As MASTERPIECE staffers, we often hear from fans about the particular shows you love. But more than anything, you feel like you’re being let it on the secrets your schoolbooks never shared with you. Let’s celebrate the best of PBS and pick our faves! Suffice it to say that the family continue to have their adventures, but the feeling of things winding down is acute in these last episodes. —Allison Keene, Created by: Julian Fellowes Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Laura Carmichael, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Watch on Peacock It deviates a little from typical Austen narratives with its spooky trappings, but it still gives us an incredibly sweet romance (hindered initially by money, of course) and a host of charming performances from a young Felicity Jones, Carey Mulligan, and JJ Field. Watch on PBS Passport The girl -- wearing a blue and gold turban and an oversized pearl earring -- is the entire focus with only a dark backdrop behind her. Created by familiar BBC scribe Andrew Davies, Selfridge focuses on the American founder of the very British luxury department store named after him during the Edwardian period. When people talk about the current golden age of TV, they’re usually referring to big, serious dramas like Breaking Bad or The Wire. His pious sister doesn’t either, and after feeling trapped in their oddly sparse Amsterdam house, she’s gifted a dollhouse that is a replica of the one in which she lives. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Explore all the great shows as seen on MASTERPIECE on PBS -- Victoria, Poldark, Sherlock, Downton Abbey and more! Masterpiece Classic airs in the winter and early spring, Masterpiece Mystery! Ross Poldark, an officer in the British army, returns home to his family estates in Cornwall to discover that not only was he presumed dead, but his father has died, the woman he loves is marrying his cousin, and he has a mountain of debts and no obvious way to raise the funds. Quality has been up and down since then, but "Sherlock" helped make Cumberbatch an international star and raised Freeman's profile considerably. But it’s never too late to catch up! like Frontline, NOVA, Sesame Street, The Joy of Painting and Arthur, but it’s also full of great UK period pieces and crime series. To put it another way: In Prime Suspect, Mirren delivers one of the most brilliant, influential performances in the history of the medium. It's the portrait of a woman, said to be named Lisa Gherardini, painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506. Taking place in the twilight of the British Raj circa 1932, Indian Summers is (thankfully) not sympathetic or nostalgic for this fraught time in history. —Lacy Baugher, Created by: Sandy Welch Stars: Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller, Michael Gambon, Louise Dylan, Rupert Evans, Tamsin Greig, The most important aspect of any Emma adaptation is the chemistry between Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightly. And if you are just now considering catching up, you are in for a treat. Honorable Mention (not currently streaming on the aforementioned services, but may be found elsewhere): Call the Midwife, House of Cards (1990), Wives and Daughters, Jeeves and Wooster, Birdsong, Created by: Simon Nye Stars: Keeley Hawes, Milo Parker, Josh O’Connor, Daisy Waterstone, Callum Woodhouse, Alexis Georgoulis, Yorgos Karamihos, Watch on Amazon Prime There is a lovely, simmering romantic storyline here as well in the form of Matthew Macfadyen’s Arthur Clennam, as well as a wonderfully bizarre performance from Andy Serkis. —Allison Keene, Created by: Daisy Coulam Stars: James Norton, Robson Green, Tom Brittney, Morven Christie, Tessa Peake-Jones, There are two things the UK is really great at producing: vicars and murder mysteries. If you can, give. As the seasons progressed, many more tragedies would befall the Crawley family, making for some of most compelling television in recent memory, and all capped off with one of TV’s most satisfying finales (and then, another hugely satisfying movie). Viewers get to see both sides throughout each season’s case: the detective work and the personal lives of those connected to it—one of whom is ultimately the perpetrator. —Allison Keene, Created by: Peter Straughan Stars: Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, Bernard Hill, Anton Lesser, Mark Gatiss, Based on the best-selling historical novel series by Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall stars Mark Rylance (everyone’s favorite award-winning, poetry-spouting thespian) as Thomas Cromwell, the lawyer and statesman who ended up rising through the ranks (via a combination of sheer intelligence and Machiavellian manipulation) to become the right-hand man of King Henry VIII. It is a soothing, deeply engaging alternative to the sound of fury of so many current dramas. The 15 Best PBS Shows to Watch Right Now. —Amanda Schurr, Created by: Andrew Davies Stars: Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Ton Courtenay, Andy Serkis, Eddie Marsan, Arthur Darvill, Most people discovered the exceptional