I have this compulsive need to make lists. I struggled in vain to narrow down the list of period films that I've featured on this site to compile a "Top Ten". On C19, the question was asked, "What are your top 5?" which made me realize that although I could not limit my faves to only 5, I could at least make a list of 5 groupings. It's a cop out I know...
(I've updated this page to reflect that Downton Abbey has officially taken over the #1 spot as my favourite period drama! I don't think I'm alone in being swept up with Downton fever! As of today, I've dedicated 88 posts to the series!)
1. I love the adaptations based on Elizabeth Gaskell. Austen got me hooked on period dramas but the Gaskell series move me emotionally and capture such sweet moments that they get my #1 vote. That includes my favourite drama Wives and Daughters, North and South, and Cranford! I love the ladies of Cranford!
2. It seems too obvious to state but almost anything by Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice '95, Sense & Sensibility '95 with an approving nod to the 2008 series, Amanda Root's Persuasion, Frances O'Connor's Mansfield Park, and Gwyneth's Emma. I also was pleasantly surprised by Northanger Abbey or any of the variations on Jane Austen (Lost in Austen, Becoming Jane and Miss Austen Regrets!)
3. I've discovered a new appreciation for anything Dickensian! (Little Dorrit, Bleak House, Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, and of course Bella and John in Our Mutual Friend!)
4. I also would like to give a vote to my homegirl, Lucy Maude Montgomery and the classic Anne of Green Gables (1&2 but not 3 or the latest prequel) and the enchanting series of Road to Avonlea!5. Honourable mentions: Other miniseries that I would have to include are Berkeley Square, Forsyte Saga, Daniel Deronda, The Lost Prince, Buccaneers, Jane Eyre (2006) and Marguerite Volant, all of which held me captivated! I'd also have to include all the historical films based on the British monarchy especially The Young Victoria! Other films that have captivated me are listed below.
