Period TV Shows Set in Chronological Order

Hi everyone!! One of my first tv shows has always been period dramas. I love the sweeping costumes and beautiful romances that they portray but if you're like me, you also like to know the correct chronological order for the shows you watch.  So without further ado, I'm going to list all the period shows that I have watched or heard of and place them in correct order they appeared in history. Some of these are more historical than others so keep that in mind if you want to watch them!

Vikings (Begins in 793)

Medici: Masters of Florence (Begins in 1434)

The White Queen (Begins in 1464)

The White Princess (Begins in 1485)

The Borgias (Begins in 1492)

The Spanish Princess (Begins in 1501)

The Tudors (Begins in 1518)

The Serpent Queen (Set in 1533)

Reign (Begins in 1557)

*Less historical fiction than historical homage with the costumes and such*

The Musketeers (Begins in the 1630s)

Versailles (Begins in 1667)

Black Sails (Begins in the 1730s)

Outlander (Begins in 1743)

The Great (Begins in late 1700s)

TURN: Washington's Spies (Begins in 1776)

Poldark (Begins in 1783)

Bridgerton (Begins in 1813)

*Watch this one as more of a parallel historical fantasy*

Victoria (Begins in 1837)

The Paradise (Begins in 1875)

Murdoch Mysteries (Begins in 1895)

The Alienist (Begins in 1896)

Downton Abbey (Begins in 1912)

Peaky Blinders (Begins in 1918)

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Set in the 1920s)

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Begins in 1958)

Fun Facts:

Personally I would watch The White Queen, The White Princess, The Spanish Princess, and The Tudors back to back and then watch The Borgias afterwards cause those four shows take place over 3 different English royals and it makes more sense to watch the shows with characters we've already met and then jump over to Italy and what was happening there at the time. Many of the same characters are in all four shows though none of the actors except one reprise their roles.

The Borgias takes place three generations after Cosimo de Medici ruled Florence although the Medici are not really a huge part of The Borgias.

Reign is set just a few years after the Tudors in that the characters in Reign might have appeared in Tudors or were one or two generations of descendants from characters that appeared in the Tudors. Mary Tudor is mentioned and Elizabeth Tudor is a main character in the later seasons of Reign. Also Catherine de Medici is five generations descended from Cosimo de Medici.

I'd also recommend watching The Serpent Queen and Reign back to back given that Catherine de Medici who is the lead of The Serpent Queen is also a main character in Reign as Francis's mother.

Reign and Bridgerton are the least historically accurate on this list but are still fun to throw yourself into.

Versailles is set in the generation after the Musketeers in that King Louis XIV was the son of Anne of Austria and Louis XII from the Musketeers although no characters appear in both shows other than Louis XIV and Anne of Austria in a flashback (again not played by the same actors.)

Poldark begins right as the American Civil War comes to an end so it's a nice tie-in to TURN: Washington's Spies cause you can imagine that Ross was running around at the same time as our beloved American characters.

I hope you enjoyed this! It's fun to watch these shows chronologically cause you'll catch a lot of hints that tie these shows together! I always find myself wanting to know where a show falls in history so I can know what makes the characters who they are! If I missed any, let me know down below. I might have just forgotten them or I've never seen that show!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 TV Shows of 2016

Hi everyone! As promised, I'm back with my top 10 favorite tv shows of 2016! Again, this list is based on my personal opinions and may have spoilers. There was a lot of great TV out this year so I'm going to start with some honorable mentions which has some shows that I binged this year but have ended and some shows that are still on air but that just missed the top 10 list! If you want a refresher, check out my Top 10 TV Shows of 2013, my Top 10 TV Shows of 2014, and my Top 10 TV Shows of 2015 lists!

The Tudors

First up is The Tudors! As you know, I freaking love period dramas but I didn't get Netflix until this year so I was literally in heaven and watched basically every single period drama on Netflix (minus one or two) and this one was one of my absolute favorites! I kind of prefer the slice of life in another century shows because I'm not a huge fan of politics in general as it irritates me when the main characters are manipulated but this show had the perfect mix of both politics and slice of life! It was absolutely perfect. I loved watching Henry "fall in love" over and over and seeing actors that I know appear in this show! It was so much fun to watch Henry age and I cannot explain to you enough how perfect the acting, costumes and storylines were! Definitely check it out if you can!

