Streaming platforms are full of gripping period dramas perfect for Downton Abbey fans18:36, 03 Jun 2026Period dramas are all the rage with plenty still available on streaming.‌Downton Abbey fans looking for their next fix when it comes to period dramas are in luck, with streaming platforms packed with hidden gems.‌The historical drama series has been a huge hit since it started in 2010, airing several series, specials and films that fans were glued to.‌The ITV favourite wrapped last year with its third and last film, The Grand Finale, but fans missing their catch ups with the Crawleys have plenty of other period dramas to fill the void.We have a look at some of the best alternatives to get stuck into.The Gilded Age‌Set in the US during the boom years of the 1880s, The Gilded Age started in 2022 and was created by Julian Fellowes, the man behind Downton Abbey.The series, which can be streamed on NOW, features a huge cast including The White Lotus' Carrie Coon, Poldark's Harry Richardson, Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon and Mamma Mia! star Christine Baranski. It follows the conflict between the new money Russell family and their old money neighbours, the van Rhijn family.It has won over viewers, with one posting on Facebook: "The Gilded Age is even better than Downton Abbey."‌Someone else said: "I just wrapped up the first season of Downton Abbey to carry me over until tonight, and let me tell you, it's a solid show. However, The Gilded Age is on a whole different level." "The Gilded Age is indeed superior!" agreed someone else.The Forsyte SagaThe Forsyte Saga has been hailed as "incredible" by viewers, who claim it "sweeps you into another time".‌The series explores the lives of a wealthy upper-class family through three generations in the Victorian era, and stars Homeland's Damian Lewis as solicitor Soames Forsyte and Line of Duty's Gina McKee as his wife, Irene.It was first released in 2002, but can now be streamed on Netflix, where it is dazzling a new audience.One person said on Reddit that Damian was "mesmerising" in the series, while someone else said the show was "phenomenal".‌A Spy Among FriendsStarring Line of Duty's Anna Maxwell Martin, A Spy Among Friends is set against the backdrop of the Cold War. It follows Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) who previously worked for MI6 and discovers that a close friend was secretly working for the KGB.It was unveiled in 2022 and impressed critics, with a review in The Guardian saying it was "full of excitement".‌The series, which is available on ITVX, also impressed viewers, with one writing on IMDb that it was an "excellent, intelligent spy thriller". "Based on the true story of a notorious British secret agent, watching A Spy Among Friends feels like a journey back in time to those classic 60s spy thrillers, with various plot threads that gradually weave into focus," they added.Upstairs, DownstairsStarring David Langton and Rachel Gurney, this 1970s hit was set in the early 1900s and followed a rich family and their servants living in London.‌The lives of the wealthy family were played out "upstairs", while their staff's lives "downstairs" were documented.The series, which is available on ITVX, was very popular, running for five seasons, and it has since been compared to Downton.When one viewer posted a message on Reddit asking for recommendations for a show as good as Downton Abbey, one person responded: "Upstairs, Downstairs 1971 the original one and it's good. The show has many similarities with Downton Abbey."‌Someone else added: "The original Upstairs, Downstairs will give you the exact same vibes, especially when it gets to the later seasons."Wolf HallWolf Hall, which is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, is adapted from books by Hilary Mantel and offers a fictionalised looks at Thomas Cromwell's life.‌The series was unveiled in 2015, with Mark Rylance as Cromwell, Damian Lewis as Henry VIII and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn. A second series aired in 2024.Viewers called it a "fascinating" and "enthralling" story when it first aired, with one posting on reviews site Rotten Tomatoes: "This is one of the best period pieces I've ever seen. It masterfully captured the lives of the characters at the time, and I was glued to the screen for every second of it."Meanwhile, a review in The Guardian said it was "one of the best dramas to come out of the UK for over a decade", adding: "Put Downton Abbey to one side, because this writing, acting and direction might as well come from an entirely different island. It is so much better."Article continues belowDownton Abbey is available to watch on ITVX.