10 Best TV Shows Like The Crown To Watch After The Final Season

Now that The Crown has concluded its final season, there is a hole that needs filling in the TV landscape, but there are plenty of excellent shows to watch after The Crown that scratch the same itch. Many elements must be present for a series to capture the same themes and tone of The Crown. Although The Crown was based on true events and revolved around the British Royal family, it succeeded the most when it focused on the nuanced details of the interpersonal drama behind the scenes.

The Crown ran for five seasons, from 2016 to 2023, and followed the lives of the Royal family around the time that Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1952. Each season of the series had different actors and showcased the evolution of the family and the world’s relationship with royalty up until the present day. As the show has caught up to more recent events in the past few seasons there has been controversy and intrigue surrounding how the show has handled such sensitive subject matter.

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10 Downton Abbey (2010 – 2015)

The Post-Edwardian Era

Downton Abbey treads similar ground to The Crown because it also deals with the aristocracy during a period of great social change. The early 20th century saw a shift toward social liberalism and a breakdown of the rigid class structure that had governed England for so long. In the show, this change is illustrated through the Crawley family’s attempts to navigate which traditions will remain and which will fall away. At the heart of the show are the struggles of each member of the family to find happiness and connect with those around them. The Crown grounds its larger-than-life royal characters in the same way.

9 Victoria (2016 – 2019)

The Victorian Era

Jenna Coleman stars as the titular Queen Victoria in Victoria, a Masterpiece series that encapsulates Victoria’s early ascension to the throne, up until the start of her husband’s, Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), declining health. One of the most popular British monarchs, Victoria, has been a topic in film and television for many years, but what Victoria does so well is balance the high stakes of international affairs with her ongoing quest to find her place as a leader and achieve self-fulfillment. Watching Victoria after The Crown gives further insight into the legacy that British monarchs leave, and what that means for their future successors, like Queen Elizabeth.

8 The Borgias (2011 – 2013)

The Renaissance

Italy during the height of the Renaissance sounds like an idyllic place full of music, art, and innovation, but for the Borgia family in The Borgias, it’s an opportunity to gain power. The series follows the family’s cruel and ruthless climb to the top of the political and religious hierarchy in Italy. Eventually, the patriarch, Rodrigo (Jeremy Irons) becomes the Pope himself.

The Borgias is also based on a real-life family, but this one is not bound by the structure and propriety that others are, and therefore act out their basest desires. Although The Borgias is more scandalous than The Crown and the shows of its ilk, the family is still faced with the same petty jealousies and dramas that any powerful family would be. If later generations of monarchies were not bound by societal pressures, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them act the same way as the Borgias.

7 Reign (2013 – 2017)

The Elizabethan Era

Mary Queen of Scots had one of the most tragic lives in history and Reign chronicles her early years becoming Queen Consort of France, and later retaking Scotland as its rightful ruler. Mary (Adelaide Kane) lives her life on high alert as her life and claim to the throne are constantly being threatened, and she proves herself to be a smart and capable ruler because of this. Like The Crown, costumes take center stage and provide stunning outfits on Reign that add to the atmosphere of the series.

While Reign takes more dramatic liberties than some other historical shows, it still does an excellent job of creating a fully fleshed-out world, and making the stakes of Mary’s choice seem real. Though Reign doesn’t span as many decades as The Crown it does track Mary’s progression and maturation just as effectively. By the end of the series, Mary is not the scared young girl audiences met in the pilot.

6 The Great (2020 – 2023)

The Age of Enlightenment

The Great is a send-up of classic historical dramas and centers on underwritten perspectives that are often overlooked in period pieces while using satire and outlandish humor to differentiate itself. Elle Fanning plays Catherine, the young woman who would later become the most famous aristocrat in Russian history. While humor is an essential part of the show, The Great is still unafraid to take on more serious discussions of political reform and struggling to connect with a partner in a marriage. The series takes the topics found in straight dramas like The Crown and uses fantastical elements to show them in a new light.

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5 The Buccaneers (2023 – )

The Victorian Era

Though also taking place during Queen Victoria’s reign, The Buccaneers takes quite a different approach to exploring what life was like at that time. Specifically, it focuses on how a group of young women from America deal with the rigid, but evolving, structures of London society. The Buccaneers drew immediate comparisons to Bridgerton but differentiated itself by taking the modernization of period dramas to the next level.

The young women experience the trials and tribulations of teen dramas that take place in the present day, but the setting and fashion of the late 1800s make it all the more fun. Though not as serious as The Crown, the British setting and romantic intrigue are just as good. As season 2 has recently been confirmed, there is plenty more of The Buccaneers on its way to satisfy viewers.

4 The Americans (2013 – 2018)

The Cold War

The Americans doesn’t have the glittering sets and costumes of other period dramas, and the central questions of the series are much larger than who the protagonist will marry at the end of the season. The series follows two Russian spies deep undercover in Washington D.C. during the height of the Cold War. If that isn’t enough, the protagonists who have entered into their marriage as part of their cover, start to develop real feelings for each other. With a slow and methodical tone most similar to The Crown and the complex intricacies of political espionage on full display, The Americans is peak prestige television.

3 The Gilded Age (2022 – )

The Gilded Age/Industrial Revolution

Taking its title from the period it’s based on, The Gilded Age takes place in New York City during the late 1800s. Throughout the show, tensions between the nouveau rich and old-money families grow to new heights. The series sees the U.S. slowly tipping into the modern age, and leaving behind the social rules that so strictly govern the old world.

However, being accepted into high society is no easy task, and not everyone is welcoming to the new families of New York. Feelings of being an outsider are an essential theme in both The Crown and The Gilded Age, as new members of the royal family are often treated the same way as new money in The Gilded Age. Additionally, both shows witness members of the old guard becoming uncomfortable with change and struggling with how to adapt.

2 The Empress (2022 – )

The Victorian Era

The German series, The Empress, explores the life of Empress Sisi (Devrim Lingnau) of Austria-Hungary and her experiences at the royal court. The real Sisi was plagued with drama and intrigue her entire life, and the fictionalized show does not shy away from portraying that. Upon her marriage to the Emperor of Austria-Hungary and her accession to the throne, she was constantly plagued by attempts to undermine her and uproot her claim to power. Like The Crown, The Empress creates opportunities to empathize with these powerful and distant characters, making their successes and failures seem accessible.

1 The Tudors (2007 – 2010)

The Tudor Period

Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) was one of the most notorious kings in British history, most notably for the number of wives he married, divorced, and killed. The Tudors explores his rule and relationships with the women in his life, as well as how he spearheaded England’s break from the Catholic Church. Even though The Tudors takes place well before The Crown, it gives necessary context to the history of the British throne. Additionally, the hardships that Henry must overcome, as well as political decisions, are quite similar to those made by monarchs many years later.