Between their haughty social class etiquette, duels, political wars, and incredible, historical costumes, period dramas have always been popular. BBC dominated the genre for many years, especially with their Jane Austen adaptations, which are still beloved today, and the channel has continued to produce great historical series. However, the rise of streaming services and channels have led to a bounty of serialized stories set in the past.
Some streaming services have been investing in many new historical series that are some of their most-watched shows, such as Netflix with Bridgerton and The Crown and HBO’s The Gilded Age, to name only a few. However, there is one channel that has been setting itself apart for the amount of historical content it produces, as well as the diversity inside the genre: Starz. The most watched original Starz series is Outlander, a historical fantasy adapted from the book series by Diana Gabaldon. Beyond that, though, the streaming service has dedicated years to creating and developing historical dramas, and this has resulted in a catalog that really stands out from its competitors.
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Starz has been leading the way in producing historical shows for quite some time. Here is how and why the service continues to be such a leader in the genre.
Diversity of Genres and Time Periods on Starz
Starz
One of the best qualities of the Starz historical dramas is its diversity regarding genre and time period the stories are set in. Most streaming services don’t focus on historical drama series set in different time periods; usually, their stories are in the Medieval Age or the Victorian era in the 19th century. Even though Starz also has drama period shows set in these times, there are a large amount set in different moments, such as the Renaissance in Italy, France in the 18th century, and even the Roman Republic.
Another compelling element Starz has utilized is merging comedy with historical stories, often incorporating lighter tones. There are more comedic shows available like The Great, one of the most acclaimed shows from Starz, set in Imperial Russia inside the Russian palace. Of course, there are a lot of options regarding more drama-driven narratives, such as the Spanish Princess, which tells the life of Katherine of Aragon. Then there is Black Sails, a show about pirates in the early 18th century. However, even among the drama shows, there are different options regarding genre mixes. Outlander is a fantasy romance that takes the viewer to 1700s Scotland through magical stones.
These shows couldn’t be more different, and there were all made by Starz. This inventiveness appears to be a trademark of the channel always looking for new ideas and shows that are quite like nothing else available on television.
Creating TV Worlds
An important factor that has become more prominent in the last couple of years is the format of a show. For a very long time, historical dramas had various seasons which followed a family from generations, as in Downton Abbey. However, in recent years, miniseries (what some may consider longer movies) have been getting a lot of attention. This has not decreased the love for episodic shows with multiple seasons, but this change has been quite notable in the entertainment industry: the look for smaller series.
Starz has both formats, miniseries and series, in the historical genre, but it is more than that: the channel created worlds that connect their most famous stories across different formats. One example is The White Princess, a miniseries which received a lot of love that led to the production of a longer series, the epic 16-part The Spanish Princess, creating an interconnected world inside the streaming catalog.
Series and miniseries are not the only formats the streaming service has used to increase the level of storytelling of their stories. They used movies made to continue the story of a beloved series that ended after years on the air, such as Downton Abbey. And even spin-off shows, such as the Outlander prequel series. The amount of possibilities these interwoven stories have is really interesting from a creative point of view, and the streaming service is still exploring it. It’s almost like Starz’s historical cinematic universe, and it makes fans very happy.
Quality Content
There is no denying that the options available on the Starz catalog regarding historical dramas can’t be compared with any other streaming service. They were one of the first to invest in such shows, with great examples being the dramatic political series Spartacus and The Pillars of the Earth 13 years ago. There is an intrinsic boldness regarding the material they produce that translates to having so many people watching their shows. The channel became known for these stories, and they have been associated with critically acclaimed historian shows for some time.
From recent releases like The Serpent Queen and Dangerous Liaisons to upcoming series like Queen Nzinga and a show about Eleanor of Aquitaine, whenever a new historical show by Starz is announced, the audience prepares themselves for a great story that will probably make them cry and laugh, sometimes all in the same scene. But most importantly of all, they will be transported to the past while being completely gripped by the story being told.
