Three Historical Dramas To Watch For Cozy Vibes

by Esme Addison

What is it about period dramas that transports us to a place of comfort and coziness? Maybe it’s the numerous cups of poured hot tea designed to help one stay calm and carry on? Or maybe it’s the whimsical tea sandwiches, that capture our fantasy? The gowns are beautiful but they certainly aren’t comfortable looking… And we can guess that drafty castles are probably quite cold.

I think in this instance, the coziness comes from an intangible. Not a warm blanket, and not a roaring fire. Rather, I think it comes from living vicariously through the characters who find comfort in the many rules that guide their daily life. It may seem odd to find comfort in something like a rule, but perhaps the women find comfort in the fact that the men around them must behave like gentlemen or be scorned. Mothers may find comfort in the fact that their women will have to marry, have children and set up a family.

Is it the comfort of a now anachronistic structured society that gives us cozy vibes? Rules are meant to be broken but the social mores and restraints that are portrayed in period dramas can sometimes offer a refreshing contrast in a world where anything goes. Men who are restrained by manners in what they say and do. Women who are protected by prying eyes within layers of starched crinolines, stiff corsets and lace… it seems counterproductive from today’s standards to be so restrained by the rules of the day. But when you have the luxury to do and say what you want when you want, it’s appealing to see the opposite. But only because you know you have the freedoms the characters in historical period books, television and film don’t have.

So, it can be comforting and dare I say, cozy to pour oneself a cuppa hot tea, enjoy a warm scone with Devonshire cream, snuggle into your most comfortable chair and watch your favorite characters push and pull against the restraints of their own societies, all the while we know angst and emotion simmer underneath.

Here are three of my favorite period dramas to watch for all the coziness and comfort.

Sanditon

Based on an unfinished novel by Jane Austen… I enjoy this series because Charlotte is an outspoken, opinionated young lady who grew up in the more flexible environment of the countryside. When she visits a town rife with rules and societal regulations, of course drama ensues. We are constantly watching her grow into her own independent spirit, while making friends and finding love with the prickly but handsome brother of her host.

About Charlotte Heywood, a spirited and impulsive woman who moves from her rural home to Sanditon, a fishing village attempting to reinvent itself as a seaside resort.

Watch on Amazon.

Belle

A film based on a true story… This beautifully filmed movie elegantly tells the story of a young woman finding her place in a new world.

The mixed-race daughter, Dido Elizabeth Belle of Royal Navy Captain Sir John Lindsay is raised by aristocratic great-uncle Lord William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield in eighteenth-century England.

Watch on Amazon.

Dr. Thorne

Based on a book, Dr. Thorne is a fun fast-paced romp through history.

The life of penniless Mary Thorne, who grows up with her Uncle, Dr Thorne, and her relationship with the family at nearby Greshamsbury Park estate.

Watch on Amazon.