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The Story of Costume Drama

This is the story of how it all happened...

Show Guide

They're appointments to view, add sparkle to the schedule - they are rich, regal and romantic.
And these are the amazing stories behind the most watched, most beautiful tales ever told on televisionfrom the team which knows its TV history.
The television costume drama has reached a new peak in popularity.

It seems every week a different star, like Billie Piper or Daniel Radcliffe, is signed up for the latest adaptation.
The story of the costume drama is wide-ranging, covering love and war, birth and death, the rich and the poor.

British costume dramas have upset the Royal Family, been banned by American TV, helped pull down the Iron Curtain, and overcome strikes, riots and freak weather on their way to creating massive stars - meaning incredible drama off screen as well as on it.
And this is the story of how it all happened - fantastic clips and revealing memories from those who were there - all put together by ITV Productions' in-house archive specialists.

Episodes

  1. Episode 1

    Episode 1

    In this opening episode we'll set the scene by hearing about the amazing impact the costume drama has had on us over the last 40 years.

  2. Episode 2

    Episode 2

    The leading men and leading ladies who have captured our hearts and our attention over the last 40 years. This is what the costume drama did for them.

  3. Episode 3

    Episode 3

    In this episode we delve deep into the content at the heart of most popular TV period dramas - love and sex.

  4. Episode 4

    Episode 4

    In this programme we take a breather from all that hot stuff and get into the detail as we reveal how and where these beautiful-looking series have been made.

  5. Episode 5

    Episode 5

    But it's not all beautiful settings, bodices and britches. In Show five we'll get down and dirty with the adventurous side of the costume drama.

Characters

Videos