Entertainment
How To Stream & Recover From 'Downton Abbey'
The final season of the beloved period drama Downton Abbey premieres Jan. 3 on PBS. As fans figure out how to say goodbye to so many favorite characters — though if previous seasons are any indication, the show may do that for us — we have been looking back on old episodes and avoiding spoilers from the sixth season, which has already aired in the U.K. The Internet is not a safe place for American fans right now. So let’s look ahead and find safe ways to stream Downton Abbey Season 6 online.
Luckily, it's pretty simple. Anyone who wants to get psyched up before the final season's premiere (or who has fallen behind) can watch the first five seasons on Amazon Prime. And as each episode of Season 6 airs on PBS, you can watch them with PBS Masterpiece's watch online option — no subscription required. Episodes from the last season are still available on the site, so don't worry if you're not keeping up very closely. You have time.
Of course, once you do get through the series' final episodes, you'll need something else to watch. Here are seven other shows to stream if you are already dreading the inevitable Downton Abbey-shaped hole in your heart.
1. Mr. Selfridge
Another look at the beginnings of department store shopping in England, the 1910s period piece follows real-life entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge, played by Jeremy Piven, and his department store, Selfridge & Co. Seasons 1-3 are available on Amazon Prime, and new episodes are coming to PBS.
2. Boardwalk Empire
This list has been pretty heavy on British series, so let's hop across the pond. If you are looking for some solid American drama, follow the life of gangster and politician Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi) through prohibition in Atlantic City. The series ended after five seasons in 2014, but all episodes are can be found on HBO Go, and Seasons 1-3 are also available on Amazon Prime.
3. Call the Midwife
This PBS Masterpiece series set in 1950s East End London chronicles the lives of midwives in a world before oral contraceptives. This brilliant feminist show tackles themes about race, sexuality, LGBT experiences, and poverty in the not-so-distant past. And there is a delightful character named Chummy! Seasons 1-4 are currently streaming on Netflix. Look for new episodes coming to PBS.
4. The Paradise
This BBC British costume drama follows the lives of the men and women who work in a department store — a burgeoning concept at the time — and the wealthy customers they are trying to appeal to. The two-season series is available to stream on Netflix.
5. Grand Hotel
This show is sort of the Spanish-language answer to Downton Abbey. It has two casts which work well separately and together — the Grand Hotel’s staff and the aristocratic family who owns the hotel. Of course, there is plenty of scandal and intrigue, starting with the murder of a maid in the premiere episode. You can watch Seasons 1-3 on Netflix.
6. North & South
This 2004 four-part miniseries, based on 1855 Victorian novel North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, follows a young woman’s move across England after her father leaves the clergy. The series explores class and the roles of women while the family adjusts to their new industrial town. All episodes are available to stream on Netflix.
7. The Bletchley Circle
If you love murder mysteries, British costume dramas, and girl power, then this is your new favorite show. The two-season series (entirely available on Netflix) follows what would happen if the code-breaking women from Alan Turing’s Bletchley Park went on to solve crimes better than male detectives.
Hopefully, at least a few of these shows will help you recover from the tremendous loss of Downton Abbey.
