can read them over a light breakfast or while you wait for your dryer’s shortest cycle to finish. My goal is to give you a few quiet minutes, a few chances to chuckle, and maybe even a few solid viewing recs. Let’s hang out and think about period dramas together.