talent of Claire Foy while watching The Crown, but those who watched the 2008 miniseries Little Dorrit (part of the BBC’s well-received run of adapting some lesser-known Dickens works by Andrew Davies) had an early heads-up. Watch on HBO Max, Kenneth Branagh is marvelous in this moody procedural based on the novels of Henning Mankell, and the original Swedish film adaptations. Tom Hardy ("Mad Max: Fury Road") played Heathcliff, and Andrew Lincoln ("The Walking Dead") played Edgar Linton, with Charlotte Riley as the headstrong Catherine Earnshaw. The miniseries is perfect for those who love the flavor of Jane Austin but want an unexpected storyline with a touch of the erotic. June 25 brings the debut of "Prime Suspect: Tennison," another "Masterpiece Mystery" prequel, this one to the original "Prime Suspect" series of dramas, which helped make Helen Mirren a star. Popularity is based on millions of responses from the American public and YouGov's innovative survey methodology. Some of those alternate viewing destinations are included below. The original, starring co-creators Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, premiered in 1971, and became a hit, winning Emmy awards and setting a template borrowed by scores of other shows in the decades since. The cast was first-rate, and Fellowes' storytelling balanced tenderly handled tragedy with crisp humor. But like so much in the streaming world, just because we once saw these shows on PBS doesn’t mean you can find them there today (RIP forever the OG Anne of Green Gables miniseries). In the 1939 movie version, Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon break our hearts. This Les Misérables may be the best one yet. All Rights Reserved, Group 2: Available on Amazon via a PBS Masterpiece Subscription. James' novel, which borrowed characters and settings from "Pride and Prejudice," and added a murder mystery. 3 of the best quirkily romantic TV shows 3 of the best romantic fantasy/sci fi shows. —Allison Keene, Created by: Sally Wainwright Stars: Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, Sarah Lancashire, Nicola Walker, On the surface, Last Tango in Halifax looks like a sweet but slight story of two British widowers who knew each other in childhood and who find each other again to rekindle a lost love. More Coverage. 3,731 96 Best Films With a 99% Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Lushly produced, it should not be mistaken for high art so much as engrossing melodrama. They don't have as many individual titles as some of the other services, but they make up for it in having a lot of big-name, recent dramas. Which ones weren't exactly masterpieces? Oh, big-time. Both feature young women being pushed very suddenly into a royal role they had not been expecting, facing difficulties living under constant public scrutiny, and fighting to command respect from men who do no think them up to the task. You can also choose to pay for the PBS Masterpiece add-on via Amazon Prime (additional $5.99/month), which gives you another host of great options. —Keri Lumm, Look, if Lucy Worsley wants to tell you something about history, probably focused around the Tudor, Regency, or Victorian eras, you listen ok? Most Romantic Movies of All Time. Watch on PBS Passport, Mr. Selfridge is the Masterpiece series for those who thought Downton Abbey didn’t feature enough sex, gangsters, or Americans. The impossibly charming host is not just a walking encyclopedia, she brings an incredible amount of enthusiasm to these programs that might have otherwise been a snooze fest. It’s an artful complement to the detective’s largely internal struggle, which also includes issues with his adult daughter and Alzheimer’s-afflicted dad (David Warner, exceptional as ever). No matter what route you choose, you can rest assured that everything featured on PBS Masterpiece is good. Full stop. There’s even a Piven lookalike (Emun Elliott) as the titular store’s too-suave owner. In the style of Bleak House which came before it, this miniseries has the time and space to explore all of Dickens many side characters and subplots, but the beating heart of the series is Foy’s Amy Dorrit. His Poirot is a comprehensive character study, and a terrifically fun one at that. The cast included such solid performers as Matthew Rhys ("The Americans") as Mr. Darcy, now wed to Elizabeth Bennet. And let's face it, any series that brings us a chance to watch Maggie Smith deliver lines like "What is a weekend?" with such witty style deserves to be hailed as a classic. But even with all that, "Downton Abbey" was an absolute joy to watch, with its total commitment to escapism, sumptuous costumes and set decoration and affection for its characters' flaws and foibles. As they decipher the clues and patterns, the ladies must juggle their sleuthing efforts with their newly civilian lives—to avoid suspicion, de facto leader Susan (Anna Maxwell Martin) and co. tell their husbands they’re in a book club. