Period dramas can often fall victim to the assumption of sameness, but, in fact, this is a genre that is as diverse and global as history itself. As they blend fiction and fact to create worlds both familiar and fascinating, period dramas afford viewers the unique opportunity to experience life amidst pivotal moments of human history. Enjoy glamour and grandeur of big-screen proportions and learn a thing or two about times gone by, with the titles in the Premium Period Drama Collection, now streaming at SBS On Demand. Here’s a selection.
Like Water for Chocolate
Salma Hayek brings a touch of Hollywood to her role as executive producer of six-part Spanish language miniseries Like Water for Chocolate. Based on Mexican writer Laura Esquevil’s beloved 1989 novel of the same name, the series is set against the backdrop of the cultural and culinary worlds that marked the dawn of the Mexican revolution. Tita de la Garza (Azul Guaita) and Pedro Múzquiz (Andres Baida) are childhood sweethearts, but bound by a cruel cultural practice that forbids the marriage of the youngest daughter, they know that they can never truly be together. Unlike many protagonists, Tita’s story is told from the beginning, and the enduring love between her and Pedro, alongside the world that she inhabits, are made powerfully real as a result. Amidst her pain, Tita turns to cooking as an outlet, and what unfolds is a tale not just of love, but of political rebellion, and the healing power of food.
The six-part series Like Water for Chocolate is streaming at SBS On Demand.
The 1992 film is also streaming at SBS On Demand.
Stream free On Demand
Like Water for Chocolate
romance • 1992
romance • 1992
Bones of Crows
Cree woman Aline Spears (Revenant star Grace Dove) is a survivor, and five-episode series Bones of Crows follows the lasting impact of her experience in the Canadian residential school system, from the 1920s through to the beginning of the 21st century. There’s no doubt that Aline carries trauma, but her resilience sees her determined to channel it into change. As the impact of this cultural genocide, and the racism, abuse, and systemic starvation that accompanied it, is captured in the multigenerational perspectives that define the series, Aline’s true strength is revealed. From the horrors of institutionalisation, to working as a code talker at the height of World War II, the haunting visuals throughout the series bring to life a period of Canada’s history that is often hidden in the shadows.
Bones of Crows is streaming at SBS On Demand.
Stream free On Demand
Bones of Crows
drama • 2022
drama • 2022
Rogue Heroes
British history has long served as inspiration for some of television’s most beloved period dramas, but the first season of historical drama Rogue Heroes explored a well-worn path from a fresh angle. As it dove headfirst into the battlefields of WWII, viewers were introduced to Lieutenant David Stirling (Connor Swindles), and his formation of the Special Air Service (SAS), a unit conceived with a clear aim: to go behind enemy lines and take control of the conflict in North Africa. Now, in its second season, this dramatisation of very real events continues to unfold, and the unconventional and slightly unhinged approach of the SAS sees them faced with a myriad of challenges, not least of which are questions about the future of the regiment. Rogue Heroes is period drama in every sense, elevated by a standout cast and a storyline that is all the more gripping in its truth.
Rogue Heroes is streaming at SBS On Demand.
My Brilliant Friend
The world of 1950s Naples was one of social and political change in the aftermath of war, and for Elena, the protagonist of Italian language series My Brilliant Friend, it was also a period that changed the course of her own life forever. It was during this time that Elena’s friendship with the bold and extroverted Lila was forged, and this unlikely bond was one that saw them through their formative years, despite their obvious differences in personality and aspirations. Now elderly, Lila’s disappearance at the beginning of the first season is the catalyst for Elena’s recount of their interwoven lives and the result is a powerfully moving story, one that resonates in its insightful and painfully honest reflection on friendship. Each of the four seasons of the series is not only another chapter of their friendship, but another chapter in the history of Naples, and a stunning and evocative ode to both.
My Brilliant Friend is streaming at SBS On Demand.
Babylon Berlin
German crime thriller Babylon Berlin is set in a turbulent period of its country’s history, but there was much more to the Weimar Republic of the late 1920s than political complexity. It is the Berlin of 1929 that troubled police inspector Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) lands in when he arrives from Cologne, carrying with him a slew of personal demons and an assignment to expose an extortion ring, but the city won’t make it easy. Rath is quickly forced to navigate a world of contradictions where rich and poor, liberation and restriction, and good and evil exist side by side, all while carrying the trauma of war and an addiction that could threaten not only his career, but his life. Over four captivating seasons, Babylon Berlin maximises its wow-factor at every opportunity, crafting a masterful plot infused with characters and settings that are true to life in the most scintillating and spectacular way.
Babylon Berlin is streaming at SBS On Demand.
Under the Banner of Heaven
The 1984 murder of 24-year-old Brenda Wright Lafferty, a Utah-based journalist and mother, sent shockwaves through her community, but as seven-episode crime drama Under the Banner of Heaven reveals, finding those responsible led to a discovery that was even more shocking. Based on the 2003 novel by Jon Krakauer, the series follows Detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) as he pieces together an unbelievable tale of family betrayal and religious fundamentalism and sets about understanding the motive behind this seemingly senseless crime before the perpetrators strike again. Under the Banner of Heaven is a period drama but in a whole new sense: it takes a moment of modern history and imbues it with emotion and intrigue to rival any battlefield. Coupled with an a-list cast, including Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) and Sam Worthington (Avatar), the reality of this story is a haunting reminder that truth is often stranger, and more sinister, than fiction.
Under the Banner of Heaven is streaming at SBS On Demand.
Miss Fallaci
Italian author and journalist Oriana Fallaci was one of her country’s most famous reporters, best known for her unflinching interviews and unapologetic reporting amid war and revolution in the mid-1900s. Her iconic career and extraordinary life are detailed in the eight-episode Italian miniseries Miss Fallaci, focusing particularly on Fallaci’s rise to success in a male-dominated period of journalistic history. Travelling far afield to New York and Hollywood, Fallaci seizes the opportunity to move beyond her role as a reporter for a local film magazine, and soon asserts herself as one of the most controversial and influential correspondents in Italian journalism. Italian actress Miriam Leone embodies the supremely intelligent and ever passionate Fallaci, and whether familiar with her work or just learning her name, it’s impossible not to be swept up in the story of the fearless young woman from Florence who asked the tough questions.
Miss Fallaci is streaming at SBS On Demand.
