After a bumper period drama year in 2022, there are lots of new period dramas coming up in 2023 which I want to watch.
This post is just my personal pick of new period dramas that I am most looking forward to in 2023 – if you want to see the full list of what is due for release this year in the UK check out the full period drama guide on the blog.
Vikings Valhalla – S2
The sword-swinging, globe-trotting adventure continues. Vikings: Valhalla returns for a second season. Expect more epic antics of the brave trio Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), the most famous Viking explorer in history; his strong-willed sister, Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson); and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), the ambitious prince of Norway.
This show was one of my surprise faves of 2022 – I’m not usually into this period of history – but the story telling and acting was so good. I’m also looking forward to the fact this season will explore the Viking world far beyond Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
Release date – 12th January on Netflix
Babylon
From Damien Chazelle, Babylon is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
I’m really looking forward to this film as I LOVED Chazelle’s La La Land, and the ensemble cast is truly stellar. It’s also one of those films where fiction will blend with true life characters from history – just like one of my fave films of all time, Midnight in Paris.
Release date – 20th January in cinemas
The Ballad of Renegade Nell
I’ve been VERY impressed by the calibre of the original period drama content from Disney+, so I’m very excited for this one. Louisa Harland, of the epic Derry Girls, plays the title role of Nell, a quick-witted and courageous young woman who finds herself framed for murder and unexpectedly becomes the most notorious highwaywoman in 18th Century England.
Release date – To be confirmed
Daisy Jones and The Six
Based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & The Six is a limited musical-drama series detailing the rise and precipitous fall of a renowned rock band. In 1977, Daisy Jones & The Six were on top of the world. Fronted by two charismatic lead singers—Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin)—the band had risen from obscurity to fame. And then, after a sold-out show at Chicago’s Soldier Field, they called it quits. Now, decades later, the band members finally agree to reveal the truth. This is the story of how an iconic band imploded at the height of its powers.
The book was a smash hit so I’m intrigued (and hopeful) to see how the producers have bought it to live for our TV screens.
Release date – 3rd March on Prime Video
Dick Turpin
Comedian Noel Fielding will star as Dick Turpin, the legendary British highwayman for Apple TV+. In this irreverent retelling, Dick is the most famous, but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair. Together with his gang of loveable rogues, Dick rides the highs and lows of celebrity — and does what he can to escape the clutches of the Thief Taker General.
I’ve always had a soft sport for historical comedy – I think its something British TV does really well- so I have high hopes for this series.
Release date – To be confirmed
The Gallows Pole
The Gallows Pole, based on the novel of the same name by Benjamin Myers, fictionalises the remarkable true story of the rise and fall of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners. Set against the backdrop of the coming industrial revolution in 18th century Yorkshire, the compelling drama follows the enigmatic David Hartley, played by Michael Socha, as he assembles a gang of weavers and land-workers to embark upon a revolutionary criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy and become the biggest fraud in British history.
This will be the 18th Century – viewed through a more anarchic lens!
Release date – to be confirmed
Firebrand
Finally! A film about one of Henry VIII’s wives who isn’t Anne Boleyn!
Firebrand is billed as “a psychological horror tale set in the bloody Tudor court with a focus on Queen Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII, and the only one to avoid banishment or death.” So think more psychological thriller than bodice-ripper! Starring Oscar winner Alicia Vikander as Catherine with Jude Law as Henry VIII, I think we can expect good things from this one.
Production on the film began in May 2022, so we can confidently expect a 2023 release date. In the meantime why not read The Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle? It’s the historical novel upon which the film is based!
Release date – to be confirmed
Napoleon
The formerly-titled Kitbag sees Joaquin Pheonix reunite with director Ridley Scott to take on the role of one of the most famous figures from French history, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The film will give a different take on the story of Napoleon’s rise to the top of French politics. It will be viewed through the prism of his complex relationship with his one true love, Josephine Beauharnais. The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby will play the famous Empress after Jodie Comer was forced to pull out.
Release date – to be confirmed
Lee
Lee will star Kate Winslet as the pioneering American war correspondent and photographer who covered WWII in Europe for British Vogue. However, the film is not a biopic. Instead it explores the most significant decade of Lee Miller’s life.
Lee Miller defied the expectations and rules of the time and travelled to Europe to report from the frontline. Her photographs of the war, its victims and its consequences remain among the most significant and historically important of the second world war. She changed war photography forever, but Lee paid an enormous personal price for what she witnessed and the stories she fought to tell.
Release date – To be confirmed
My Lady Jane
In 1553, Lady Jane Grey was crowned Queen of England. Nine days later, she lost the throne—and shortly thereafter, her head. But what if history were different?
My Lady Jane is a satirical comedic fantasy series that reimagines the rise and reign of Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader). When her ambitious mother sells Jane’s hand to the highest bidder, Jane is dismayed to discover that her dreaded husband-to-be, Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel), is an infuriatingly attractive stranger with a dark secret, one that has the potential to get them both killed. But there are greater conspiracies afoot, like a plot to murder her cousin, King Edward, and throw the entire kingdom into chaos.
Release date – To be confirmed
The Last Kingdom – Seven Kings Must Die
I’ve only just started getting into smash Netflix series The Last Kingdom – but I LOVE it! As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred — born a Saxon but raised by Vikings — seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.
The series was so popular there will now be an epic two hour movie sequel – but details of the exact storyline are being kept underwraps.
Release date – to be confirmed
The New Look
One for all the fashion history lovers! Inspired by true events and filmed exclusively in Paris The New Look is set to be a live-action, World War II-era thriller that centres on the pivotal moment in the twentieth century when Paris led the world back to life through its fashion icon, Christian Dior (played by Ben Mendelsohn), whose creations dominated world fashion in the decade following World War II.
The interwoven saga will include the surprising stories of Dior’s contemporaries and rivals: the grand dame Coco Chanel (played by Oscar winner Juliette Binoche), Balmain, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and more.
Release date – To be confirmed
Mary and George
Academy Award and BAFTA-winning actor Julianne Moore is to star in the new Sky Original drama Mary & George, a deliciously dangerous eight-part limited series based on the true story of Mary Villiers, who moulded her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover.
Through outrageous scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become the richest, most titled, and influential mother and son England had ever seen. The series is due to begin filming in early 2023 and debut later on in the year.
Air date – To be confirmed
Queen Charlotte – A Bridgerton Story
This Bridgerton spin off has been on the radar for a while now – and featured in my period dramas about queens post I wrote last year.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story tells the story of the young monarch in the days before her excellent wigs and her quest to uncover the identity of Lady Whistledown. The series delves into Charlotte’s and King George III’s (Corey Mylchreest) great love story and how it sparked a societal shift, creating the world of the ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.
Release date – To be confirmed
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton’s Costa Award-winning debut The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle will be adapted as a seven-part series for Netflix UK. The story is a high-concept murder mystery set during a weekend party at a crumbling mansion where the narrator must repeat the same day over and over again until he can identify the killer of the beautiful young heiress, Evelyn Hardcastle, and break the cycle.
Much like Daisy Jones and The Six, I predict this new period drama will be a smash as the book was just so popular!
Release date – To be confirmed
So there you have it! All the new period dramas in 2023 I’m looking forward to watching! Let me know which ones you will be heading to the cinema to see in the comments below.
Liked this post? Then why not check out one of my other blog posts about period dramas? And don’t forget to bookmark my 2023 period drama guide so you can easily find ALL the new period dramas in 2023.