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. It’s excellent family entertainment that’s saucier than Disney but more restrained than late-night basic cable (although Sanditon and Indian Summers makes one question that). Those have, over the years, mostly been part of Masterpiece Theater, Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Mystery, and Masterpiece Contemporary. In 2002, a well-received new version (which was in color, unlike the black-and-white 1967 original) of the drama about a well-to-do family was produced, with an impressive cast that included Damian Lewis, Gina McKee, Rupert Graves and Ioan Gruffudd. Starring heartthrob Theo James as Sidney Parker and the beautiful Rose Williams as Charlotte Heyward, fans of Austen get to see Andrew Davies’ perception of how things end. Northanger Abbey, meant to be a spoof of sorts about gothic dramas and the girls who love them, is very fun and frothy. The shows with the highest IMDb score are ranked the highest, with #1 being the best TV show of all time, as rated by IMDb users, and with ties broken by the number of votes. "Prime Suspect: Tennison" isn't likely to be as well remembered as the series that inspired it. However, there are two routes you can take to watch the bulk of the best that Masterpiece has to offer. —Allison Keene, Created by: Andrew Davies Stars: Denis Lawson, Anna Maxwell Martin, Patrick Kennedy, Carey Mulligan, Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, Alun Armstrong, Timothy West, Burn Gorman, In the mid-aughts, the BBC decided to adapt (once again) a host of lesser-known works by Charles Dickens, starting with Bleak House. —Mark Rozeman and Allison Keene, Created by: John Brownlow Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Romola Garai, Alex Hassell, Hayley Squires, Paapa Essiedu, The Miniaturist is not a horror series, but it is certainly spooky and not without a few jump scares that augment its dramatic reveals. Wolf Hall’s primary strength, however, lies in depicting the fascinating machinations of 16th century politics, the importance of religious freedom and reform, and how a few choice whispers can so drastically influence the progression of history. —Matt Brennan, Created by: Sue Birtwistle, Susie Conklin Stars: Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Simon Woods, Michael Gambon, Lisa Dillon, Claudie Blakley, Based on three charming novels by Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford is a gentle, humorous, and warm-hearted chronicle of life in rural England in the 1840s. (Check out the 2013 documentary Being Poirot for more about the actor’s career-defining role.) Running for four seasons, the series had a strong start and waned a bit as it continued (as its plot became increasingly ludicrous and key actors came and went), but it was always entertaining, providing a host of unforgettable characters who emotional impressions far outlast the series. in the late spring and summer, and Masterpiece Contemporary in the fall. The series is loosely based on the real story of the Durrells in a trilogy written by Louisa’s youngest son Gerry (portrayed in the series by Milo Parker). The acting prods the lines around it with sly good cheer. Sally Wainwright’s series can take soapy twists and turns, but it’s always anchored by outstanding performances from the four leads and a cozy sense of home (home meaning either the posh side of the family or the farmer side, depending). Fans of sumptuous costume dramas will find plenty to love in the series’ lavish production design, while those seeking the images of esteemed European actors bouncing off each other will also have a lot to savor. —Allison Keene, Created by: John Galsworthy, Stephen Mallatratt Stars: Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves, Gina McKee, Corin Redgrave, Ioan Gruffudd, Before Downton Abbey, there was The Forsyte Saga. There have been many prior versions of the tale, and most of them condense it to two or three hours. ... was a beautiful masterpiece that featured its own unique ... satire requires no explanation for its place as one of the best shows of all time. Anchored by outstanding performances, the series shines in its quiet moments of personal fortitude and in confronting one’s own biases in endlessly intriguing ways. Yup. Taped in real time, with mistakes left in, ... inside and outside The Times, on the best TV show to binge while stuck at home. Murder conviction? "Prime Suspect: Tennison" isn't likely to be as well remembered as the series that inspired it. Around the same time the BBC started adapting lesser-known Dickens works into a miniseries format written by Andrew Davies, so too did it bring us some of the lesser-appreciated Jane Austen works (from Davies, naturally). Susan, Lucy, Millie and Jean reunite a decade later, in 1952, to track a serial killer. (Durrells has a total of 26 episodes, which is not an insurmountable number even in Peak TV!) Another historical drama about royalty, "Victoria" suffered in Season 1 from mediocre writing and the fact that the real Queen Victoria (Jenna Coleman) and her beloved husband, Prince Albert (Ton Hughes), came across as less interesting than the tumultuous era in which they lived. Leonardo expresses the human condition in a nutshell – indeed, his rendition