Timeless

Next up on the honorable mentions is Timeless! Now you may remember that this show was one of the few Fall 2016 shows that I decided to check out and I was kinda iffy when it began but as the show continued, it creeped up into my favorites and I didn't even notice until the show was off one week and I realized I missed it a lot when it finally came back! I love the characters and the different time periods and the costumes and the mystery behind who the villains are! Everything you could want from a time travel show can be found here! The slow build between Lucy and Wyatt is great and I love seeing how Rufus has to survive in different time periods with racism being as strong as it is. Flynn is very mysterious and there are times that it makes you wonder if he really is the villain and there's nothing better than a grey villain! Click here to see all my Timeless posts. The second half of season 1 airs on January 16th at 10 PM on NBC!

TURN: Washington's Spies

Looking back on my top 10 lists for the past three years, I've realized how sad it is that Turn: Washington's Spies has never been on my lists. I've been watching and loving this show since it first aired in 2014. Now we're three seasons in and coming up on the final fourth season and I decided that Turn needs the love it so desperately deserves. Seriously guys, this is a show about spies during the American Revolution. The characters are all super badass, the women are so strong, the costumes are excellent, the plot is amazing and the spying is so much fun to watch. The rush you feel when all the cogs fit in place and a piece of information travels all the way from York to Washington's camp is indescribable! All the characters are relatable and the show makes you feel so patriotic to watch! This little gem is so rarely talked about but it deserves all the love. Click here to see all my Turn posts!


And now, let's get into my top 10 tv shows of 2016!

The Musketeers

Coming in at number 10 is.... The Musketeers! This show has been on every one of top 10 lists since this show first aired and there's a great reason for that! This show is incredible! It's fun and serious and comedic and romantic and action-packed. Basically it's everything you could want in a show about the Musketeers. Season 3 just aired and it is the final season of the Musketeers which is unfortunate. It's also ranked a little lower than it was the past two years and that's simply because I didn't like this season as much as the past two. Something about the tone just felt off to me and I don't know what it was. All I know is that season 3 did not give me the same feels as the past two. Season 2 is definitely my favorite. But the show ended in a great way and every character was given a good end point other than Athos because the actress who played Milady wasn't in enough of the show. Definitely check it out. Click here to see all my Musketeers posts!

Outlander

At number 9 is... Outlander! Season 2 aired this year and although it wasn't as good as season 1, it was still a great show to watch. Season 2 got much darker than the previous season so it was less fun which I think is why I didn't like it as much. It was still fun to see the Frasers in France though and I loved seeing Claire return to Frank and see how different she was with him compared to Jamie because it showed just how much she loved Jamie. The war was interesting to watch too and I can't wait until season 3 comes around although from what I've seen that was in the books, I'm not sure that I'll like it very much but who knows! You probably know my pitch for this show by now but here goes one more time! Great costumes, amazing acting, a smart female lead, killer chemistry between Jamie and Claire and breathtaking scenery. Click here to see all my Outlander posts!

Black Sails

Coming in at number 8 is... Black Sails! Season 3 aired this year and we're coming up on fourth and final season in 2017 which is sad but also it seems like a good time to wrap up the show. A lot of shows have the problem of going on too long and after the major death that happened in season 3, it seems like a good point for the story to conclude. The reason Black Sails is so low on my list this year is again that I didn't love this season as much as the last two. Everything was still great except for the characterization of Eleanor who used to be one of my favorites but now I can't even look at her character and how they completely destroyed it just to get from point A to B. I'm interested to see how the show will conclude and whether it will tie in to Treasure Island. Click here to see all my Black Sails posts. Season 4 airs on January 29th at 9 PM on Starz!

