No one does early 20th-century English country house drama like Julian Fellowes. Before he adapted the form to America with HBO's current cult hit The Gilded Age, he wrote the script for the 2001 Oscar-winning film Godford Park, then rolled those vibes right into Downton Abbey, perhaps the highest peak the upstairs/downstairs subgenre will ever reach.

What started as a soapy show about the estate of a minor English aristocrat and the distant relatives set to inherit it blossomed into a warmhearted, richly detailed story of a family and their servants adjusting to changing times while trying to cling to the best parts of the past. If you need to replace that experience in your life, we’ve already suggested some great series to stream, so here are some books, games, movies, and podcasts to check out next.

The best books like Downton Abbey

There’s always been a literary vibe around Downton, so one of the best ways to dive into a similar fictional universe is to read a great novel. Here are some suggestions for perfect read-a-likes.

Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro

This Nobel Prize-winning novel is narrated by Stevens, a butler in the Mr. Carson mold—dedicated to his employer and fanatical about dignity and service. In the 1950s, Stevens looks back on his life during the 1920s and 1930s, when his employer, Lord Darlington, flirted with fascism and Stevens felt a growing but forbidden attraction to Miss Kenton, the housekeeper. It’s a melancholy story about missed opportunities and the meaning of service—and a reminder that whatever lies in our past, the present is here right now. It’s the ideal book for Downton Abbey fans.

Belgravia, by Julian Fellowes

Downton Abbey wouldn’t exist without Julian Fellowes, so Belgravia is the perfect choice. It’s set in a different historical era—Victorian England, mainly the 1840s—but it offers the same trenchant examination of the ways class and money work among the highest levels of English society. It's set in the Belgravia district of London near Buckingham Palace, focused on two families—the aristocratic Bellasises and the new money Trenchards. The Trenchards are social climbers, and the Bellasises look down on them, and that sturdy plot engine delivers the same charms as Downton in a slightly different context.

The Summer Before the War, by Helen Simonson

Set just before World War I, this charming story follows teacher Beatrice Nash as she arrives in slightly scandalous fashion in the village of Rye, where she has taken work teaching Latin. The village isn’t sure it likes the idea of a single woman working, and Beatrice herself isn’t sure how to navigate being financially dependent on her sponsor in town, Agatha Kent, whose nephews, Hugh and Daniel, are pretty attractive. It’s a swirl of modernity-meets-stuffy-tradition in the same mold as Downton Abbey.

Howards End, by E.M. Forster

If you enjoyed the slow burn of social change explored on Downton Abbey, Forster’s celebrated 1910 novel will hit the spot. Focused on three families in Edwardian England—the wealthy, stuffy Wilcoxes, the poor and ambitious Basts, and the half-German Schlegels—the story revolves around Howard’s End, the Wilcox family’s country house. Written contemporaneously, it perfectly captures the positives and negatives of the time period.

The Sisters, by Mary S. Lovell

If you watched Downton Abbey mainly to see what the plucky, intelligent Crawley sisters were up to, you’ll love The Sisters, which tells the story of the six Mitford sisters, who dominated much of England’s society happenings for much of the 20^th century. The women—Nancy, Deborah, Pamela, Diana, Unity, and Jessica—were born into an impoverished aristocratic family, and all went on to make their marks in varied ways, ranging from scandal to artistic achievement. If Lady Mary had been born a little later, she might have lived a life like the Mitford sisters.

The best movies like Downton Abbey

Half the fun of Downton Abbey lies in the sumptuous visuals—the majesty of the Abbey itself (the very real Highclere Castle) and its beautiful grounds, the fashions, the interior design. To get more of that in your life, check out these great movies.

Gosford Park (2001)

Written by Julian Fellowes and directed by the late, great Robert Altman, Gosford Park is similar to later seasons of Downton Abbey, especially the stories where American Hollywood invades. In 1932, Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) hosts a shooting party with a guest list that includes Hollywood producer Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban). There’s plenty of upstairs/downstairs gossiping and intrigue, a dead body, and silent class warfare—everything a Downton fan could want. Rent Gosford Park on Prime Video.

A Room with a View (1985)

Set in 1907, A Room with a View takes place in both Italy and England, following upper-class Lucy Honeychurch, who meets and falls in love with a young man while on vacation, upending her plans to marry into a family higher on the social pecking order than her own. The struggle around class expectations and the social constraints of the time are explored in dramatic fashion, and fans who loved Mary and Matthew’s rocky romance will swoon for this. Stream A Room with a View on HBO or rent it on Prime Video.

Brideshead Revisited (2008)

If you want more drama centered on an incredible, gorgeous English country manor, this film, based on Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel, is a good option. The story follows student Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode), who befriends the wild and alcoholic Lord Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw). When Sebastian invites Charles to come home to his family’s estate, called Brideshead, Charles is immediately smitten both with the beautiful property and Sebastian’s sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell). Stream Brideshead Revisited on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video.

The Go-Between (1971)

Another film that explores the simultaneously vast and narrow chasm between social classes in early 20th-century England, The Go-Between is about Leo Colston, a 12-year-old boy who is invited by his friend Marcus Maudsley to spend his summer at his family’s country estate, Brandham Hall. Feeling out of place among the aristocratic Maudlseys, Leo begins acting as a messenger between Lady Marian and a tenant farmer, Ted, as they carry on an extremely forbidden affair not unlike the romance between Lady Sybil and chauffeur Tom Branson in Downton Abbey. Rent The Go-Between on Prime Video.

