The Gilded Age

Look no further for a rich period drama with exquisite costumes; Julian Fellowes is back with his first post-Downton Abbey series, which was originally intended as a prequel to the enormously successful series starring Lord and Lady Crawley but subsequently took on a life of its own. The extra-long debut, which aired this month (clocking in at 80 minutes), maybe a trek, but it's almost required when you consider the ensemble cast of luminaries listed above.

The Gilded Age is similar to Fellowes in many ways — tea parties, elegant balls, backstabbing lady's maids — but it focuses on a specific period in American history and the amassing of riches from the families who occupy Manhattan, not to mention who wants to be part of the in-crowd. As the plot progresses, there are some notably darker edges to the story, and while the show may take some time to properly find its groove, you can't go wrong with luminaries like Carrie Coon and Christine Baranski entertaining you for an afternoon.

Detailed information:

Created by: Julian Fellowes
Cast: Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Cerveris, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, Katie Finneran, Kelli O'Hara