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The Best Episodes of The Story of the Costume Drama

Every episode of The Story of the Costume Drama ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Story of the Costume Drama!

Binge this in Unknown•Peaking at 9.4/10

ITV3 investigates how the costume drama genre has evolved over the decades - from The Forsyte Saga to Upstairs, Downstairs, Brideshead Revisited to Lost in Austen. Get closer to the drama with interviews with the

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Story of the Costume Drama Season 1 Episode 2 - The Stars
    9.4/10(28 votes)

    #1 - The Stars

    S1:E2

    Costume dramas ignited young performers' careers and benefited from the glow of established stars. Alex Kingston's Moll Flanders led her to ER, and Keira Knightley's Lara in Doctor Zhivago got Hollywood calling. Conversely, Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall and Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe defied typecasting in My Boy Jack.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Story of the Costume Drama Season 1 Episode 1 - The Greatest Stories Ever Told
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #2 - The Greatest Stories Ever Told

    S1:E1

    An overview of the genre, from its beginnings with swashbuckling series The Adventures of Robin Hood to classic period dramas such as The Forsyte Saga, Upstairs, Downstairs and Brideshead Revisited. This episode traces the changes the genre has undergone in its 50-year history and speaks to stars including Susan Hampshire, Timothy West, Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Anthony Andrews, Alex Kingston and Art Malik.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The Story of the Costume Drama Season 1 Episode 3 - Affairs of the Heart
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #3 - Affairs of the Heart

    S1:E3

    The "bodice rippers" of the 1990s helped costume dramas shed their staid reputation as quickly as characters doffed their period garb. Colin Firth's wet-shirt scene in Pride and Prejudice and the romps of Moll Flanders epitomized a slew of saucy literary adaptations. Earlier dramas like Edward the King exposed royal infidelities.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The Story of the Costume Drama Season 1 Episode 4 - Picture Perfect
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #4 - Picture Perfect

    S1:E4

    The pursuit of high production values drove costume dramas out of the studio and into real castles and countryside. Castle Howard attracted tourists after appearing in Brideshead Revisited, rugged Cornwall lent local color to action-packed Poldark, and a Lithuanian river became a Renaissance-era Thames for Helen Mirren's Elizabeth I.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Story of the Costume Drama Season 1 Episode 5 - A Call to Arms
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #5 - A Call to Arms

    S1:E5

    Costume dramas spawned an army of dashing heroes in uniform, but not all fought with the aplomb of Sean Bean's Sharpe or Ioan Gruffudd's Horatio Hornblower. The Monocled Mutineer opened a controversial chapter of World War I and A Piece of Cake's flying stunts rewrote the Battle of Britain.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"The Stars" is the best rated episode of "The Story of the Costume Drama". It scored 9.4/10 based on 28 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/2/2008. This episode scored 9.4 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Greatest Stories Ever Told".