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9 Shows Like The Crown You Should Watch While You Wait for Season 5

Add them to the royal family tree Maggie Fremont Sept. 15, 2022, 1:11 p.m. PT Olivia Colman, The Crown Liam Daniel/Netflix Everyone's favorite "fictional dramatization" of palace life is almost back. The Crown, the Emmy-winning royal drama about the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II, returns for Season 5 on Nov. 9. The series was showered with awards for Season 4, but it's sticking with tradition — you know how the royals love tradition! — and switching up its cast for the final two seasons. Imelda Staunton will take the throne as the queen, replacing Olivia Colman. Meanwhile, the famously tall Elizabeth Debicki steps into the famously tall Diana's fashionable shoes, taking over for Emma Corrin, and Prince Charles will now look less like Josh O'Connor and more like Dominic West. If The Crown's upcoming return has you craving more shows about royals and rivalries, you've come to the right place. Here are nine shows — from more historical dramas to docuseries to, yes, baking competitions — that might do the trick. (Note: This list previously included the docuseries The Royal House of Windsor, but it was removed from Netflix and is no longer available to stream in the U.S.)The Crown Watch on Netflix

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Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey You want great period piece costumes? Gorgeous production design? Wealthy English people being persnickety? Have I got a show for you. It's called The Crown. But also, Downton Abbey. Julian Fellowes' sprawling ensemble drama about the aristocratic Crawley family and the people who work in their estate takes place prior to the events of The Crown (the series kicks off with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912), and although Downton leans much further into its delicious soapiness than The Crown, the two shows feel very much tied together. So if you've finished The Crown and you miss seeing how the other half lives, or miss hearing people talk about family duty, or would like to visit with another set of sisters who sometimes make life miserable for one another but ultimately love each other, you can find all of that and more within the six seasons (and a movie!) of the upstairs/downstairs shenanigans of Downton Abbey. Watch on Amazon Prime Video Watch on Peacock

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Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Natalie Dormer, The Tudors If you thought the Windsors had problems, wait till you meet the Tudors. This 2007 Showtime series chronicles the reign of King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) of the Tudor dynasty as he sat upon the English throne from 1509 until 1547. This sexed-up version of history gives us a monarch who runs things, um, a little bit differently than Elizabeth II does. The Tudors' Henry is volatile, power-hungry, and horny as hell. The series manages to get through all of Henry's six wives in just four seasons — the Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer) storyline is, unsurprisingly, the most compelling — plus peep your eyes on Henry Cavill pre-Superman. That tip is just a little gift from me to you. You deserve it! Watch on Showtime

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Tom Hughes and Jenna Coleman, Victoria Courtesy of ITV Plc for MASTERPIECE In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch in history when she surpassed the record held by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who just happened to be the last queen to reign before Elizabeth. There are lots of parallels in the women's lives. Like The Crown, PBS Masterpiece's deep dive into a queen's reign begins with the young, barely-prepared Princess Victoria (Jenna Coleman) stepping into power surrounded by a whole lot of people doubting she can handle the job. Victoria, which completed its third season in 2019, chronicles the life of the queen as she grows to be a formidable monarch while also dealing with her husband Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), an outsider who struggles to find his role within the monarchy, and becoming a mother. Again, parallels. Watch on Amazon Prime Video Watch on PBS

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Elle Fanning, The Great Ollie Upton/Hulu If you're into stories about female monarchs holding it down but need a reprieve from sometimes antiquated English traditions (said with love, people!), give Hulu's The Great a go. The series, about the rise of Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning), Empress of Russia, as she plots to overthrow her husband Peter III (Nicholas Hoult), has released two seasons since it premiered in 2020, and a third is on the way. Be forewarned: The tone of The Great is almost the exact opposite of The Crown. It's weird, funny, and full of debauchery. While it's extremely loose on the historical accuracy, it's a clever satire, and Fanning is, well, great as the series lead. Watch on Hulu
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Golda Rosheuvel, Bridgerton Liam Daniel/Netflix For another British period piece that's packed with scandal — this time of the fictional variety — watch Bridgerton. The smash-hit adaptation of Julia Quinn's bestselling romance novel series, executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, is basically a Regency-era Gossip Girl, complete with a gossip writer (voiced by Julie Andrews!) who tracks all the juiciest stories in high-society London for her anonymous column. The first season centers on Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she makes her societal debut and falls in love with a reluctant duke (Rege-Jean Page), while Season 2 focuses on Daphne's brother, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), as he denies his feelings for Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). It may be more of a historical fantasy than The Crown is, but, like The Crown, it's a show about rich British people who feel like everyone's eyes are on them at all times, because they are. Plus, Bridgerton offers a dash of palace intrigue thanks to Golda Rosheuvel's Queen Charlotte. Just be aware that things get very steamy in this one. -Kelly Connolly Watch on Netflix

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David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Broadchurch COLIN HUTTON Who among us doesn't need more Olivia Colman in their lives? As Queen Elizabeth II, she has a tough line to walk between duty and, you know, being an actual human with actual human emotions; she's never better than when that struggle bubbles close to the surface (like say, when you visit with all four of your children and realize they are absolute train wrecks). For another Colman character with a job to do in which having emotions might get in the way, try the British crime series Broadchurch. Colman plays Ellie Miller, a detective in a small English coastal town forced to work with outsider D.I. Alec Hardy (David Tennant) on a case involving the murder of a local boy. You'll come for the great chemistry between Colman and Tennant, but be sure to stay for Colman's gutting performance as her world is turned upside down. Watch on Amazon Prime Video (for purchase)

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Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, The Americans Jeffrey Neira/FX If after The Crown Season 4 you're looking for another show set in the 1980s that has both plotlines with consequences on a global scale and intimate looks at complicated parent-child relationships and a complex marriage between an Elizabeth and Phillip, watch The Americans. FX's Cold War-era espionage drama ran for six seasons from 2013 to 2018 and tells the story of Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Phillip (Matthew Rhys) Jennings, Russian spies living a double life as the perfect American family outside of Washington D.C. The Americans is certainly more action-driven than The Crown, but both shows are equally as gripping and complex. Watch on Hulu

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Kofi Siriboe, Rutina Wesley and Dawn-Lyen Gardner; Queen Sugar Andrew Dosunmu Despite its title, OWN's Queen Sugar has nothing to do with the monarchy. It does, however, have everything to do with fraught sibling relationships as one daughter takes over the family business after her father has died. Sound familiar? Created by Ava DuVernay and based on the novel by Natalie Baszile, Queen Sugar tells the story of the Bordelon family and their sugarcane farm in rural Louisiana. After the family patriarch suddenly dies, estranged middle sibling Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) winds up leaving a privileged life in Los Angeles behind and moves home to try and keep the farm afloat, while also trying to heal wounds and build relationships with her half-siblings Nova (Rutina Wesley) and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe). Like The Crown, family trauma both old and new sometimes makes keeping the Bordelon family intact difficult. Also like The Crown, the cinematography of Queen Sugar might be worth the watch alone. Watch Seasons 1-5 on Hulu

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The Great British Baking Show Netflix Are you an insatiable anglophile who hasn't yet watched The Great British Baking Show (or The Great British Bake Off, as they call it in the U.K.)? What are you even doing? Finish up The Crown and move directly into this long-running British baking competition series. It will soothe your weary soul. The series has home bakers square off in a tent in the middle of an English garden and has only grown in popularity thanks to its addictive politeness. All of the competitors are kind to one another and genuinely seem to want to help each other do their best, so if you're searching for a different look at British culture, one that's light on drama, spend some time in the Baking tent. Watch on Netflix The Crown Seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix.