When you start searching for new choices after you’re done with a series, you start looking for something that is similar. Don’t just settle on a series because they have comparable accents.
I know Netflix has The Tudors and Versailles (and those are good shows to watch if you’re jonesing for the pomp and circumstance of it all) but if you like The Crown you like the pacing, the dialogue, the sweeping costumes, the politics, being taken to a different time period, being completely enveloped in the soap opera aspect of it all.
All of these shows have been picked because they have the elements that make The Crown such good binging.
5. Babylon Berlin Netflix Original
One of the great things about The Crown is being swept into the history and story. The costumes, time period, and meticulous attention to detail play a big part in being taken in. Enter Babylon Berlin. This historical drama is set against the jazzy chaos of 1929 Germany. Shellshocked police commissioner Gereon Rath uncovers a dangerous web of intrigue and may just be onto an even bigger conspiracy. The show is beautiful and recreates the buildings, vehicles, and clothing of the era with stunning accuracy.
4. Godless Netflix Original
This series has a cast of exceptional actors. It’s about an injured outlaw, Roy Goode, on the run who finds refuge in a town populated by women. When Goode’s former boss finds out he is hiding there, the community must band together to defend against his murderous gang. This is a western, set apart from the usual fare by its female-driven cast. Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie), Sam Waterston, and Jeff Daniels are just a few of the pieces of this great ensemble. It’s a show with strong women holding their own and solid performances, what you’re looking for after watching The Crown.
3. The Last Kingdom
The Crown has a substantial storyline, something you get into the more you watch it. It has the same countenance as Game of Thrones. You get heavily invested in the characters and you may even need to watch it more than once to appreciate and understand it. The Last Kingdom has the same feel. Based on a series of novels, Uhtred witnessed his father being killed and the Saxon army defeated by invading troops. Danish warlord Earl Ragnar captured Uhtred and raised him. Now grown, Uhtred is a valiant warrior whose life is changed again when his home is deliberately set on fire, killing his surrogate family, including Ragnar. Now exiled he vows to avenge Ragnar’s death and reclaim his homeland. Netflix just picked up this show for a third season, which will soon make it a Netflix Original.
2. Alias Grace Netflix Original
Based on the Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale) novel of the same name, this story is about actual events that happened in the 19th-century. Grace Marks is a poor Irish immigrant and a domestic servant who is accused and convicted of the 1843 murder of her employer and his housekeeper. It’s well worth watching for the true crime mystery but even more, it’s a powerful narrative. It’s the story of “a woman’s journey through a man’s world where she’s endlessly harassed, abused – and expected to remain silent,” says director Sarah Polley. It has the historical element and solid plot that you love about The Crown.
1. The West Wing
Like The Crown, The West Wing has impeccable writing and sharp dialogue. It’s smart, knows its subject, and does it exceedingly well. Created by Aaron Sorkin, it follows fictional president Jed Barlet and his dedicated staff as they wade through the everyday problems of running a country. It has the political aspect you like about The Crown, but more than that it’s also a look into the lives of people doing things we can’t even imagine: making decisions that affect the world. It is, without a doubt, one of the best television shows ever made.
Rating: TV-MA
