ERIN CRABB

EBAKERCRAB@REGISTERMEDIA.COM

Here are 6 period dramas to fill the hole Downton Abbey left in your heart.

‘Victoria’: 1837

PBS; January 15: A British drama series created by Daisy Goodwin will fill the Downton Abbey time slot on Masterpiece Classic. The series depicts the first few years of the reign of Queen Victoria, played by Jenna Coleman, from her accession to the throne at the age of 18, to her intense friendship and infatuation with Lord Melbourne, to her courtship and early marriage to Prince Albert (played by Tom Hughes) and finally to the birth of their first child, Victoria.

‘Doctor Thorne’: 1856

Amazon Prime: A three-part drama adaptation of the Anthony Trollope novel “Doctor Thorne” scripted by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. The life of penniless Mary Thorne, who grows up with her Uncle, Dr. Thorne, and her relationship with the Gresham family at nearby Greshamsbury Park estate. As they close on the world of adult cares and responsibilities, the past starts to impinge and the financial woes of the Gresham family threaten to tear relationships apart.

‘Medici: Masters of Florence’: 1434

Netflix: A drama series about the Medici dynasty, set in 15th century Florence, starring Dustin Hoffman as Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici. The series was co-created by Frank Spotnitz (“The X-Files” and “Man in the High Castle”) and Nicholas Meyer (“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”). Cosimo has inherited the Bank of Medici from his father Giovanni, who has been mysteriously poisoned. Through various flashbacks (20 years ago), we are introduced to a Florence at the time of Giovanni and his relationship with his sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo.

‘Underground’: 1857

Amazon Prime: An American period drama series created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski for the WGN America network starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell. A group of slaves on a Georgia plantation make the dangerous decision to journey 600 miles north for the promise of freedom. Along the way, they are aided by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad as they attempt to evade the people charged with bringing them back, dead or alive.

‘Versailles’: 1667

Netflix/Ovation: The French-Canadian series created by David Wolstencroft and Simon Mirren premiered on Canal+ in France, on Super Channel in Canada and on BBC2 in Britain. Set during the reign of Louis XIV, the 28-year-old all-powerful king of France decides to build the greatest palace in the world — Versailles. But drained budget, affairs and political intrigues complicate things.

‘The Frankenstein Chronicles’: 1827

A&E Network: A British mystery drama created by director and writer Benjamin Ross (“The Young Poisoner’s Handbook”) and writer Barry Langford (“Torte Bluma”) and stars Sean Bean (“Game of Thrones”). Inspector John Marlott investigates a series of crimes in 19th century London, which may have been committed by a scientist intent on re-animating the dead. A&E network picked up the series (air date TBA) for American television, describing it as “a thrilling and terrifying re-imagining of the Frankenstein myth.”

The Forsyte Saga celebrates 50 years

DVD: Before the Crawley family invited us to dinner, The Forsytes were the first family to capture the hearts of television viewers. A 1967 BBC adaptation of John Galsworthy’s series of “The Forsyte Saga” novels, and its sequel trilogy “A Modern Comedy,” follows the fortunes and heartbreaks of the upper middle class Forsyte family. It was adapted for television and produced by Donald Wilson and was originally shown in 26 episodes on Saturday evenings between Jan. 7 and July 1, 1967, on BBC2, at a time when only a small proportion of the population had television sets able to receive the channel. It was therefore the Sunday night repeat run on BBC1, starting on Sept. 1, 1968, that secured the programmer’s success with 18 million tuning in for the final episode in 1969. In 2002, Granada Television produced two series for the ITV network called “The Forsyte Saga” and “The Forsyte Saga: To Let,” and the two Granada series made their runs in the U.S. as part of Masterpiece Theatre.