Atonement (2007)

Based on Ian McEwan’s heartbreaking novel, the film opens in 1935, where 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) observes her older sister Cecilia (Kiera Knightley) and the housekeeper’s son Robbie (James McAvoy) having a forbidden tryst. She misinterprets what she sees, setting a tragic series of events into motion. Compared to Downton, the story is much bleaker and more emotionally crippling, but it suggests where some of the series' class and gossip-centered stories could have gone if the show hadn’t been so committed to happy endings. Stream Atonement on Netflix or rent it on Prime Video.

There actually was a Downton Abbey video game released back in 2015 for mobile platforms—Downton Abbey: Mysteries of the Manor—but it’s defunct now. If you want to play some games set in the same period that echo some of the show’s style and feel, here are a few suggestions you can actually play.

80 Days

This is one for folks who think Mr. Carson and the downstairs staff need more respect on their names. Inspired by Jules Verne’s 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, the game follows the novel’s main character, Phileas Fogg, as he attempts the titular achievement—but you play as his valet, Passepartout. managing all the details of this insane adventure. You’ve got to make sure supplies are laid in, schedules are maintained, and that Fogg’s health is good. It’s as close to playing a game as a servant in a manor house as you’ll get.

Platforms: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Steam

The Invisible Hours

Originally developed as a VR game, The Invisible Hours was recently converted to a flat screen experience. Described as an “immersive experience,” you play as a ... presence, or observer, able to move freely around the game, watch and listen, and rewind scenes to see them from different perspectives as you try to solve the mystery. For Downton Abbey fans, the key is the setting: A country manor in the late 19^th century, which you can wander around to your heart’s content, pretending you’re one of the Crawleys while you seek out clues.

Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Steam

Secrets of Blackrock Manor

Another game where you get to wander around an estate that will give you plenty of Downton Abbey feels, Secrets of Blackrock Manor is a first-person escape room game. You’re seeking to solve the mysteries associated with the late owner of the estate, who is rumored to have hidden his fortune somewhere on the property, and you’ll need to puzzle your way through several escape room settings to do so. But while you do that, you get to enjoy just existing in a lavish house like the aristocrats on the show.

Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam

Botany Manor

If you want to experience a sprawling, richly-appointed country house without all the murder and mystery, this cozy game is it. Although you play as Arabella Greene, wandering Somerset Manor, you can pretend to be Lady Crawley in Downton as you grow unusual plants using a point-and-click puzzle engine. The gameplay essentially entails being a lady of leisure who has taken up a pleasant hobby on her huge estate—sort of like what Lady Crawley’s life must have been like between episodes.

Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam

Manor Lords

Although it’s set in the Middle Ages instead of the Victorian or Edwardian era, Manor Lords offers you the chance to imagine yourself as an ancestor of Lord Crawley, managing a nascent community as you establish your estate and claim to power. Playing in combat-free Rise to Prosperity mode frees you from having to worry about raising an army and fighting off your enemies, so you can focus on managing resources, keeping your population happy and productive, and making improvements. If you’ve wondered what it’s like to have a huge estate to worry over, this is your game.

Platforms: Xbox, Steam

The best podcasts like Downton Abbey

Half the fun of Downton Abbey is its gossipy tone and recreation of a bygone era. These podcasts will deepen your appreciation of the show and give you a taste of the same experience.

Lords of Grantham

If you’re looking for a fan-focused podcast that’s like hanging out with friends who obsess over the show, pick the Lords of Grantham. Dave and Corey break down episodes, power-rank characters, and goof around from a distinctly American perspective. This isn’t a podcast where you’ll get a lot of historical research or in-depth analysis—but you’ll have a lot of fun.

Up Yours, Downstairs!

A slightly more researched examination of Downton Abbey (and other period-set shows and films) and its characters, history, and themes, Up Yours, Downstairs! is presented in a rowdy, off-color tone that’s equal parts hilarious and insightful. It’s like hanging out with fans who also happen to be very knowledgeable (and slightly inebriated) anglophiles and historians.

The Gilded Gentleman

If you want to learn more about what life was like for the aristocracy and their servants in Victorian/Edwardian England and the Gilded Age in America, this is the perfect podcast. Cazrl Raymond digs into the culture, the social customs, and the social contracts involved, offering key insights that will enhance your appreciation for shows and films like Downton Abbey, because you’ll understand all the little details and subtleties baked into the stories.

Beacon Hill

This audio drama from the Colonial Radio Theater is set in 1898 Boston, but Downton fans will love it because it explores the lives and complications of the wealthy Prescott family as well as their servants downstairs in Gilded Age America. Just like Downton Abbey, the drama weaves real historical events and people into its stories, and recreates a time and place that no longer exists.

Stephen Fry’s Edwardian Secrets

Narrated by the ever-delightful Stephen Fry, this is a deep dive into Edwardian England, offering a wider view of the time period that shaped the early years of Downton. Stephen Fry’s Edwardian Secrets delves into subjects like racism, politics, sex, and religion to give you a fully-formed idea of what it was actually like to live in England at the time, as either a wealthy landowner or a downstairs servant tied to an estate in ways we can’t really comprehend in the modern day.