Devrim Lingnau, Philip Froissant. Johannes Nussbaum and Melika Foroutan just made their excellent mark in portraying the Viennese court at its finest in the latest Netflix period drama series The Empress. Chances are that you’re looking for some other shows to fill the void after having completely binge-watched the entire series in a heartbeat owing to its captivating presentation.
You’ve come to the right place because we’ve decided to put together a precise list of shows like the one we just watched. If The Empress followed the journey of Elisabeth of Bavaria’s love that led her into the Viennese court ridden with all its plotting schemes hoping to banish her, the list that follows has to do with the same themes of court politics and duties and love gone wrong.
3 Shows Like The Empress
The Great
With a stellar star cast including Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult as the leads, The Great is actually a satirical dramedy, or as Hulu puts it “anti-historical”. It’s loosely based on Catherine the Great’s transition from being an outsider to being the most prominent female ruler of Russia. With fictional elements settling in, it focuses on her desire to kill off her husband Emperor Peter III of Russia.
Available on Hulu, although it pertains to a different genre altogether when compared to The Empress, the show still follows a familiar premise, led by a strong hold on the performances of its multifaceted cast.
Also Read: Stranger Things Trivia: Not Demogorgon, Will Was Going to Kill Bob in Season 2!
The Spanish Princess
Available on Amazon Prime Video, this is a limited series based on the historical fiction novels The Constant Princess and The King’s Curse. The titular character is none other than Catherine of Aragon, who later went on to become the first wife of King Henry VIII and the Queen of England. Yet again involving the story of a teenage princess, Catherine was betrothed to the Prince of Wales, Arthur in her childhood itself and now must travel to the English court.
Much like The Empress, this series too delves into how the female protagonist had to adapt to her new surroundings while facing opposition from some. Moreover, the show is similarly concerned with a complex love arc, with Catherine finding out that all this while her love letters were rather penned by Arthur’s brother, Henry, and not him. After Arthur’s death, she must find a way to balance the court politics and find a suitable partner. The series stars Charlotte Hope, Ruairi O’Connor, Laura Carmichael, Georgie Henley, and more.
Victoria
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, this historical drama follows the initial years of Queen Victoria’s ascension to the throne as a mere teenager. While in The Empress, Elisabeth of Bavaria didn’t have to tend to the throne directly due to her husband’s presence as the Emperor, Victoria is all about the Queen’s struggles while adapting to the new situation of her reign. Both shows are alike in the sense that they are concerned with a female protagonist in power with several duties on her shoulder, pertaining to her family, love, and courtly etiquette.
Starring Jenna Coleman, Tom Hughes, Peter Bowles, and more, the series has three seasons that concluded in 2019. Inspired by real events, the show garnered majorly positive reviews from both the critics as well as the audience.
While this is our short curated list for the day, let us know your personal favorites below. Do you think this is a satisfactory list of shows similar to the latest Netflix period drama? Hopefully, it will satiate your quota of historical dramas and elevate your love for this category of shows even more.
The Empress is now streaming on Netflix. Let us know your thoughts on the show in the comments section.
Also Read: Too Hot to Handle Brazil Season 2 Winners: Spilling All the Tea!