'Masterpiece' period drama 'better' than Downton Abbey that's free to stream

Fans have hailed a British period drama as "better" than Downton Abbey, and it is completely free to stream in the UK. Period dramas are a hugely popular genre with meg-hits like Bridgerton and The Queen's Gambit making waves on Netflix. But this one that is free to stream is definitely a series to add to your watchlist, especially because you don't need to pay for a subscription to watch it. The show in question, which some have called a "masterpiece", is Foyle's War.

This British TV series consists of eight seasons, is free to stream on ITVX, and has impressive reviews, including an 8.6 out of 10 score on the movie site IMDb. The show originally aired on ITV in 2002 but remains a favourite for many. Set in Britain as World War 2 rages on, the show depicts criminals taking advantage of the chaos of the war. In the seaside town of Hastings, Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle battles the black market, profiteering, and murder on the home front. He battles difficulty in his fight for justice, and after the war, he turns to global espionage as a senior intelligence officer.

The series stars a slew of familiar British actors, including Michael Kitchen and Anthony Howell. Foyle's War is a favourite of many, and some have even said it is better than Downton Abbey.

People have left incredible reviews of Foyle's War on IMDb. One person wrote: "Foyle's War tackles a great many of the perceived truths of World War 2 head-on, attempting to show a view of wartime Britain in a new light. These are dealt with against the backdrop of a murder which the considered, but burdened, detective is called to."

Another said: "The two simple and only facts you really need to know about this program are that Kitchen is an underrated genius and that as detective/murder mysteries go this is, and will remain, a timeless masterpiece."

A third wrote, "This might be the greatest British show I have ever watched. It's so much better than Downton Abbey."

In fact, in a Radio Times survey, Foyle's War was named the TV show that Brits would most like to see return, even beating Downton Abbey to prove itself as the preferred period drama for many.

Another reviewer said: "These shows do a great job of creating an image of the British Home Front that is very different from the one romanticized in the history books. We get a very real feeling that the British public 'knew' the war was lost in the darkest hour, yet still kept a stiff upper lip. This tension, combined with wartime secrecy, energizes the drama. The war is like the weather in other mysteries; criminals often use it as cover for their activities (black market petrol, draft dodging, burglary, blackmail, and the like, hidden by blackouts, bombing raids, and official secrets), and it's the job of the police to uncover all of the layers."