The historical drama genre is experiencing a notable resurgence, with new data revealing that period series now account for 10.5% of scripted premieres in 2025, up from just 8.1% in 2022. This upward trajectory marks a significant shift in an industry often characterised by risk-averse commissioning and tightening budgets.
Among the latest entries is Black Gold, a German-language series that explores the little-known Lüneburg Heath oil rush of the late 19th century. The drama, which premiered on ARD Mediathek in December, achieved well above the average scripted series demand in Germany during its opening week, according to Parrot Analytics. Kate Laffey, senior VP of acquisitions at Fifth Season, which acquired worldwide distribution rights, describes it as “a fascinating time in history, which lots of people don’t know about.”
The series joins a crowded field of oil-focused dramas, including Paramount+ series Landman, which was recently renewed for a third season after registering record-breaking audiences. Yet success in the historical drama space increasingly depends on offering fresh perspectives on familiar subjects. “It always begins with the writing,” notes Laffey, adding that “having that fresh twist on stories is really important nowadays.”
The genre’s renewed popularity appears driven primarily by East Asian markets, which now account for 56.7% of historical drama supply globally in 2025, a dramatic reversal from the pre-2000 era when the US and Canada dominated with 48% of premieres. “East Asia is really booming,” observes Christopher Hamilton, industry insights manager at Parrot Analytics, who notes that historical dramas “punch above their weight” in terms of demand relative to supply.
Four of the most in-demand historical dramas released between January and November 2025 originated from East Asia, led by South Korean romance When Life Gives You Tangerines, which scored nearly 32x the average series demand following its March premiere on Netflix. Chinese productions The Long Way Back and The Litchi Road both achieved over 10x average demand, whilst Japanese animé series Anne Shirley reached 15.88x.
European productions have also delivered strong performers. The BBC’s King & Conqueror achieved 18x average demand, while Steven Knight’s A Thousand Blows on Disney Plus scored nearly 9x. The second season of German series The Empress climbed to the top of Netflix charts with 6.7 million views in its first week, ranking in the top 10 in 84 countries. Knight’s House of Guinness achieved almost 29x the average demand in its first 30 days following its Netflix premiere.
France has emerged as a particularly active market for historical programming. Rodolphe Buet, chief distribution officer at Studio TF1, recalls that “three years ago, when we were talking with the main commissioners at streamers and linear television, they were all saying ‘no more period drama.’ But the reality is that audiences love period drama, so we’ve been working on many of them in the past two years, with extremely good success.”
TF1 has capitalised on renewed interest in Alexandre Dumas’s literary works, partnering with Netflix on The Countess of Monte Cristo, a female-led adaptation starring Audrey Fleurot that entered production last October. The company has also produced Merteuil for HBO Max, based on Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which Buet notes is “the first HBO Max original in Europe” with promising initial results.
Financing these ambitious projects remains challenging, however. Laffey identifies budget constraints as the single biggest issue, stating that “between £2m and £2.5m per episode is the sweet spot if you want to bring in copros and presales from Europe.” She acknowledges that while US coproduction has scaled back significantly, “Europeans have really stepped up” with increased collaboration.
Buet emphasises that production value is critical for international success. “Period dramas that come in at €1.5m an episode just won’t cut it with international audiences. The show will not travel,” he maintains. The Countess of Monte Cristo cost more than €3m per episode, financed through strategic coproductions across France, Malta, the Czech Republic and Benelux to access production incentives and tax credits.
Martin Haines, executive producer and chief operating officer at Kudos, which produced House of Guinness for Netflix, confirms that tax credits have become essential. “It’s a really important element of what producers have to do in order to make these dramas possible,” he says, noting that the BBC’s SAS Rogue Heroes has filmed across Morocco, Croatia, France, the UK and Belgium to leverage various tax shelters.
Beyond traditional markets, emerging territories are staking claims in the genre. Iceland’s Truenorth is developing Fury, an epic based on the 12th and 13th century Sturlunga saga, aiming to capitalise on the country’s 35% tax break for major productions. Saudi Arabia is producing historical content as part of its push to become a global production hub, whilst Turkey continues expanding its Ottoman Empire dramas internationally.
As historical drama supply continues its upward trajectory, the genre’s ability to combine universal themes with culturally specific storytelling appears key to its enduring appeal across global markets.
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