of the womb resembles an opened horsechestnut casing. If you have never experienced a Lucy Worsley history documentary well, get ready for full immersion (and eventually, obsession). The 11-hour series earned an Emmy for the late Laurence Olivier and catapulted Jeremy Irons into a successful, Oscar-winning career. The 2015 miniseries adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novels about Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance), Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) and Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy) wasn't perhaps as engrossing as it might have been. Cancelled after just two seasons, the charmingly messy Indian Summers may not quite end on a satisfying note, but the journey is one worth taking. Miniseries allow viewers to take comfort in knowing the story has a decent ending. The young Louisa is ambitious–‘I just want to be the best cook in England, that’s all I want to be…’ She sets out to do just that against all the odds. —Bonnie Stiernberg, Created by: Chris Lang Stars: Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, In the compelling modern crime series Unforgotten, DCI Cassie Stuart (an always-excellent and recently ubiquitous Nicola Walker) and DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) doggedly pursue cold case murders and disappearances. The beauty of turning Les Misérables into a (non-musical) miniseries is that we get a long view of the characters, finding new sides to well-known figures—Lily Collins’ Fantine, Dominic West’s Jean Valjean, David Oyelowo’s Javert—and finding depth in those, like Olivia Colman’s Madame Thénardier, who often come across as one-note. There's certainly room for improvement. But Sanditon, a book with no ending, was given life as a PBS miniseries. We’ve winnowed the many, many Masterpiece Theatre classics down to a highly subjective list — now you battle it out. Enjoy! The standard by which all working-class sitcoms are still measured had a fitful beginning. This 2018 retelling of the novel—which many people familiar with the story through the stage musical and its screen adaptations may not have actually read—is brought to you by Masterpiece, and it lives up to the name. The early Roman Empire, as depicted in "I, Claudius," was a snakepit of ruthless cruelty, in which characters who showed a glimmer of humanity either lived to regret it, or didn't live long at all. Broadcasting British-made adaptations of classics we remember from high school English class is a "Masterpiece" mainstay. Hosts have included the British Alistair Cooke, writer Russell Baker and actress Gillian Anderson. Behold: The 45 best TV shows of all time. Beatie Edney, Jack Farthing, Heida Reed, Kyle Soller, Richard Harrington, Phil Davis, Warren Clarke, Lovers of sweeping, romantic sagas will delight at this Masterpiece presentation, which takes viewers back to the late 1700s following the American Revolutionary War. How did the Benedict Cumberbatch-Martin Freeman "Sherlock" do? —Allison Keene, Created by: Guy Burt Stars: Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Sophie Rundle, Julie Graham, Hattie Morahan, Murder mysteries and the BBC go together like tea and crumpets (see also: Ripper Street, George Gently, Hinterland, this list). Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 'Fleabag' Temporary paralysis? —Evan Fleischer, Created by: Richard Cottan, Peter Harness, Richard McBrien Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Sarah Smart, Tom Hiddlestone, Ricahrd McCabe, David Warner, Saskia Reeves, Watch on Amazon via Britbox Gorgeous to look at and with a sumptuous score to match, the series is Victorian-era consumer porn. So you'd think 2013's "Death Comes to Pemberley" would have been an opportunity to shine. The Best BBC Miniseries & Where to Watch Them. A police officer on southern Sweden’s picturesque coast, Branagh’s Kurt Wallander must solve a run of freakish crimes. The original "Forsyte Saga" helped inspire the creation of "Masterpiece Theater" in the U.S., and its identity as a home for British imports. For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists and features, follow @Paste_TV. The miniseries is able to expand on the film adaptations in important ways, allowing Emma to have a little more shading than just the spoiled girl with nothing to vex her and who likes to run everyone’s lives. Though he got more comfortable as the series neared its end, Jeremy Piven seemed miscast as Harry Selfridge, the American whose London department store became a retail institution. Wallander is a study in visual contrasts: saturated color schemes, dramatic plays of shadows and light, extreme changes in focus. The 2002 version is fantastically dramatic and heartbreaking, full of schemers and dreamers and a grandly charming cast as it spins its dizzying tale of romance and woe. There’s something to be said for a complete, stand-alone tale, yet viewed collectively, Suchet’s thorough ownership of the dapper detective—all 25 years of it—is all the more impressive, so immersed is he in Christie’s world. The content here is free if you are a current PBS