The Flash

At number 7 is.... The Flash! My biggest problem with The Flash during the first half of season 3 is how little exciting moments there were. Most of the season was spent with broody Barry who isn't even as fun as broody Oliver. All Barry did was whine and go on and on about how he messed everything up like we get it Barry, move on already. My other problem with Barry has always been that he can never solve a problem by himself. Kara and Oliver may get help from their tech teams but they can make decisions on their own. Barry sees something and is like help immediately. Even the excitement of Killer Frost was rushed through in that one episode Caitlin went evil randomly and then was fixed randomly. It makes no sense to me why the fact that Caitlin has ice powers would make her evil automatically. Click here to see all my Flash posts. The second half of Season 3 airs on January 24th at 8 PM on the CW!

iZombie

Coming in at number 6 is... iZombie! This is another show that I watched from when it first aired in the Spring of 2015 but it didn't get on my top 10 list that year because as much as I liked the show, it wasn't top 10 quality. Then season 2 aired in 2016 and I was blown away with how much I loved this show. It is the perfect mix of comedy and mystery with a little bit of action thrown in. The characters are all so loveable, the plot is amazing, the villains are a thrill to watch and this is one of the only shows were the love interest is written to be just as interesting as the main character and has side plots of his own unlike the DCTV shows were Iris and Felicity are just there to be love interests. Despite every episode having a detective mystery to solve, there are overarching storylines that continue throughout each episode so the show doesn't feel like a procedural. Click here to see all my iZombie posts. Season 3 airs on April 4th at 8 PM on the CW!

Arrow

At number 5 is... Arrow! Oh my poor sweet baby. The show that started the DCTV world had fallen for the past two seasons but season 5 is looking up a little which I'm afraid to say cause every time I say that in one of these reviews, it's all downhill from there. This show has a special place in my heart but that does not mean that I'm loving everything that's been going on. If you've been reading my reviews of season 5, you know that I seriously dislike this new team of recruits and I don't like how the show is pretending that Olicity never happened because I promise you show that Olicity was not the reason season 3 and 4 bombed but in fact was due to terrible writing but I really liked the twist at the end of the midseason finale of season 5. I also like that the show is more grounded this year cause I feel like the villains in Arrow work better when they have a personal reason for disliking Oliver and when they're just normal people rather than magical ones cause the Green Arrow is just a normal person so it makes more sense. Click here to see all my Arrow posts. The second half of Season 5 airs on January 25th at 8 PM on the CW!

Sense8

Coming in at number 4 is... Sense8! Okay so technically Season 1 aired in 2015 but like I said, I didn't get Netflix until this year so I was not able to check it out until recently. I was a little hesitant cause despite hearing great things about this show, my brother watched it and disliked it so I was worried that I wouldn't like it either but after watching it, I was blown away and I don't know what my brother was doing to dislike it! All the characters are so fascinating and each individual storyline is so interesting and I love how the different sensates are able to help each other out. The scenes were the different sensates come in and help have to be my favorite parts and one of the major reasons that I love this show. I love the main couples, especially Wolfgang and Kala, and I love how ambiguous Naveen Andrews is. The only thing I don't love as much as the rest is Whispers and the whole time I was watching the season 1 finale, I kept wondering if he maybe has some sort of superpowers or something because why couldn't they just kill him and that'd be the end of that? Season 2 will air on May 5th on Netflix!

Reign

At number 3 is... Reign! I bet you're surprised at this ranking, aren't you? As you may know if you read previous posts of mine, I almost dropped Reign during season 2 with how much I disliked the way Mary was written but I got through based on the storylines of the other characters and the show finally corrected it's mistakes. I kept watching when Francis died even though it left me heartbroken and refound my love for this show during season 3 and I'm so glad I did because I really do love this show. All of the characters are so fun to watch and I loved seeing Mary give rousing speeches and being badass as hell. One of my favorite scenes in season 3 was when she stormed her Scottish castle and interrupted the council who thought she was dead and declared herself Mary Queen of Scots! My favorite scene though has to be the dance between Mary and Francis in episode 3 of Season 3. You could feel the love and chemistry oozing from the screen! Click here see all my Reign posts. Season 4 of Reign airs on February 10th at 9 PM on CW!

