I am not so much fascinated by the Royals as I am in British period drama's. MY FAVORITE genre. Movies/shows on the books of The Bronte's, Austin, Shakespeare, Merchant Ivory productions etc. The added bonus with the shows/movies about the royals is that you learn about history as was said above. It IS fascinating.

My love for Downton and all of the Masterpiece offerings - in addition to what I mentioned above - has to do with how much I love the dialogue! ("I suppose I should add you to the long list of men I have disappointed" ) It is so exquisite and makes Americans sound coarse in comparison. Now, 21st century Americans don't sound coarse, they ARE course.

I love watching a show where there is little if any profanity, where honor and integrity are valued, where Christian principles and morality are the rule, and the wonderful feeling of anticipation that is experienced, when intimacy is delayed! (Think Sense & Sensibility) or Unrequited love (think The Age of Innocence)

Question: Please suggest your number one recommendation if I was to ask for one that has everything I just mentioned above in it. Movie or TV series - I can get pretty much anything at the LOCAL LIBRARY if it is not too recent.

I'm 100% in agreement with everything you stated. It's likewise why I'm so much a huge fan of old (pre-1950s) movies, as that was back when movies still had class, polish, and before there became such a compelling need, by Hollywood, etc., to go seedy, trashy, garish, "raw", and to start being "in your face" with sex, sexual situations, nudity, etc. I like dignity, good manners, some (anywhere from a lot to a little) formality, excellent dialogue (cursing and coarseness in script dialogue holds no appeal), good production values, great costuming, accurate period-appropriate look, etc. British period dramas (ditto period mysteries) pretty nearly always ideally "fit the bill", and evoke the same things that I love about movies of the 1920s through '40s. Too, I happen to be crazy about history.

As far as my #1 recommendation, I'll go with the classic British series Brideshead Revisited. I've always considered that exceptionally magnificent, and superb to the highest degree. The stories and characters are very well developed, since it's an 11-hours production:

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/4951-brideshead-revisited

GENPLANT ! Thank you so much for the recommendation! I was afraid you might pick something I have already seen!

Did you like my quote? Here is another from the same character:

"Don't be spiky Granny"

Are you in the US ?

I'm on the US' East Coast.

Regarding Brideshead Revisited, it does have a few mild partial nudity scenes. They're relevant and tasteful though. After all, it was for 1981 British t.v.

skeeter, The Jewel In the Crown, which one of my local PBS channels has re-broadcast recently, is one of my all-time favorites so if you haven't seen it you really should check it out. I read the books it was based on and the series was even better in many ways, which I usually don't find to be the case (the author, Paul Scott was a former journalist and had a fairly dry writing style). Just FYI it's an historical drama about the period right before India gained independence from the UK. It has a memorable recurring musical theme played periodically throughout by composer George Fenton called "Daphne & Hari" featuring a haunting English horn. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb5tqXp4GoI

Ah, yes: Absolutely The Jewel In the Crown is magnificent and well worth seeing.

Skeeter, The only thing is about the newer 'historical' dramas/mini-series is that now most are made for cable TV, etc., so there will be sex (the horror!), swearing, some nudity because it can be shown now without the 'morality police' (clutching their pearls & swooning) demanding that it be pulled off the air. I understand about the 'gratuitous' sex if it isn't needed but people did have sex, swore, etc. back in the 'olden days' and to not include it would be disingenuous.

That being said, I have a few you might enjoy:

The Durrells in Corfu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Durrells

The House of Eliott (1991-1994)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_Eliott

The Hollow Crown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollow_Crown_(TV_series)

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Fisher%27s_Murder_Mysteries

Death Comes to Pemberley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Comes_to_Pemberley_(TV_series)

Here is a site that lists more you might like:

https://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/2016/10/10/35-period-dramas-netflix-2016/

Regarding implied sex in t.v. productions, it's not inappropriate, on PBS or regular network t.v., when it's implied to a strictly limited extent, that doesn't spell out more specifics than the viewer needs to know - in other words when it doesn't take things to the point of making glaringly evident precisely what's (what type sex act is) about to happen - or is in the current process of happening - and gets into the "too much information" realm of things.

That's all well and fine for pay cable, as well as for movies, either place where viewers have come to fully expect it (in fact may seek it out), but isn't right for on PBS or standard network (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) channels, where it's supposed to be more the "family viewing" sort of zone. That's what I was referring to.

At the risk of sounding impolite, don't overwhelm me, I don't have as much time to watch movies/series as a lot of people do. That's why I asked for your top pick. Of what you list brat, I have seen Pemberly and Durrells. And agree both were good but not as addictive as Downton IMO. And brat, I am in the same mindset about the sex/profanity issues and have not found ANY of the period pieces we are discussing to be transgressive.

I am thinking of the non-period pieces that have lost all sense of decorum: i.e: Girls, or Master of None - I love Aziz but the FIRST 5 minutes of the FIRST episode in the FIRST season - the very beginning of the whole enterprise involves a sexual scene that turned me off from watching any further. OITNB - likewise - I feel its entire purpose is to satisfy prurient appetites. And what to say of VEEP? OMG I loved how funny it was but in the end stopped watching it because of all the profanity. The reason that profanity has become completely mainstream is because it is depicted as being De Rigeur in shows like that where those occupying the highest office in the land hardly utter a sentence without the f-word. There are even period dramas like The Tudors which I have no interest in because of these issues.

And Plant - I echo your sentiments on the issue completely. Cable offerings do not fall under the same decency standards but even with the network offerings, when you look at the difference between shows like 2.5 men vs Ray Ramano there can be no question as to the comedic value for me. As you point out - what is NOT shown can be so much more satisfying then what IS.

I just finished V and loved the scene between A and E where E was crying about his shame. And also, A breaks into a big smile in the last episode around the end point and I realized how little he smiled and how much I looked forward to seeing the corners of his lips turn upward in the rare times he allowed to be amused.

One more thing: I am watching Darkest Hour and I must say the dialogue is hitting on all my cylinders! It is so exquisite that I have downloaded the subtitle file for further reading when it is over. I am going to transfer the film to my phone and am going to just LISTEN to it whilst riding my bike! Of course it is only to be explained by the fact that is it Churchill who is speaking and much of his dialogue is probably taken from real transcripts.

skeeter, by "A and E" do you mean Lord Alfred and Drummond? (Drummond's first name was Edward.)

The final three episodes of Season 2 have yet to air on PBS stations, so you're now ahead of at least me, of those of us currently on this thread.

Have you watched the Christmas special yet?

Plant I am so sorry I forgot that the US has not seen the last of series 2. And no, I meant Albert and Ernst. A wonderful heartbreaking scene in the Christmas episode.

I shall stop spoiling things!

Since I have no idea what you're referring to that transpires between Albert and Ernst, nothing has been spoiled.