The 1950s were a period of record prosperity in the United States and one of rebuilding from World War II in Europe. The postwar era also heralded a baby boom and scientific advancements like the polio vaccine that saved lives and made life better for millions.
Many people in the present day think of the fifties as a more wholesome time, but the truth is complicated. These ten period dramas set in the 1950s tell some of the stories that nostalgia tends to sweep under the rug.
Masters of Sex - 7.9
Masters of Sex focuses on the relationship between William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), two pioneering sex researchers who conducted the first studies on human sexual response at Washington University in St. Louis. The show begins in October 1956 and follows Masters and Johnson until their marriage in the late 1960s.
Critics noted that the story was heavily fictionalized and got basic facts wrong about the protagonists. Nevertheless, it was critically acclaimed and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Drama in 2013.
Grantchester - 7.9
If you're looking for something moody, Grantchester is part period-drama and part cozy murder mystery. In postwar England, a young clergyman teams up with the local police to help solve gruesome crimes in the sleepy village of Grantchester. It follows the traditional formula of the jaded lead detective and his green sidekick but features excellent writing and an impressive performance from James Norton as the vicar Sidney Chambers. It could be that the show is Sidney Chambers; his absence was noticeable when Tom Brittney took over the lead role in Season 4.
The Bletchley Circle - 7.9
The Bletchley Circle is another murder mystery drama set in 1952. The show revolves around four former codebreakers who investigate a string of murders in London after they are dissatisfied with the police response.
The show pays tribute to the women who worked at Bletchley Park, the center of codebreaking for Allied forces during World War II. Although these women played a vital role in the war, most of them did not continue with their intelligence work afterward and their contributions are often overlooked.
The Hour - 8.0
Though the war was long over by 1956, it continued to have repercussions around the world. The Suez Crisis ushered in the end of the British empire, and the world-shaping events that followed are the backdrop for The Hour, a drama about the lives of three journalists working in a BBC newsroom. There are interesting historical facts in every episode, as well as a dose of the emotional storylines of Bel Rowley, Freddie Lyon, and Hector Madden (played respectively by Romola Garai, Ben Wishaw, and Dominic West). It draws many comparisons to Mad Men, but rest assured that advertising and journalism are worlds apart.
Velvet - 8.1
This is a feel-good drama about destiny and true love. In 1950s Madrid, Galerias Velvet is the most prestigious fashion store in Spain, and Alberto Marquez is the heir to the business. At the heart of the story is the romance between Alberto and Ana, who works as a seamstress at Velvet. It seems like the entire world is against their relationship because of their different positions in society, but the lovers find a way over the hurdles while Alberto fights for control of the store. Viewers praised the acting of the two leads and found them to be convincing as a couple. The visuals are beautiful and the subtitles worth the additional effort.
The Restaurant (Vår tid är nu) - 8.2
The Restaurant is about an upscale restaurant in Stockholm, the family who owns it, and the cooks who keep the place running. The show focuses on the changing circumstances of the upper and lower classes in post-war Sweden, and it has all the elements of a family drama. There's a business at stake, a forbidden romance that has consequences, and plenty of unpredictable behavior from the usual suspects.
Of course, there are the beautiful clothes the upstairs women wear. It's no surprise the show has been called the Swedish response to Downton Abbey.
Call The Midwife - 8.4
This BBC period drama is about a group of midwives and their efforts to provide quality obstetric care in the East End of London. The first episode sees the newly qualified nurse Jenny Lee settle into life at the convent where she will live and work. The show spotlights the grim conditions that women were forced to live under, and the necessity of quality, affordable health care. Although the cast of characters changes throughout its nine-season run, Call The Midwife's commitment to historical accuracy and the sensitive handling of delicate subjects rarely tackled in media keeps it a rewarding experience.
My Brilliant Friend - 8.5
My Brilliant Friend adapts the first book of the Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan series, a bildungsroman about two friends and their loving but competitive relationship. The story is narrated by Elena in 2010, after receiving the news that her childhood friend Rafaella ("Lila") has disappeared. Elena begins to write down all she can remember about Lila and their life growing up together in post-war Italy.
Ferrante's words are raw and powerful, and her story about jealousy within female friendship hits close to home. In an age dominated by superhero movies, this simple tale about growing up is a breath of fresh air.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - 8.7
According to IMDb, there is not one but two period dramas with the highest rating of 8.7 stars, and one of them is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a drama-comedy from Gilmore Girls' Amy Sherman-Palladino. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Midge Maisel, a Jewish-American housewife in mid-century New York City who discovers her gift for stand-up comedy. Her side career performing at Greenwich Village clubs gets a jump start when her husband leaves her, and she is forced to make ends meet on her own.
The show is quite funny in spite of its dramatic elements and often hides a comedic gem in the dialogue of a serious scene. Brosnahan is the heart of this show and will blow viewers away with her energy and comic timing. Not to mention, her fabulous fifties wardrobe.
The Crown - 8.7
Tied for first place is The Crown, a semi-biographical account of the current Queen Elizabeth's reign. Claire Foy portrays the young Elizabeth for the first two seasons, which detail the events of the 1950s, including the death of her father the king, her 1953 coronation, and the Great Smog of 1952. The historical drama has been an awards darling and took home the Golden Globe for Best Television Series and Best Actress -- Television Series Drama in 2017. The show has since moved on to later decades in the queen's reign, but it was the mythos of the 1950s that first made The Crown a star.