Research - Conventions of the Period Drama Genre

A period drama is a drama which is in a historical setting and conforms faithfully to said time period. Parts of our production will be set in World War Two Britain, making research into these dramas important. Frequently, period dramas feature elaborate costumes and settings (sometimes built studio sets but also historical locations) and are associated with high production values. Many period dramas like Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs are successful both critically and commercially, especially in the UK (where they are normally set) and the US, as Americans tend to enjoy representations of traditional English culture. The BBC has a reputation as a producer of high quality period dramas.

Downton Abbey - Set in the time period around both world wars, hugely successful and popular, features lavish costumes and settings.

Period dramas tend to focus on British history, anywhere from Tudor times to the time period surrounding the First and Second World Wars, although there are some infrequent exceptions, such as Mad Men. They often touch on themes like social class by drawing comparisons with the strict ingrained class system typically associated with Victorian to Wartime society (Upstairs, Downstairs); national identity by containing real historical figures and locations (The Tudors); and race and gender by showing females and ethnic minorities struggling against the prejudiced societies of the past (Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice).  However, period dramas are primarily made for entertainment purposes, not for in depth discussions of these themes.

Upstairs, Downstairs - Set in the early 1900s, depicts class struggles of the time period.

Often, these dramas appeal to females, stereotypically because of the lavish costumes and settings involved which would be more popular with women than men, but also because of struggles of female characters in dramas like Jane Eyre. This appeal fits in well with our target audience which includes both genders but with a focus on females, without being off putting to men who also appreciate period dramas, especially if they themselves have an interest in history.

This research into period dramas is useful to our production as it helps stress the importance of historical accuracy, and how hard it is to achieve complete historical correctness. We will conform to the historical costumes conventional to the genre, but our costumes will not be the traditionally lavish ones common in period dramas as our production is set in Britain during the Second World War when rationing was in force and elaborate clothing was unavailable to the vast majority. Also, our props and locations will need to fit with the time period, so we will have to be especially careful when selecting those.