Supergirl

Coming in at number 2 is... Supergirl! Not very surprising if you have been following my reviews of Season 2 but if you haven't let me say this is my favorite DCTV show on air right now! I didn't think I would have said this after Season 1 but honestly the quality difference between Season 1 and 2 was insane! I will never be more thankful that Supergirl moved to CW because CBS did not know how to write a good show! The storylines are better, the acting is better, the characters are better, the fight choreography is better, the special effects are better. If you can name a complaint from Season 1, it's been fixed in Season 2. Every single episode leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting more! Superman was great this season and so is Mon El and the Luthors and Cadmus and the introduction of Alex's LGBTQ storyline which has to be one of the best written that I've seen on TV. If you watched a few episodes of Supergirl Season 1 and dropped it or heard that it sucked and never tuned in, watch a recap of Season 1 on Youtube (SourceFedNerd does a great one) and then jump into Season 2!! You will not regret it! Click here to see all my Supergirl posts. The second half of Season 2 airs January 23rd at 8 PM on CW!

Agents Of SHIELD

And now the moment you've all been waiting for!!!!! My number 1 favorite TV show of 2016 is..... AGENTS OF SHIELD!!!! Guys, I'm sorry but you really had to see this coming. I cannot stop raving about how much I adore Agents of SHIELD. Most people don't understand me and why I love this show so much and I never know how to explain it. I love all the characters so much and I think each episode is like an adventure that you're so involved in. I want more after every episode airs and it never feels like the show is dragging! The new dark tone took a bit to get used to but after a couple of episodes early on, the tone returned to what we're used to. I loved Ghost Rider appearing on the show and he was amazing and I'm looking forward to the LMD stuff we're going to get! The show is able to balance every character and give everyone something to do which is hard is such a large ensemble cast! Click here to see all my Agents of SHIELD posts. The second half of Season 4 airs January 10th at 10 PM on ABC!


And that concludes my Top 10 TV Shows of 2016 list! I hope you enjoyed and let me know what you're top 10 were this year! Happy 2017 everyone!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 TV Shows of 2015

Hi all!! So this top 10 tv shows and movies list has become somewhat of a tradition on my blog which is awesome! So if you've seen these before, you know how my lists work. If you haven't, I list my top 10 favorite tv shows of the year. These are all based on my own personal preferences and if you disagree with a listing, let me know in the comments! If you want to look at the Top 10 Shows of 2013 or the Top 10 TV Shows of 2014, click on the links to check them out. There will be spoilers below so if you're planning on starting any of these shows, go watch them and come back!!!


So up first are my honorable mentions. So last year my honorable mentions were ones that I really liked but were cancelled or not airing anymore. This year I watched way too much tv sooooo my honorable mentions are ones that I enjoyed but were not on my top 10.

Supergirl

Up first is Supergirl! So as you all knew, I was pretty excited for Supergirl to air and now that is has aired, I am a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy this show but not as much as my other ones. Kara is precious and I love Alex and Cat and Maxwell Lord but James and Winn seem so pointless to me. Neither boy has been developed into characters yet and they just irritate me when they appear on the screen. I know what you're going to say: "But Allie, it's only been half a season" but in response to that, the first half of the season is supposed to be where all the characters are fleshed out if I'm being honest. James is just a pretty boy who Kara has a crush on and Winn is just creepy. I used to be annoyed with Hank as well but after the big reveal of him being Martian Manhunter, I've suddenly started to like him. The feminism theme is a little heavy handed to me as well. Rather than telling me how great and strong Kara is, I would love Supergirl to show me! But despite this, I do really like this show and click here to see all my Supergirl posts! The second half of season 1 will return in January!

Reign

So looking back at my previous top 10 lists made me notice that I listed Reign in my top 10 during season 1 but not season 2. The reason for this is despite loving most of the storylines and the costumes and most of the characters, the writers seem to love triangles which drives me crazy. I really enjoyed season 1 and the beginning of season 2 but then Mary got raped and then she "fell in love" with Conde (aka not her husband) and basically a storyline which could have been a way to have Mary grow turned into a storyline about how she was taken advantage of by some guy. Season 3 has finally started to go back to what I liked in season 1 and even though Francis (my favorite character) died, I'm interested in where the story is going. Unfortunately due to the bad taste season 2 left in my mouth, this show is going to stay on the honorable mentions. The second half of season 3 of Reign will return in January and click here to see all my Reign posts!

