History Main / PeriodPiece

Compare HistoricalFiction. Often overlaps with CostumeDrama. Contrast PresentDay and TheFuture. Compare ''and'' contrast TwentyMinutesIntoThePast, where the difference is so minor that it's barely noticeable. See also UnintentionalPeriodPiece, which becomes one by accident.

Compare HistoricalFiction. Closely related to the CostumeDrama. Contrast UnintentionalPeriodPiece.

Period pieces often feature bits of setting, characterization, and plot that could not be updated to the modern day without requiring significant changes. For example, setting ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' in the PresentDay as is would make the crisis (Wickham's eloping with Lydia) seem inconsequential and the reaction silly, since the ''entire point'' of the crisis is that if Lydia doesn't marry Wickham and clear the family name, the rest of the sisters will end up as impoverished old maids because no gentleman will marry them. That's the way life was in 1812. (Even further proved that, in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, they had to change Lydia's scandal to make the plotline work). TechnologyMarchesOn can also lead to a period setting; in ''Film/Super8'' the titular media's three-day minimum turnaround time was a load-bearing PlotPoint that meant the characters working in instantly-viewable digital video simply wouldn't serve the narrative.

Period pieces are stories that take place in the past, and/or are strongly evocative of the past not only in their settings, but in dress, character attitudes, and often story telling devices. They frequently invite have lavish production values spent on [[SceneryPorn art direction]] and [[GorgeousPeriodDress costumes]]. They are often dramas or comedies of manners, and frequently are adaptations of literature that would lose something in simply having the story and characters updated to the modern day (though both storytelling approaches have their merits--see ''Clueless'' versus the original ''Emma''), and also often feature large, sweeping romances.

-->-- '''Creator/GKChesterton''', ''The Return of Don Quixote''

Period pieces are stories that take place in the past, and/or are strongly evocative of the past not only in their settings, but in dress, character attitudes, and often story telling devices. They frequently invite have lavish production values spent on [[SceneryPorn art direction]] and [[GorgeousPeriodDress costumes]]. They are often dramas or comedies of manners, and frequently are adaptations of literature that would lose something in simply having the story and characters updated to the modern day (though both storytelling approaches have their merits--see ''Clueless'' versus the original ''Emma''), and also often feature large, sweeping roamances.

Creator/TheBBC makes a lot of these, and Creator/{{PBS}} imports them wholesale. The BBC have sometimes even been accused of "falling back" on costume dramas when they've gotten into trouble for something or when the licence renewal is coming up and they need to show they can do some "proper" drama. That said, they're very ''good'' at making them: they usually garner a lot of praise, and the end result is packaged into box sets for sale during PBS pledge drives. As a side effect of their decades of PeriodPiece production, Creator/TheBBC has accumulated a vast stockpile of costumes and expertise, which is occasionally raided by sister shows such as ''Series/DoctorWho'' when they decide to do a historical episode.

Period pieces often feature bits of setting, characterization, and plot that could not be updated to the modern day without requiring significant changes. For example, setting ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' in the PresentDay as is would make the crisis (Wickham's eloping with Lydia) seem inconsequential and the reaction silly, since the ''entire point'' of the crisis is that if Lydia doesn't marry Wickham and clear the family name, the rest of the sisters will end up as impoverished old maids because no gentleman will marry them. That's the way life was in 1812. (Even further proved that, in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, they had to change Lydia's scandal to make the plotline work). TechMarchesOn can also lead to a period setting; in ''Film/Super8'' the titular media's three-day minimum turnaround time was a load-bearing PlotPoint that meant the characters working in instantly-viewable digital video simply wouldn't serve the narrative.

Period pieces often feature bits of setting, characterization, and plot that could not be updated to the modern day without requiring significant changes. For example, setting ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' in the present day as is would make the crisis (Wickham's eloping with Lydia) seem inconsequential and the reaction silly, since the ''entire point'' of the crisis is that if Lydia doesn't marry Wickham and clear the family name, the rest of the sisters will end up as impoverished old maids because no gentleman will marry them. That's the way life was in 1812. (Even further proved that, in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, they had to change Lydia's scandal to make the plotline work). TechMarchesOn can also lead to a period setting; in ''Film/Super8'' the titular media's three-day minimum turnaround time was a load-bearing PlotPoint that meant the characters working in instantly-viewable digital video simply wouldn't serve the narrative.

