28 March 2025
Love Downton Abbey? These series should be on your watchlist
What is it about historical dramas that makes them so compelling? Perhaps it’s nostalgia for what seemed like a simpler time. Or the pure escapism of the gorgeous costumes, sets and olde-worlde language. Whatever it is, the good news is that there are so many excellent period dramas around these days. Here’s our pick of the series we think Downton Abbey fans will enjoy.
Billy The Kid S2 | Binge now
Billy the Kid returns for an epic second season starring Tom Blyth (Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as the infamous outlaw.
Already renewed for a third season, the epic romantic adventure from Vikings creator Michael Hirst traces the life of Billy the Kid from his humble Irish roots and his early days as a cowboy and gunslinger in the American frontier to his pivotal role in the Lincoln County War and beyond.
Belgravia: The Next Chapter
An enthralling period drama set in the 1800s. A couple’s happiness is threatened by the scandalous world of high society that has long-buried family secrets. Watch now »
Ten Pound Poms
A British period drama filled with broken promises. After post-war Britain, a group leave for Australia. The Roberts family tries to make the best of their situation, but life at the shelter tests them. Watch now »
1923
Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren drive Taylor Sheridan’s powerful prequel of Yellowstone. Set in the early 20th century, The Duttons face new challenges, from the Western expansion to the Great Depression. Watch now »
World on Fire S2
Four years after its acclaimed first season, the World War II series World on Fire is back. The ensemble series is set between 1940-1941, taking us from the war-torn streets of Britain and the start of the Blitz in Manchester deep into Nazi Germany, the resistance within occupied France, and the brutal sands of the North African desert, including the Siege of Tobruk and Operation Compass. Watch now »
Gentleman Jack S1
Yorkshire, England, 1832. Landowner Anne Lister will do whatever it takes to save her ancestral home, and that includes marrying well – but not to a man. Based on the story of the real-life Anne and her search for a wife. This may be an unusual love story for the time, but it features all the same social politics, romance and scandal you’d expect from a period drama. It also features a grand old manor house in the English countryside. Watch now »
The Gilded Age S1-2
Oscar winner Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, delivers a mesmerising HBO drama set in 1882. When rural girl moves to New York after her father’s death, she finds herself entangled in a social war. Both Seasons 1 and 2 are ready to binge-watch on Showmax. Watch now »
More enthralling series to stream
Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor: Growing old disgracefully
In Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor, Pierre van Pletzen transforms a retirement home from a funeral parlour’s waiting room into a prison riot! And if you love a white-haired rebel, we have 10 more stories for you to stream.
Made in South Africa
April’s fools: Catch 10 of SNL’s biggest stars on Showmax
Documentary series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night takes us behind the scenes of the longest-running sketch comedy series in the US. And while you might not know the show, you do know its stars!
Your Plan B Afrikaans crime watch
Arnold Vosloo is here to demonstrate the art to planning the perfect heist – after he spots a cozy little Vermeer – in the series Plan B. And if you’re on a crime watch, we have 10 more Afrikaans series to try.
Made in South Africa
Love Downton Abbey? These series should be on your watchlist
Travel back in time with these historical dramas, all packed with family scandals, dirty secrets and skeletons in the closet.