And now, MY TOP TEN!!!

Quantico

Coming in at number 10 is Quantico!! So this show is a new one that actually just aired this fall so it's kind of crazy that it's already on my top 10 but honestly this show caught me by surprise. I just randomly decided to watch this show and the first few episodes were okay but then out of nowhere, I was hooked! I love all the characters and the plot line! There are so many twists and turns, you don't know who to trust and I love that. The only thing I'd complain about is that I'm still not a fan of Alex's thing with Ryan cause I don't really think they have chemistry and I'm more interested in her being with Simon but that's just a small thing. The first season of Quantico returns in March! Click here to see all my Quantico posts!

Once Upon A Time

At number 9 is Once Upon a Time!! I bet this is surprising based on how high Once ranked last year but the thing with that was that I had binge watched the entire show last year and to be honest, the earlier seasons were much better than these two. The Queens of Darkness has to be the worst season of Once I watched without a doubt. Before that I thought the Wicked Witch season was my least favorite but while I was watching the Queens of Darkness arc, I was missing the Wicked Witch arc. The writers destroyed Rumple, Rumbelle and Outlaw Queen in one foul swoop and you all know Rumple was my favorite because of his troubled anti-hero thing. Watching that season it was like the showrunners completely forgot what made Rumple himself. To make things worse, Robin and Regina suddenly turned into a horrible soap opera with a secret baby from an evil sister. The only saving grace was Captain Swan and Hook but then this Dark Swan arc had to destroy them too. I was excited to see dark Emma but the whole season was a build up (and a boring one at that) to nothing and then out of the blue, Hook turned evil again and then one episode later, realized he was good again. What? Once Upon a Time returns for the second half of season 5 in March. Click here for all my Once Upon a Time posts!

Jessica Jones

Coming in at number 8 is Jessica Jones!! Another show in it's freshman year but one that I highly enjoyed. I was not expecting to enjoy this show based on my experiences with Marvel's Daredevil but after watching a full season, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the show. I loved Jessica and Trish and their relationship. I really liked Malcolm and David Tennant was beyond amazing as Kilgrave. He brought the perfect amount of creepiness and mixed it with his David Tennant charm to make you pity a truly horrible character. The way they portrayed Jessica's PTSD and trauma was very realistic and her broodiness was not as annoyed as most characters. I binge watched this show in a weekend and I did not regret a single moment. There were some negatives in that I could have lived without Robin and Jerry but overall I really liked this show.

The Musketeers

At number 7 is The Musketeers!! So this show was on my list last year and it's on my list this year as well! Everything I loved about the Musketeers during season 1 was present in season 2 and the stakes were amped up! I fell even more in love with the characters this year and the storylines each episode were very fun to watch. I enjoyed watching the romances blossom and I'm very excited to see where the storyline about the war goes. I've never been more nervous than when Queen Anne was accused by the King and he found out that Aramis was actually the father of his son. Click here to see all my Musketeers posts!

Arrow

Coming in at number 6 is Arrow!! Ooh what a shot down on my top 10 list. Last year Arrow was my number 1 and this year it's at 6. The major reason for this is simply due to how little I enjoyed the second half of season 3 last year. I remember writing about how epic season 3 was going to be but after the midseason finale, it went downhill fast. There were episodes here and there that were interesting but as a whole, not so much. I do however think that the first half of season 4 seems interesting and I really like Damian Darkh as a villain. I'm pumped that Sara's alive again and that Olicity is finally a thing. My favorite thing about Olicity is that they're written without the over the top drama like last season. I like the new way the episodes are shot and Laurel is finally coming into her own. Click here to see all my Arrow posts!

