The weather is changing. The first soup of the season has been made. Cardigans are finally able to be worn again. And it looks like it is going to rain tonight. Big mug of rooibos, peach, rose petal, and cherry tea at the ready. Problem is... I've seen too many films and series.

I want something I haven't seen yet. So I'm guessing I'll need something in a different language since chances are high if it's in English I've seen it already. I tried to find Akelarre with English subs, but no luck yet. It doesn't have to be spooky season dark. It can just be dark. But I don't want warm fuzzy. I don't want meet cutes and people in pastel Georgian dresses. I want something DARK. So, if you have a fav that is a bit obscure or not from the US or UK, and isn't a "feel good" or "watch with kids" film.. toss it out here. Please and thank you!

Have you ever hated a character so much that you can't even stand seeing them in another series. For me,this guy takes the prize. The character he played in Outlander as Black Jack Randal and what he did to Jamie😭🤮🤢😡 made me so sick that I just can't stand seeing him anywhere else. I couldn't even be bothered that people will say that he is a good actor then🙄😡...just thinking about it still makes me sick.

This is like Fleabag but with the angst and yearning cranked up to 11. I saw this edit on YouTube and new instantly that it was going to be my next obsession…

for anyone who’s unfamiliar, this show follows a young woman who leaves her wedding to become a sex worker ..and also has an intense relationship a priest. It’s Brazilian in Portuguese, Im watching as part of my resolution to watch more international period dramas. for anyone who’s a fan of the thornbirds, this is also for you. Going to go scream in the dedicated subreddit now.
watch the edit:

Hilda furacao

I'm enjoying this mini series. I'm watching it on Prime Video. Thought I'd share with the group.

I really liked the Last Madame set it Singapore.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11230898/

It was unusual to find a show set in World War 2 on the civilian side in Singapore.

Are there any others? I don't mind reading subtitles.

Having not read the book, I wasn’t sure what to think about P&P characters solving a murder mystery before diving into this show. Much to my own surprise, I loved it! Does anyone have any suggestions for shows that are similar?

The parts I really enjoyed about this show were: Matthew Goode as Wickham (I wish there were a traditional P&P with him in this role now); Lydia was hysterical; the focus on the women who were affected by Wickham; how Elizabeth uncovered a lot of the story just by talking to the servants, even though it was discounted by the magistrate; the romantic subplot with Georgiana. The only thing I didn’t really like was Colonel Fitzwilliam but I guess someone had to be the red herring.

They seemed to have been wiped saying ‘this post was removed by reddits filters’ and the persons profile is inaccessible.

I am so picky when it comes to these movies/shows. I need the perfect blend of action + romance. There has to be some high stakes, but also I would like there to be somewhat of a happy ending. I do not like the shows/movies that are depressing the whole time and nihilistic. And the romance has to be EARNED. Also bonus points for a good old fashion damsel in distress. Truly they don’t make these today and it makes me mad. Like, why does every girl gotta be a girlboss? Can’t she be also smart witty clever strong AND BE KIDNAPPED BY A PIRATE OR SOMETHING.
Pinpointing exactly what makes a romance work for me is difficult but please see below for some examples that make be able to shed some light on what I am looking for (spoilers so beware):

my top tier unbeatable pieces that nothing can compare to:

