Let the trumpets play that Mouret theme song — we’re rounding up the 15 best Masterpiece series from the half-century-plus history of the PBS drama anthology.
Masterpiece was previously titled Masterpiece Theatre, and as you might deduce from that spelling, the franchise specializes in British imports — usually costume dramas and period mysteries, with contemporary stories thrown in occasionally for good measure.
Of the Masterpiece productions with more than 10,000 user votes on IMDb, here are the top 15, ranked by average user rating.
15
▷ Where to Stream The Paradise
2012–2013
Based on Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola, this series stars Joanna Vanderham as a small-town woman who gets a job at the first English department store in 1875 and falls for its dashing owner. “Witty, moving, adorable, suspenseful, intriguing, and the list goes on,” one viewer said on IMDb. “Hats off — pun intended.”
14
▷ Where to Stream Sanditon
2019–2023
An unfinished Jane Austen manuscript inspired this series about a young woman (played by Rose Williams) who moves to a fishing town that aspires to become a seaside resort. “Yet again the Brits prove that nobody can do a period piece like they can!” one fan raved. “They always have the right balance of love, drama, relatable emotion, scandal, heartbreak, etc.”
13
▷ Where to Stream Grantchester
2014–2023
A series of clergymen (played by James Norton, Tom Brittney, and — soon — Rishi Nair) investigate local crimes with the help of a detective inspector (played by Robson Green) in the titular Cambridgeshire village in this series. “I came to Grantchester after a few seasons of Father Brown,” said one IMDb user. “While another ‘priest plus cop’ series seemed redundant, Grantchester is brilliantly written and acted.”
12
▷ Where to Stream Sense and Sensibility
2008
In this adaptation of the classic Austen story — a more overtly sexual one than others, according to screenwriter Andrew Davies — then-newcomers Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield played polar-opposite sisters at the start of their 19th-century romantic journeys. “This serial … is my favorite rendition of its novel,” one viewer wrote. “In the first hour, it’s my favorite by far.”
11
▷ Where to Stream Emma
2009
Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller, and the late Michael Gambon starred in this Austen adaptation, with Garai playing the meddlesome would-be matchmaker (and earning a Golden Globe nomination for her performance). “Everything — the acting, the costumes, storyline, and music — was just so superbly done,” an IMDb user enthused. “This version of Emma far surpasses its predecessors.”
10
▷ Where to Stream Wolf Hall
2015
Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, and Claire Foy brought Hilary Mantel’s historical novel to life, with Rylance portraying Thomas Cromwell as the lawyer becomes a close advisor to Henry VIII (Lewis) amid the king’s relationship with Anne Boleyn (Foy). “Mark Rylance was just mesmerizing,” one viewer said. “From the moment he appeared, he held me in thrall.”
9
▷ Where to Stream Victoria
2016–2019
Jenna Coleman portrayed a young Queen Victoria in this series that tracked the monarch’s ascension to the throne and her marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes). “This has been the most amazing series since Downton Abbey I have watched,” an IMDb user wrote. “I laughed, I cried, I got angry. I felt every emotion humanly possible through watching it.”
8
▷ Where to Stream The Durrells in Corfu
2016–2019
Simply titled The Durrells across the pond, this comedy-drama follows a widow and her four children as they adapt to life on a Greek isle, taking inspiration from the memoirs of real-life British naturalist Gerard Durrell. “Overall it is just charming, crammed full of dry wit, and a bit of a page-turner, as I can’t wait for the next episode,” one fan opined.
7
▷ Where to Stream Bleak House
2005
Twenty years after giving Masterpiece one Bleak House adaptation, the BBC sent over another, written by Davies, with Gillian Anderson and Carey Mulligan in the cast of a Charles Dickens tale that the network deemed a “passionate indictment” of England’s 19th-century legal system. “450+ minutes of a film is a long time to have your breath taken away,” a viewer said, “but that’s what happened when I first watched this magnificent adaptation.”
6
▷ Where to Stream Jane Eyre
2006
Before screenwriter Sandy Welch adapted the aforementioned Emma for the BBC, she brought this Charlotte Brontë story to the network, with Ruth Wilson making a breakout turn as the titular governess with a troublesome past. “A lavish production in all the right ways — script, cast, direction, location, details — this is a perfect literary adaptation,” one IMDb user rhapsodized.
5
▷ Where to Stream Cranford
2007–2009
Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, and an Emmy-winning Eileen Atkins played village women living on the verge of the Industrial Revolution in this five-part series based on Elizabeth Gaskell novellas. “Not a dry eye in the house as this came to a close last night,” one viewer said. “Absolute perfection.”
4
▷ Where to Stream Poldark
2015–2019
Aidan Turner gained fans on both sides of the Atlantic with this series about a British Army officer returning to Cornwall after the American Revolution and finding his family home nothing like how he left it. “I use IMDb all the time to look at reviews, but I never leave them,” one user wrote. “I signed up for an account just so I could rate this series because it is that awesome.”
3
▷ Where to Stream Downton Abbey
2010–2015
A Masterpiece series so popular it inspired two big-screen movies, this upstairs-downstairs drama followed the aristocratic Crawley family and their staff as they navigate the turbulent early 20th century. “Downton Abbey is the embodiment of excellence,” a fan said. “Well written with intelligent and inspiring storylines.”
2
▷ Where to Stream I, Claudius
1976
Based on the Robert Graves novel of the same name and its sequel, this miniseries chronicled the early Roman Empire through decades of Claudius’ reign. Derek Jacobi starred as the title emperor, and the supporting cast included a still-up-and-coming Patrick Stewart. “I, Claudius is the ultimate soap opera — vicious, cruel, manipulative — and this famous English miniseries grabs the attention and holds fast throughout the entire length of its complex tale of ancient intrigue,” one viewer said.
1
▷ Where to Stream Sherlock
2010–2017
A modern-day take on the Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character and Martin Freeman as sidekick Watson, with Andrew Scott stealing scenes as the archenemy Moriarty. “[This] will have Conan Doyle spinning in his grave… with delight,” one fan said. “A brilliantly written, well-acted program. Well done to all concerned.”