The Flash

At number 5 is the Flash!! When I first started watching this show I thought it was fun but I didn't know how much I was going to enjoy it until now. The back half of season one of the Flash was beyond amazing and the finale had a couple of my favorite scenes from the show with Eddie dying and the black hole opening and THAT SHOT OF KILLER SNOW! I liked how they mostly dropped the procedural element of the show and now almost everyone knows Barry's secret so there's no awkward I have to run cause whatever thing. I am a little disappointed in the beginning of season 2 just because the finale for season 1 was so exciting and the show came back in the most boring way possible. Unfortunately this half of season 2 has mostly consisted of me waiting until something happens and the best episode of this half season has to be the Flarrow crossover which is awkward because it was 70% an Arrow episode and 30% a Flash episode. I do like Jay Garrick a lot though and I am excited to see more of the Zoom so here's hoping! The second half of season 2 airs in January! Click here to see all my Flash posts!

Outlander

Coming in at number 4 is Outlander!! I really enjoyed the first half of season 1 but like every other show that went through it's freshman year this year, the second half was where things really got interesting. Claire fell in love with Jamie and she finally started to really trust him. Black Jack got crazy evil and one of the best acted scenes I have ever seen was with Jamie in the cells when Black Jack was torturing and trying to rape him. The impact and the weight the show placed on Jamie's rape is unlike any other I have seen and it was exactly the way it should have been. Most shows just brush over it or pretend it never happened rather than digging into the grit of it all. I am excited to see Claire's pregnancy and the fact they are going to France is very interesting as it provides a way for the show to mix things up with a new cast and a new setting. Outlander will return for season 2 in March. Also click here to see all my Outlander posts!

The 100

At number 3 is the 100!! I don't even know what to say about this show to describe my love for it except season 2 is definitely the season to beat in my eyes. Most shows either have season 2 as their best like Arrow or they hit a slump like the Flash but luckily for all of us, the 100 is following Arrow's trend!! Every episode left you on the edge of your seat wanting more. The storylines this under appreciated show has touched upon are ones for the ages. Despite having so many characters in the cast, each one went through an arc and came out a different person. The episode where Finn died has to be one of my favorites but part 1 of the two part finale slayed me. I was sitting there in front of my TV with my jaw dropped and I didn't know what to do. The deaths are shocking and the romances are perfectly placed in the backdrop and family and friends are the backbone for this show. Each episode is better than the last and here's to (hopefully) an even better season 3! Click here to check out all my 100 posts!

Black Sails

Coming in at number 2 is Black Sails!! I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over but honestly it's true. Season 2 was better than season 1 in that now that we truly knew each character, we could throw a bomb right in the middle of them and watch the audience's hearts explode. I loved every bit of season 2 from Eleanor and Vane's rekindled romance to Jack and Anne Bonny's plan to captain a ship and steal the Spanish gold to Flint's backstory revelation. I have never been more shocked (and in a good way) then when we found out that Flint was never in love with Miranda but her husband!! I loved seeing Jack and Bonny steal the treasure away from Flint's crew and the finale when Vane saved Flint's life stole my heart. I'm excited to see the English attack Nassau in season 3 and I can't wait for more epicness from this show. Season 3 returns in January! Click here to see all my Black Sails posts!

Agents Of SHIELD

AND FINALLY THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!! MY NUMBER ONE FAVORITE SHOW OF 2015 IS AGENTS OF SHIELD!! *Screams* *Confetti is thrown* But seriously guys, you had to have known this was coming. I have never been anything but in love with this show despite what others believe. I without a doubt think Agents of SHIELD is the best superhero show I watch let alone my favorite show this year. Each season has a new arc for every character and each season makes you fall more in love. Each episode raises the bar and each episode has a bigger and better storyline. I never thought I'd enjoy Bobbi and Mack as much as I do and the inhumans are amazingly fun to watch! The original cast just keeps getting better and better and the midseason finale where Ward was killed shocked me. I was not expecting him to die because hello it's Ward but Coulson did it. I am excited for the second half of season 3 to air and it will return in March! Click here to see all my Agents of SHIELD posts!


Well that's all for now! I hope you've enjoyed this peek into my mind. Tbh it's a lot of squealing and so I've tried to write all those feelings into words for you. Hopefully it worked out the way I wanted to! Tomorrow you'll be getting my Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2015 post so keep an eye out! Ta-ta for now!

xoxo Allie