7 Underrated Period Dramas Currently on Netflix to Binge in One Weekend

Take a break from the usual suspects and check out these underrated historical series, all under 8 hours long and available to stream on Netflix.

Women at War

Hours to Binge: 8

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

In 1914, the lives of four women begin to intersect. They are Marguerite, a mysterious Parisian sex worker with a secret; Caroline, who has been thrust to the head of her family’s truck factory; Mother Agnès, head of a convent; and Suzanne, a nurse with a feminist bent.

This French-language series has been a hit internationally, but was criminally underappreciated in North America. Although the first episode starts a bit slowly, it’s not long before the action starts to hit.

The Irregulars

Hours to Binge: 8

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

This supernatural twist on an old classic features the Irregulars of Baker Street, young street urchins hired to work for Sherlock Holmes. But in this world, Holmes is missing, Dr. Watson is a shadowy and mysterious figure, and Victorian London is being haunted by increasingly sinister and otherworldly forces.

Netflix didn’t renew this series for a second season, but luckily its writers were smart enough to wrap the story up rather than leaving it on a cliffhanger – making it perfect to binge over a weekend and leave you satisfied.

Creature

Hours to Binge: 8

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

The historical drama category is littered with romance and court intrigue, but this Frankenstein- inspired series from Turkey runs more along the vein of sci-fi and horror.

Ziya is born with a brilliant mind and a passion for learning. But after the death of his mother, he becomes slowly obsessed with finding the “cure” for mortality. When he meets Ihsan, a mad scientist, their passions result in the creation of a new creature – but Ziya abandons it in disgust, leading to tragedy for all involved.

The English Game

Hours to Binge: 6

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%

Developed for Netflix by Julian Fellows (Downton Abbey ), this limited edition series tells the true story of how modern-day English football (that’s soccer to you Americans out there) came to be.

It’s 1870, and football is a sport played by the upper-crust. Two footballers from opposite sides of the class divide come together and change the game forever, even as English society itself is beginning to shift beneath their feet.

Heirs to the Land

Hours to Binge: 8

Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

In 14th century Barcelona, young Hugo Llor dreams of becoming a shipbuilder. Separated from his family, he works to make a name for himself in a dangerous world of oppression and violence.

Based on the popular novel by Ildefonso Falcones, Heirs to the Land is a Spanish language series that you can watch with subtitles or dubbed.

Frontier

Hours to Binge: 6 (Season 1)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

It’s the 1700s, and the Hudson’s Bay Company is one of the most unstoppable forces in the world. That’s why outlaw trapper Declan Harp (Jason Momoa) makes it his mission to break their monopoly on the fur trade, a decision that leads to all out war between the frontiersman and the company.

Admittedly there are three seasons of Frontier, so it would take 18 hours if you were committing to doing the whole thing in one weekend. But we believe in you!

The Law According to Lidia Poët

Hours to Binge: 6

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Inspired by the true story of Italy’s first female lawyer, this fast-paced series follows Lidia as she becomes the first woman admitted to the bar in her country – only to have her profession denied to her because of her sex.

While Lidia fights for her right to practice the law in court, she pays the bills by working for her brother’s law firm, where she uses her wit and guiles to help with his cases.

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