In honour of Halloween and a general spooky season, I thought it was finally time to look at some darker period dramas. I personally tend to gravitate towards lighter fare (being the scaredy-cat that I am), but occasionally a darker show grabs me. (Downton Abbey, for example, has its dark moments but it also balances out with easier watching.) If you are looking for something dark and mysterious to watch for Halloween but don’t want horror, I’ve got you covered. These are my five favourite dark period dramas to get into the creepy spirit….
Warning: these ere more on the side of creepy and/or disturbing rather than a hack and slash, violent type of list. Those period dramas are certainly out there to watch, but I’ve not seen them to recommend any…Now, onto my favourite darker period dramas!
Death Comes to Pemberley (2014)
Why Is It Dark: If you are unfamiliar with Death Comes to Pemberley, crime novelist P.D. James wrote a murder mystery that takes place after Elizabeth and Darcy have married. One of the reasons I love Austen’s works is that she covers some fairly difficult and heavy topics with a lighter hand (a rare talent), but a murder in Austen’s world takes it quite a bit darker.
Why I Love This Show: As I said above, I adore Jane Austen’s works. I’m fairly open to adaptations but I find that many can fall wide of the mark. James specifically wrote her novel to imitate Austen’s style and voice, and so I think both the book and show have the feel of Austen. As someone who doesn’t love dark and scary things, this is a great “entry” point if I want mystery without being terrified.
Accuracy: N/A, based on fiction book
The White Princess (2017)
Why Is It Dark: Set in the early to middle reign of King Henry VII, it portrays a difficult and treacherous time in English history. It also highlights just how dangerous it was to be a woman in this period of history.
Why I Love This Show: If you didn’t know this about me, Elizabeth of York is one of my favourite historical figures. I think that she is largely ignored for a few reasons: firstly, we don’t have many surviving sources on her life, so we just don’t know that much in terms of specifics. Secondly, her son (and his wives) and her granddaughter tend to steal the spotlight constantly, with no one else getting any air time.
While this show is not in any way accurate*, I loved getting to see Elizabeth on screen- Jody Cormier of course does an incredible job. And being a Philippa Gregory series, it had a fantastic budget.
Accuracy: Not in the least accurate but highly entertaining
*I actually didn’t see the first series, The White Queen, until after I saw The White Princess, so the incest insistance was not really prominent in my watching. What is with Gregory and incest? I suggest skipping to TWP to avoid that…
The Miniaturist (2017)
Why Is It Dark: The Miniaturist is a very human novel and show, and as such, you see the darker side of human emotions and actions. I also found the show quite creepy, in that you don’t know if there are supernatural (and malevolent?) forces at work, and that always makes for a darker show.
Why I Love This Show: Anna Joy Taylor is always a lot of fun to watch, so that is a big factor for this show. However, I really enjoyed Jessie Burton’s novel that it is based on. I wasn’t expecting to be drawn into this complex and mysterious world in seventeenth century in Amsterdam but I read it in one sitting. And when I saw that a show was being produced, I knew I would also love it.
Accuracy: N/A, based on fiction book
Mrs. Wilson (2018)
Why Is It Dark: This show is another very human show, which makes it terrifying in its own way. The titular Mrs. Wilson’s husband passes away in 1963, and after his death, she discovers an entirely separate family and lives (yes, plural). What I find so dark and upsetting is the idea that you think you can know someone and build a life with them and really not know them at all.
Why I Love This Show: Ruth Wilson stars in this show- while she is a fantastic actress, it is rather a haunting portrayal because the Mrs. Wilson in question is Ruth’s grandmother.
Accuracy: I am going to guess that this show is mostly accurate- as of the time of airing, Alec Wilson’s files had yet to be released. Given that the family was involved in filming, I would say that it is accurate to what they know!
And Then There Were None (2015)
Why Is It Dark: Well, quite frankly, several people are sneakily murdered on a mostly-deserted island, and I don’t know a darker mystery. I’ve always found secret, unsolved murders very terrifying. At least in slasher movies, you’ve got a guy in a mask with a chainsaw in front of you- in And Then There Were None, you leave the room for a second and another person is dead.
Why I Love This Show: I think that Agatha Christie was a brilliant writer, and ATTWN is her best book by far. She set out to write a book that people couldn’t guess the ending to, and I think she more than succeeded. I also think that this story translates very well to the screen- this cast did an amazing job.
Accuracy: N/A, based on fiction book
What are your favourite darker period dramas?
Cheers,
The Historian
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