The aesthetic of ball gown dresses, fancy tiaras and 17th century wigs have made a comeback. Period time shows from the 17th and 18th century have become an obsession for teens to watch and romanticize over. 

The obsession behind the historical British era stems from boredom during Covid lockdown, the aesthetic of this time period and the glamorization portrayed in these shows. Another huge reason behind the obsession of this time period is the recurring theme of strong, powerful women in the 1700’s-1800’s. The role of women during this time period was very limited but shows like Bridgerton and Downtown Abbey portray their lives as elegant and “perfect” which is most peoples dream life in today’s society. 

In an April 2022  article from the Harvard Crimson titled “The Rationale Behind the Modern Obsession with Period Dramas,” author Monique I. Vobecky states that these films simplify and romanticize the realities of the period time era to the modern audience. These shows allow watchers to lose themselves in the simplicity of this era.

One of the many popular period time shows on Netflix, “Bridgerton” had 193 million hours worth of viewers for its season two release. According to Business Insider’s article about Netflix’s top 14 shows of all time, Bridgerton is ranked #6. Another popular period time show, “The Crown” ranks #2 on the most popular shows on Netflix as of the week of November 10th. 

Junior Briana Diaz says that her liking for the period drama Bridgerton started during quarantine. 

“I never had time to get invested into Netflix shows before but once lockdown hit, I had all this time so I decided to watch Bridgerton since it was a lengthy show,” Diaz said. “My favorite part about the show is the historical vibe to it. I love that the creators incorporated both the elegance and simplicity elements from the British regency era.” 

The hit Netflix series came out in December of 2020. The show is set between 1813 and 1827 in England during the Regency Era. The plot focuses on eight siblings that are a part of the Bridgerton family that are trying to find love. The creators of the show Shonda Rhimes and Sarah Dollard, incorporated many traditional aspects from the 1800’s to bring the vision to life. from ballroom backgrounds, poofy dresses, and tea parties, this series perfectly captures the British Monarchy. 

Another installment of a period favorite straight-to-stream movie is Netflix’s “Enola Holmes 2”. The show focuses on Enola Holmes who is a detective that is looking for a missing girl alongside her brother, Sherlock Holmes. 

Junior Taylor Adams says that this series is one of her favorites on Netflix. 

“I decided to watch this show because I love mysteries and crimes. My favorite part about the show is that the creators added many well known actors such as Millie Bobby Brown and Louis Partridge,” Adams said. “Both of these actors made this show 10x times better.” 

Netflix’s response to the rising popularity of period time shows is deciding to create more of them. Shows such as Under the Queen’s Umbrella, The Empress, and Luna Nera have all been created since the release of Bridgerton in 2020. As viewers’ obsession to romanticize over the 17th century grows, it’s expected for Netflix to release dozens of more British Regency Era based shows in the next several years.

Other streaming services such as HBO Max, Amazon and Hulu are also continuing the trend of airing period time shows as well. Shows such as “The Great”, “Sanditon”, and “The Gilded Age” are all Victorian and British Regency Era based shows that have been created in the last 4 years. The fascination behind these shows definitely won’t be ending anytime soon.