If you’re a fan of period dramas, pay attention! 2026 is shaping up to be a spectacular year for the genre, with an array of highly anticipated titles you won’t want to miss. Whether you love the work of Jane Austen or Emily Brontë, there are major projects on the horizon.
Fans can look forward to the return of Peaky Blinders, with Cillian Murphy reprising his iconic role as Tommy Shelby, alongside exciting new adaptations, including Netflix’s take on Pride and Prejudice and several other highly anticipated releases.
To save you the hunt, I’ve compiled a list of the unmissable period dramas coming in 2026 – everything you need to plan your binge-watching in one place.
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Wuthering Heights
The upcoming Wuthering Heights stars Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine. Directed by Emerald Fennell, this highly anticipated adaptation brings Emily Brontë’s 1847 classic novel to the big screen. Set against the windswept West Yorkshire moors, the story follows the turbulent lives of two landowning families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their complicated, often destructive relationships with Heathcliff, the Earnshaws’ foster son of uncertain origins.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Cillian Murphy returns as Tommy Shelby in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man. Set during the chaos of World War II, Tommy comes back from exile to Birmingham only to face “his most destructive reckoning yet.” Blending historical events with fiction, the story follows him as he becomes involved in secret wartime missions inspired by real-life operations. Joining Murphy are Stephen Graham, Rebecca Ferguson, Barry Keoghan, and Sophie Rundle, ensuring the film delivers the same high-stakes drama and intensity fans have come to expect from the series.
Pride and Prejudice
Netflix is set to release a brand-new TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice later this year, with Emma Corrin stepping into the role of the spirited Elizabeth Bennet. The six-episode limited series also stars Jack Lowden as Mr. Darcy and Olivia Colman as Mrs. Bennet. Rufus Sewell plays Mr. Bennet, while Freya Mavor takes on Jane Bennet and Rhea Norwood portrays Lydia. Daryl McCormack. Meanwhile, the role of Mr. Bingley, Louis Partridge embodies Mr. Wickham, and Jamie Demetriou plays Mr. Collins. The ensemble cast is completed by Fiona Shaw asLady Catherine de Bourgh, Siena Kelly as Caroline Bingley, and Hopey Parish and Hollie Avery as the Bennet sisters Mary and Kitty.
The Other Bennet Sister
BBC One’s The Other Bennet Sister is a new take on Pride and Prejudice. Based on Janice Hadlow’s 2020 novel, the ten-episode series follows Mary Bennet as she travels to London and the Lake District, exploring her life after the events of the original story. The series stars Ruth Jones, Richard E. Grant, Ella Bruccoleri, and Ryan Sampson, and promises a mix of drama and humor while focusing on the often-overlooked middle Bennet sister.
Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day
Virginia Woolf’s acclaimed 1919 novel Night and Day is finally being adapted for the screen, with its release scheduled for May 14th. This British-German production marks the first on-screen version of the story and boasts a star-studded cast including Lily Allen, Jack Whitehall, Haley Bennett, Jennifer Saunders, Timothy Spall, and Sally Phillips. Set in turn-of-the-century Britain, the film follows Katherine Hilbery, a female astronomer navigating the constraints of a patriarchal society. Alongside her friend Mary Datchet, Katherine explores whether love and marriage can coexist, while witnessing the early rise of the women’s suffrage movement. Filmed on location in Newcastle upon Tyne and Cologne, this adaptation promises to bring Woolf’s nuanced exploration of gender, independence, and societal expectations to life for the first time on screen.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials
This three-part series, from Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall, is based on Agatha Christie’s novel The Seven Dials Mystery. It stars Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter, and Martin Freeman. Set in 1920s England, the story follows a young woman who uncovers a secret society called the Seven Dials. As she investigates, she becomes caught in a web of murder and hidden motives, putting her own life at risk.
Ponies
Ponies is a stylish spy thriller coming to Peacock, set in 1977. The series follows two secretaries at the American embassy in Moscow who, after the deaths of their husbands, are recruited as CIA operatives. As they navigate the dangerous world of espionage, they uncover a chilling Cold War conspiracy behind the tragedy.
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood, with Esmé Creed-Miles, Frank Dillane, and Fiona Shaw in supporting roles. The film follows the three Dashwood sisters and their widowed mother as they move from their large Sussex estate to a smaller cottage in Devon. As they settle into their new life, they face love, heartbreak, and the challenges of society.
Young Sherlock
Young Sherlock is an upcoming eight-episode series on Prime Video, arriving March 4, 2026. It follows a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes at Oxford University as he becomes involved in a murder case and a globe-trotting conspiracy that shapes his future as the world’s greatest detective. Hero Fiennes Tiffin stars as Sherlock, with Joseph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Natascha McElhone, Max Irons, Dónal Finn, and Zine Tseng in supporting roles. The series is directed by Guy Ritchie, who also serves as executive producer.
Bridgerton (Season 4)
Netflix’s hugely popular Regency-era drama is expected to return in 2026 with its fourth season, continuing Shondaland’s glossy adaptation of Julia Quinn’s novels. While plot details are still under wraps, the new season will shift focus to another Bridgerton sibling’s love story. Since its debut, Bridgerton has become one of Netflix’s biggest-ever shows, and the upcoming season is already one of the platform’s most anticipated releases of the year.