The real history behind some top UK telly shows

The Real History Behind Our Favourite TV Shows…

Who doesn’t love a good period drama? The costumes, the gorgeous scenery, getting to delve into times gone by and see how people used to live. If you’ve ever been curious about the history that has inspired shows hundreds of years later, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular period TV shows in recent years and the real-life stories behind them.

Bridgerton 

Bridgerton is one of the most popular shows on Netflix of all time. While the story and characters are mostly fictional, the show is set in Regency England, a real period of our history that spanned from 1811 to 1820.

The show takes a lot of artistic licence when it comes to costumes and music, but Bridgerton does contain many things that the Regency Era was known for. For instance, the ton was a real thing. Coming from the French phrase ‘le bon ton’, the ton was a group of royals, aristocrats, and some high-standing members of the middle classes. These people were essentially the influencers of their day and would set the trends when it came to fashion, beauty and etiquette. Every year, there would be a season of balls where they would gather in London to mingle, network, conduct business and begin courtships.

Meanwhile, gossip columns like Lady Whistledown’s in Bridgerton were also popular and would mostly tell scandalous tales from the upper classes. The show’s spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story tells the real, if embellished, story of Queen Charlotte and King George III. As the show depicts, Charlotte first met George on their wedding day, and the two shared a loving relationship, which wasn’t typical at the time. The couple also had 15 children – with 13 surviving into adulthood – and are buried close together in the royal vault of Windsor Castle.

Call the Midwife

Another hugely popular show that has become a staple of Sunday television. The BBC One drama is in its 14th year but remains as popular as ever. The 2023 Christmas special became the most-watched scripted terrestrial show of the festive period, with more than 7.6 million views.

Call the Midwife is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, who, as a young woman, worked as a midwife in the East End in the 1950s and 60s. The show follows the story of a group of young midwives and sisters who live in Nonnatus House in Poplar, London and provide district healthcare to their community.

The real sisters behind the characters were the Sisters of Saint John the Divine. After being established in 1848, the sisters provided maternity care across London until they were invited to Poplar in the 1880s. The group became an integral part of the community and would ride around on bikes and wear the iconic uniforms just as they do in the show today.

Shōgun 

Shōgun is a miniseries from FX (currently available on Disney+ in the UK) and immediately began a stir after it hit our screens in April. Set in Feudal Japan, the show is both a beautiful and brutal reimagining of the novel it’s based on, which itself is loosely based on the formation of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 250 years between 1603 and 1867. Today, this time is more commonly known as the Edo period and is famous for its artwork, fashion, literature and, of course, samurai.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, renamed Yoshii Toranaga in the show, was one of five lords who engaged in a ruthless power struggle after the death of the former leader. The show follows Tokugawa’s bloody rise to the position of Shōgun – a kind of chief military commander who effectively ruled Japan. The show also follows Tokugawa’s relationship with the first Englishman to sail to Japan, William Adams (called John Blackthorne in the series) and how he became one of the Shōgun’s closest advisors.

Peaky Blinders

Sharp suits and polished designer umbrellas, a sharp contrast against the coal-covered streets of Small Heath, Birmingham. By now, we all know the recognisable sight of Peaky Blinders, a show that took the world by storm as it ran from 2013-2022, from bringing the flat cap back into fashion to Peaky haircuts.

The show follows the story of the Peaky Blinders, a criminal gang that rose in the late 1800s in Birmingham. At a time of poverty and poor living conditions for many working-class neighbourhoods in England, crime and violence became prevalent, with many disillusioned young men forming gangs.

Although the Shelbys are a fictional family, the Peaky Blinders indeed held huge control over the area. Corruption in the police force meant that bribery would get them to look the other way while the Blinders freely continued to amass power. This stayed the way for almost 20 years until another gang effectively usurped them.

The famous suits, featuring waistcoats, ties and flat caps, are accurate as well. They were seen as a way for the gang to flaunt their power and wealth and set them apart from other gangsters.

The Gilded Age

This HBO TV show tells the tale of two rival families in America during the late 19th century. It was a time of development and transformation but also deeply widening inequality between the upper and lower classes, where over-the-top opulence, feasts, and materialism masked greed and corruption. The term was coined by Mark Twain in his satirical novel of the same name, which was released in 1873.

While the characters in The Gilded Age are mostly fictional, they are often based on real-life figures. The Russells are largely based on the Vanderbilts, with the show paying particular attention to Alva Vanderbilt (reimagined as Bertha Russell in the TV show). Kept on the fringes of New York high society thanks to their ‘new money’ Alva was ambitious and sought to spend her way into gaining power and respect among the elites.

Meanwhile, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor (who retains the same name) acted as a fierce gatekeeper to New York’s society and even helped to create Mrs Astor’s 400 the number of families who were seen as socially acceptable and conveniently the number of people who could fit inside her ballroom. Caroline excluded families like the Vanderbilts on account of their burgeoning ‘new money’ wealth but eventually would accept them and lose her previously held influence.

It’s fascinating to learn more about the history being retold for modern audiences. So, next time you sit down to watch your favourite show, will you stop to think about the people and eras behind the sumptuous costumes and settings?