Period pieces are stories that take place in the past, and/or are strongly evocative of the past not only in their settings, but in dress, character attitudes, and often story telling devices. They frequently invite have lavish production values spent on [[SceneryPorn art direction]] and [[GorgeousPeriodDress costumes]]. They are often dramas or comedies of manners, and frequently are adaptations of literature that would lose something in simply having the story and characters updated to the modern day (though both storytelling approaches have their merits-see ''Clueless'' versus the original ''Emma.''), and also often feature large, sweeping roamances.

You know those things. Takes place in the past. Invites lavish production values like [[SceneryPorn art direction]] and [[GorgeousPeriodDress costumes]] -- and usually cinematography while you're at it. It's kind of hard to define what defines "period" films ''per se'' -- something that took place a decade ago could count, technically, but period pieces set in the very recent past are rare unless it's to poke fun at the era in question. Big budget period pieces are often dramas, frequently big epic ones, and take place at least thirty years ago - because any period of time greater than 25 years tends to shade into "when your parents were kids", which would obviously be pretty unrecognizable to you.

Very often OscarBait. Sometimes it's based on literature that was contemporary when published, but feels like a purposeful attempt to recapture that era for new audiences. (Adaptations of the Brontë sisters, Creator/JaneAusten, or Creator/CharlesDickens are especially common.) Useful if the period predates a TropeBreaker.

There's no real need for examples. Just about any show set in the past counts. You'd know one if you saw one. Some Tropers restrict this trope to "any show set in the past that could have been set in the present", but that ignores the fact that it's impossible for most period pieces to be set in the present day because the plot and the characters' motivations would be nonsensical due to ValuesDissonance. For example, setting ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' in the present day as is would make the crisis (Wickham's eloping with Lydia) seem inconsequential and the reaction silly, since the ''entire point'' of the crisis is that if Lydia doesn't marry Wickham and clear the family name, the rest of the sisters will end up as impoverished old maids because no gentleman will marry them. That's the way life was in 1812. (Even further proved that, in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, they had to change Lydia's scandal to make the plotline work). TechMarchesOn can also lead to a period setting; in ''Film/Super8'' the titular media's three-day minimum turnaround time was a load-bearing PlotPoint that meant the characters working in instantly-viewable digital video simply wouldn't serve the narrative.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] a piece about ''having'' a [[AllPeriodsArePMS period]]. Or a [[GrammarNazi period]]. And the song "Period Piece" by Lloyd Cole is only vaguely this trope.

More specific genres include SwordAndSandal, {{Wuxia}}, JidaiGeki and TheWestern.

There's no real need for examples. Just about any show set in the past counts. You'd know one if you saw one. Some Tropers restrict this trope to "any show set in the past that could have been set in the present", but that ignores the fact that it's impossible for most period pieces to be set in the present day because the plot and the characters' motivations would be nonsensical due to ValuesDissonance. For example, setting ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'' in the present day as is would make the crisis (Wickham's eloping with Lydia) seem inconsequential and the reaction silly, since the ''entire point'' of the crisis is that if Lydia doesn't marry Wickham and clear the family name, the rest of the sisters will end up as impoverished old maids because no gentleman will marry them. That's the way life was in 1812. (Even further proved that, in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, they had to change Lydia's scandal to make the plotline work).

Creator/TheBBC makes a lot of these, and Creator/{{PBS}} imports them wholesale. The BBC have sometimes even been accused of "falling back" on costume dramas when they've got into trouble for something or when the licence renewal is coming up and they need to show they can do some "proper" drama. That said, they're very ''good'' at making them: they usually garner a lot of praise, and the end result is packaged into box sets for sale during PBS pledge drives. As a side effect of their decades of PeriodPiece production, Creator/TheBBC has accumulated a vast stockpile of costumes and expertise, which is occasionally raided by sister shows such as ''Series/DoctorWho'' when they decide to do a historical episode.