5 Netflix movies and shows to watch like Downton Abbey

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a Netflix movie based on the novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The film is set on the island of Guernsey after the German occupation ended in 1946.

In the film, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was formed when four people were traveling after curfew and made up this literary society to avoid being arrested. They continued to meet, and one of the members started to correspond with English author Juliet Ashton. After learning more about the society she travels to Guernsey to write about the group.

Lily James portrays Ashton and is joined by Michiel Huisman, Glen Powell, Jessica Brown Findlay,
Katherine Parkinson, Matthew Goode, Tom Courtenay and Penelope Wilton. Findlay, Goode and Wilton also star in Downton Abbey. 

Although this story is fictional, it does shed light on what life was like during the German occupation, and the overall story is endearing and worth the watch.

Reign

Reign’s historical romance series blends the late sixteenth century with a soap opera, and if that sounds like a negative, it isn’t.  Reign is another period piece that sticks to the period and adds in some modern touches to keep things interesting.

The story follows Mary, Queen of Scots, and her marriage to Prince Francis of France. They reign as King and Queen over France and Scotland and encounter many obstacles over the course of their time as monarchies. There is, of course, Francis’ mother, Catherine de Medici, who tries to stir up more trouble for the couple. And, the infamous Nostradamus, whose predictions, whether true or not, were listened to and taken as truth which often caused more problems.

The story also includes many side storylines involving the Queen’s handmaids and their search for husbands from the men in the French Court.

The series ran for four seasons, and all of them are available on Netflix.

There are many other notable period selections available on Netflix, including Effie Gray, The Last Czars, The Promise, Versailles, Outlander and The English Game, to only name a few.