Furnished by a miniaturist, every new piece that Nella is given seems to predict some new tragedy within the house, which is full of secrets-not all of which find a satisfying ending. 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. 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. The Miniaturist is not a horror series, but it is certainly spooky and not without a few jump scares that augment its dramatic reveals.

Amanda SchurrĬreated by: John Brownlow Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Romola Garai, Alex Hassell, Hayley Squires, Paapa Essiedu Gorgeous to look at and with a sumptuous score to match, the series is Victorian-era consumer porn. At its center is young Denise (Joanna Vanderham), The Paradise’s new shop girl and the eyes to the many dramas-a shocking discovery in ladies wear!-behind the immaculately merchandised scenes. There’s even a Piven lookalike (Emun Elliott) as the titular store’s too-suave owner.

Selfridge, this story of a small-town girl who moves to London for a coveted retail job is definitely worth a look. Easily paired with the similarly themed, slightly later-set Jeremy Piven-starring series Mr. Honorable Mention (not currently streaming on the aforementioned services, but may be found elsewhere): House of Cards (1990), Wives and Daughters, Jeeves and Wooster, Birdsong, Northanger AbbeyĬreated by: Bill Gallagher Stars: Joanna Vanderham, Peter Wight, Emun Elliott, Matthew McNulty, David Hayman, Sarah Lancashire, Sonya Cassidyĭescribing The Paradise as Downton Abbey in a department store might be a shade oversimplifying, but that’s often what this “veddy proper,” occasionally beguiling melodrama about the rich and the help calls to mind. If you can, give.īelow are 30 of our favorite PBS Masterpiece selections, ranked from great to absolutely must-watch. And keep in mind, all of this has aired on TV for free, and it’s only the start! If you aren’t already supporting your local PBS station, why not? What public broadcasting has provided in terms of educational and entertainment content over this last half-century is absolutely astonishing. 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). No matter what route you choose, you can rest assured that everything featured on PBS Masterpiece is good. Of note: Many of these series also hop around Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming sites-so keep your eyes peeled! Some of those alternate viewing destinations are included below. You can also watch current Masterpiece programming for free via PBS.org! It’s also a good mix of what you can find on Amazon/Britbox/Masterpiece services below (Passport links are found throughout this list), and includes Sherlock, which is not included with those other services. It gives you an expanded version of what you currently see on PBS, including full seasons of your favorite shows before they have aired weekly. The content here is free if you are a current PBS donor (at $60/year or $5/month levels, typically, though levels vary by location). Route 2) If all of that sounds too pricey or complicated, you can instead download the PBS Passport app. And/or, you can choose to pay for the Britbox add-on (additional $6.99/month) for access to still another great list of BBC shows. 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. Route 1) If you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, there are a lot of great series already included in your Prime Membership. However, there are two routes you can take to watch the bulk of the best that Masterpiece has to offer. Thankfully, now, it’s just Masterpiece.īut 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). Those have, over the years, mostly been part of Masterpiece Theater, Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Mystery, and Masterpiece Contemporary. Yes, PBS has given us many treasures over the last 50 (yes, 50! years!) like Frontline, NOVA, Sesame Street, The Joy of Painting and Arthur, but it’s also full of great UK period pieces and crime series. When most of us think of PBS series, our minds go to what is actually under the Masterpiece banner.

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