Costume drama

A film crew with a steadycam sets up a take of a costume drama set in London, England

A costume drama or period drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambience of a particular era.

The term is usually used in the context of film and television. It is an informal, crossover term that can apply to several genres but is most often heard in the context of historical dramas and romances, adventure films and swashbucklers. The implication is that the audience is attracted as much by the lavish costumes as by the content.

The most common type of costume drama is the historical costume drama, both on stage and in movies. This category includes Barry Lyndon, Braveheart, From Hell, and Robin Hood. Films that are set in the 1930s and 1940s, such as Last Man Standing, may also be placed in this category. Other examples include Marie Antoinette, Middlemarch, and Pride and Prejudice.

There have been highly successful television series that have been known as costume dramas/period pieces. Notable examples include Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Deadwood, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Little House on the Prairie, and Freaks and Geeks. There also exists shows that use the effects of a costume drama/period piece because they are set in a particular era of time, although their true focus is based around a different genre. Examples of these are Xena: Warrior Princess, Legend of the Seeker, and That '70s Show.

Period drama in different countries

China

There are several types of period drama in China, including historical drama, martial arts drama, mythology drama and literary adaptation drama. There are also some fictional drama featured historical figures.

• China historical drama (Chinese: 大陆历史剧) stresses on the real historical events. The screenwriters follow the timeline of the historical events as the layout of the development of the whole story. Kangxi Dynasty and Han Wu Dadi would be some good examples for this type of drama.

• Fictional costume drama (Chinese: 古装故事剧) is the fictional drama featured historical figures. The story and the characters in the drama may not follow the real historical events. The Bronze Teeth and Liu Luo Guo, The Prime Minister may be placed in this category.

• Royal harem drama (Chinese: 宫廷古装剧) is one of the most popular types of drama in China or even in Asia Pacific region. This drama captures the elegant life of royal members in feudal China. It tells the story of romantic intrigue in the court's royal harem. Palace and Schemes of a Beauty are the notable examples for this category.

Hong Kong

The theme of costume dramas in Hong Kong covered martial arts drama, comedy-drama, historical drama, royal harem drama and some literary adaptation drama. The background of costume drama is featured from Shang dynasty to Qing dynasty until the time when Republic of China established.

Most of the costume dramas in Hong Kong are always condemned by the critics as the drama are not based on the real historical events. Besides, the story of literary adaptation drama may be deviate drastically from the original novel. Some successful dramas in recent years are all produced by TVB. Some notable examples would be War and Beauty, Beyond the Realm of Conscience and Curse of the Royal Harem.

See also

• List of costume drama films
• Stage clothes

External links

• Period Dramas.com – a costume-drama movie database based around a historical timeline.
• Costume Chronicles Costume Drama Webzine
• Recycled Movie Costumes Website dedicated to documenting costumes used in more than one film
• Enchanted Serenity of Period Films Website profiling costume dramas.
• Period Movies Fan page on Facebook
• Just Period Drama All Period and Costume Drama Information, trailers, games, music, survey, forums.