donor (at $60/year or $5/mo levels, typically, though levels vary by location). Instead of being yet another Austen adaptation, it was based on P.D. Creator/writer Julian Fellowes had a weakness for ridiculously convenient plot twists (pretty much everything having to do with Matthew Crawley.) Chronicling the lives of three generations of a wealthy family from the late 1800s through early 1900s, The Forsyte Saga is based on the John Galsworthy trilogy of the same name. The cast was certainly noteworthy. Last Tango in Halifax is an easy and comforting binge-watch. If you're looking for a truly great TV show, you've come to the first place. "The Wire" didn't receive any major accolades during it's run on-air, but critics and fans alike now look back at it as one of the greatest shows of all time. Over the course of seven seasons, spanning 25 years in all, Mirren found in Tennison the resignation, and the rage, that faces any uncompromising figure in this comprised world. —Allison Keene, Created by: Clive Exton Stars: David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran, Watch on Amazon via Bribox So it holds that Grantchester—a story about a murder mystery-solving vicar—would itself be grand. There’s no better accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea and scones than a Masterpiece Theater mystery or costume drama. Through it all, the spirit of the adaptation by Andrew Davies can be found in his describing it so: “Let’s have Elizabeth on a hillside seeing these two tasty blokes galloping along, and something about them makes her skip down the hill.” And, for the implicit back and forth that inspires (let alone what follows), we follow, too. © 2021 Paste Media Group. And the show glossed over the reality of class divisions in the early 20th century, and what drudgery the household staff would have had to contend with. Do not miss! A beautifully engrossing soap opera filled with a higher caste of desperate souls, Brideshead is always worth revisiting. Inside is the beginning of us all laid bare. The show truly blossoms in its second season, and continues from there to be an emotional and surprisingly cozy portrayal of the royal household, the people it employs, and a nation Victoria and Albert seek to modernize. Watch on PBS Passport. Taking place in 17th-century Amsterdam (which is painted in muted, Vermeer-esque tones), we follow the plight of young Nella Oortman (Anya Taylor-Joy) who is more or less sold to a charming, wealthy, and roguish man who doesn’t seem to have much interest in her. Thankfully, now, it’s just Masterpiece. With a primary focus on the town’s single and widowed middle class women, the miniseries is filled not only with cozy settings and unforgettable characters (played by some of England’s best actors), but also provides a variety of romantic subplots and the quiet intrigues that bring a dash of spice to daily life. 3,658 50 50 Classic Movies That Are Infinitely Rewatchable. The sprawling story of the final days of British rule in India blended history, spectacle and fascinating characters brought to life by a splendid cast that included Art Malik (pictured) and Charles Dance (long before he played Tywin Lannister in "Game of Thrones.") The 10 best period drama TV shows of all time including Pride & Prejudice, The Crown, Downton Abbey and The Tudors. A delightful if overlooked take on a classic, the women here may be little, but they are also strong, brilliant, and full of heart. Taking place in the 1950s in the village of Cambridgeshire, the setup is familiar: there’s a young, handsome vicar who has an intuitive way with people, and a gruff, hardboiled detective with whom he improbably becomes friends. And keep in mind, all of this has aired on TV for free, and it’s only the start! —Allison Keene, Created by: Daisy Goodwin Stars: Jenna Coleman, Tom Hughes, Nell Hudson, David Oakes, Rufus Sewell, Examining the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, Victoria has never gotten the same attention as its splashy cousin, The Crown. As we said when we pushed out 2018’s list, coming up with the top 100 Video Games of All Time is a daunting task. —Allison Keene, Created by: Sally Head Stars:Helen Mirren, Tom Bell, Karen Tomlin, Peter Capaldi, Watch on Amazon via Bribox It's the masterpiece of all masterpieces, the most famous, most discussed and most enigmatic of all paintings. The two solve Cases of the Week as vicar Sidney listens to jazz, questions his faith, and tries to stop being in love with his childhood friend Amanda, since they cannot marry. "The Forsyte Saga" first became a TV hit when an adaptation aired in Britain in 1967. episodes, and List of Masterpiece Contemporary episodes. When most of us think of PBS series, our minds go to what is actually under the Masterpiece banner. The ensemble series is extraordinarily well-acted (as evidenced by Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Jim Carter and Brendan Coyle all receiving Emmy nominations), and there’s perhaps no easier way to describe some of the plot twists than fucking nuts, a term we strongly feel the saucy Dowager Countess would approve of.