Pride and Prejudice** (specifically BBC mini series but I enjoy the 2005 movie as well)
• not exactly groundbreaking news, but the romance in this is so beautiful. It makes me twirl my hair and giggle like a little school girl.. ok? That’s how I want to feel. The chemistry, the ending but also the drama? It’s perfection. Also a great example of a strong female character as well as a strong male character, it’s all about balance! The restraint displayed is also something you don’t see in modern movies. You have to read between the lines and focus on the characters and plot, but that’s what makes it all so much sweeter! The pay off in the end is earned. Also Collin firth walking out of a pond. I honestly could have just lead with that.
***North and South*
• I just rewatched this for the zillionth time and MY GOSH. THAT ENDING SCENE. Amazing. Iconic. Makes me feel alive again. Makes me wonder - John Thornton will you marry me instead? Where is my Thornton in this world of Mr. Wickhams and Willoughby’s?? the enemies to lovers trope is so well done. The softness in his eyes as Margaret gives her business proposal. THE BILLOWY WHITE SHIRT AND POPPED COLLAR R U KIDDING?? If someone could inject this show into my veins I would very much appreciate it.
It is truly the perfect mix of darkness and drama and high stakes, with love and tension and yearning and a happy ending!!!
Guilded Age
• This show is so cute!! So far so good and I am rooting for the romances in the show. In comparison - I actually enjoy Glady’s romance more than Marian and Larry’s because of the arranged marriage and tension (although I love both). This falls more on the low stakes side of things, but I love it so much. I don’t mind a happy show, I prefer it actually, but I don’t want to feel bored.
Outlander
• James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Frasier. Need I say more?? Truly the most perfect blend of action, danger, drama and romance. I love their relationship… it truly makes me feel something. I’m swooning over Jamie constantly. I love that they save each other a lot and are constantly in danger lol, truly epic.
Persuasion
• beautiful. A second chance romance? The yearning is 10/10. Specifically the 2007 one is just AMAZING. The 2022 one is an abomination that we all should somehow invoke the powers of the Mandela Effect and collectively forget it’s existence. Occasionally, we shall wonder if it was real, only to be relieved by the fact that it is not real as we have the 2007 and 1995 versions to calm our fears.
Off topic but the hunger games??
• Ok so technically not a period piece, although set in the future, but the romance between Katniss and Peeta is unmatched. Oh they have tried with other dystopian dramas, but nothing comes near, the bar is too high you may need a pole vault to touch the bottom of it. The understated moments, the little glances, the pressure and environment the whole romance is under. I feel like the surrounding circumstances are what catapults this romance to the top of my list. Similar vibe to outlander in a way, with the action and romance walking hand in hand throughout the series. Without either, the plot falls apart.
Naruto the last
• Coming out of left field with this one. I know I know… Anime?? Yes’m.. how could I deem a Naruto movie as one of the greatest romances of all time? Let me tell you something - the childhood, oblivious guy, she fell first he fell harder trope is everything EVERYTHING. NOT TO MENTION: kidnapping, forced marriage, pouting man male lead, RESCUING A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS. this movie has it all.
Sanditon
• And I’m talking season 2 and 3. Season 1 was great. I originally couldn’t finish cause I was sad about Theo James leaving. Came back to it a year later. UM. Alexander coulbourne, my love, Sidney Parker cannot hold a candle to you. The drama, the miscommunication, the yearning, it’s like a lighter version of Jane eyre in the best way possible. Mix that with the most adorable side romance between Esther and Lord Babington? And dealing with actual tough topics. Oh we’ve struck gold with this one.

BE GONE. I DESPISE THIS BEHAVIOR.

Please I beg… do not recommend
downton abbey
• I know I know… this is a sin against the period drama community. And listen I watched multiple seasons of this show, and was it good? Absolutely. Did it have a good mix of romance and high stakes and danger and drama. Sure. But. BUT. Did Matthew’s death completely and utterly ruin the entire show for me causing a fiery hatred deep within my soul for this show that will never be expunged? Yeah. Yeah it did.
Poldark
• I don’t know WHAT the period drama romance community is on for this show to be so highly recommended. The main character, while being a fine FOINE man, is a complete and utter, dare I say, boob. I hate him. And who TF wants a main male lead who cheats on his adorable beautiful stunning queen of a wife?? WHY OH WHY is this recommended at all?
The white queen
• Nope nope nope. It had me in the first half ngl. But again with the cheating!! I refuse to watch a man cheat on his wife and be ok with that. I did not find it romantic at all, maybe the first episode albeit kind of r*pey?? Everyone just wanted power and to rule and it just stressed me out.
Vanity fair
• The side romance was the best part of this show. Main character was a conniving evil heartless sociopath. Not for me.
Brigerton
• Listen : I read the books ok? Loved the first and second season. Couldn’t finish the 3rd. Kind of refusing to watch the 4th. They ruined the characters. Changed everyone’s personalities. Changed the storylines from the books. Very disappointing. The viscount who loved me is the best in the series (on the way to the wedding is a close second), how they deal with trauma, panic, miscommunication, forced marriage, then falling in love? Perfect mix of romance with dark themes and a happy ending. Queen Charlotte was beautiful and did make me cry (I liked the drama in that one) but yeah I have complicated issues with this series.
Anna karenina
• Okay sure.. blonde Aaron Taylor Johnson is very entertaining to look at. And fine.. it’s a classic novel so technically I have to like it right? WRONG. I hate the main character. I felt terrible for her husband. I do not find this some “great love affair” and have no clue why this is recommended whenever people are searching for romantic period dramas. I feel similarly about Titanic and The Great Gatsby. Boooo
Atonement
• I feel like this is self explanatory. Tragic. Depressing. It’s saving grace is the green dress Kiera knightly wears but besides that? Nope. Terrible. I cried. I was angry. I now have an intense hatred for 12 year old blonde girls with F**k A** bobs….

Also no judgement if you like the ones I hate. I truly do understand why people like them. They are beautiful films or have great acting/costuming/etc. it’s just that the romance, the core of what I’m looking for, is not it. when those pieces get recommended, portrayed as something they are not… it bothers me.
Anyway that is all. Help.

