‘Marie Antoinette’ on PBS joins royal period dramas like ‘The Great,’ ‘The Crown’ and ‘Bridgerton’ | Streamed & Screened podcast

The Oscars are behind us, so it’s time to turn our attention to new programming until the big summer movies return. But this week we find ourselves going back in time as we discuss “Marie Antoinette,” a new historical drama on PBS.

The stars of the show, Emilia Schüle in the titular role and Louis Cunningham as Louis XVI, sat down with co-host Bruce Miller to discuss the program, the arc of the series that is planned for three seasons, and whether or not Marie Antoinette really said “let them eat cake.” 

Leading into that interview, miller and co-host Terry Lipshetz discussed how this show is the latest in a line of recent period dramas that have dominated streaming services. 

“The Great” is among our favorites. The show starring Elle Fanning, which is very loosely based on the life of Catherine the Great, returns to Hulu on May 12 for season 3 with 10 new episodes.

Another show that is a bit more realistic is “The Crown” on Netflix. The sixth and final season should wrap production in a few months and could drop by the end of the year. The program, which changes ensemble casts every two seasons as characters age, is expected to bring viewers through the death of Princess Diana, but before the recent drama surrounding Princess Andrew, Prince Harry and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

If you want some of that drama, you can watch the documentary series “Harry & Meghan” on Netflix. 

Another period drama, also on Netflix, is “Bridgerton.” The series is a fictional drama based on the book series by Julia Quinn that takes place during London’s Regency era of the late 1700s.

Perhaps “Marie Antoinette” most closely resembles another historical drama in “The Last Czars” that aired on Netflix in 2019. That show focused on the final years of Russia’s Romanov dynasty.

Streamed & Screened is a podcast about movies and TV hosted by Bruce Miller, a longtime entertainment reporter who is now the editor of the Sioux City Journal in Iowa and Terry Lipshetz, a senior producer for Lee Enterprises based in Madison, Wisconsin.