People seem to believe this is a Saudi funded sorta propaganda film. It appeared for theatrical release here in the US out of seemingly nowhere, earlier this year, and disappeared just as quickly. No one knew anything about it.

We were curious, though it seemed as though the shout lines did not jibe that well with the trailer.

Defying a ruthless emperor, a princess flees into the Arabian desert, hunted by mercenaries. Forged into a warrior and aided by a legendary bandit, she unites warring tribes for a last stand that will change history.

Suppose now we'll find out the answers and whether or not it is worth watching.

Many of us tend to shy away from the historical dramas produced in Asia. They tend to be just too exotic and strange for us to appreciate. Despite that inclination, I decided to give The Story of Yanxi Palace a try. I’m glad I did. The series is set in the 18th Century rule of the the Quing dynasty and is produced by China’s state TV, which seems to have spent a lot on making its sets and costumes look quite authentic and beautiful. The story is simple enough. A young peasant woman, Wei Yingluo, becomes a lowly serving maiden in the Forbidden City, the residence of the Emperor and his court. Her intention is to try to find out who was responsible for her older sister’s murder. Given the vast distance in social standing between her and so many other people
in that court, that is an especially cheeky cause to undertake. Particularly in view of the fact that a large number of people in that court could have her killed if they so desired by a mere flick of a finger. But somehow, Yingluo survives. We soon learn that she does so because she has an exceptionally high intelligence and a gift for thinking on her feet that gets her out of seemingly impossible jams.

Besides the appeal of Yingluo, what makes this series especially enjoyable is that it shows us the incredibly detailed tiers of social standing ranks in the Chinese imperial society of the time and the power struggles that went on among the women of different standings within the court’s ranks. We have all seen series where the power struggles between men in the society played out. We have also heard such struggles went on among the women behind the throne, but never saw it represented. This is the main perspective of Yangxi Palace.

The ancient Chinese dynastic structure began with, at the top, the emperor who enjoyed the favor of Heaven (so long as he acted like a good father of the country), then his official wife, the Empress, who was the sole bearer of legitimate male heirs to the throne. She also was the official ruler of the emperor’s harem. This consisted of Consorts and then Concubines, each having within them their respective hierarchy of status holders. Below them are the various serving maidens performing various tasks like costume making, embroidering, etc. There is a staff of eunuchs (emasculated, not just castrated in China of that time)slaves who do the bidding of whomever they are assigned to. This is the field of battle for recognition and influence within which Yingluo is maneuvering. Incidentally, the Chinese government later banned this series from being shown in China because it felt it portrayed “too ruthless” political maneuvering.

The plots and twists are quite entertaining and engage your interest. There are some episodes that, frankly, get a little more “soapy” than I care for, but not to worry, because not much is lost by skipping to the next episode and, with 70 episodes, you can afford the loss. All in all, The Story of Yangxi Palace is great escape TV entertainment.

I started to listen to Dracula on Audible. Though, I got sad because it was either the day before or the same day Tim Curry passed. I'm only on chapter two so far. For movies I've seen Dracula (1992), Dracula Untold (2014), Dracula A Love Tale (2025), and if you want to count it, Castlevania (2017-2021).

I was really enjoying it until they showed like 2 scenes of how the future turned for Scotland and Claire. Doesn't that count like a spoiler?

Banaue: Stairway to the Sky (1975) is about a Ifugao chieftain 's daughter must prevle about cycle of violence after clashing with rival tribe for promising land.

I watched North & South two nights ago and I’m still not over it, very much consuming my thoughts! I don’t know how I’ve never seen or heard of it before and only heard of it on this sub so thank you! I love Pride and Prejudice (BBC) and have watched it about once a year for the last twenty years or so. But I actually think North & South has now taken my top spot.

Richard Armitage’s John Thornton, the beautiful soundtrack, the colour developing through the series and the relationships with Thornton and his Mum and then Higgins. I could watch the final scene over and over again. I’ve ordered the book but now I’m not sure I should read it as don’t want to take anything away from my enjoyment of the miniseries!

Saw this exhibit happening in Hillsborough, North Carolina for my Outlander people! It is during a Scottish Culture Event, so it will be history and Outlander. So if you missed the Outlander exhibit in Yorktown, Virginia... here's another chance!

Found the tickets on EventBrite under "SCOT and Saltire Gallerie Present: Scottish Cultural Gathering"

I just stumbled upon this gem this morning. Halfway through Episode 2 and I am hooked! I like to watch TV in the background while I do other things and I multi task. I can't with this show. Since its audio track is German, I have to focus on the subtitles so I cant get anything else done. So now I am just wasting away my Saturday morning instead of doing chores around the house. But damn its a good show.