The Tudors
Everyone’s at it in this somewhat-saucier-than-Wolf-Hall version of events surrounding Henry VIII’s raunchy reign. One minute it's “off with their heads”, the next it’s “off with their clothes” as the energetic king and his courtiers lurch from one lustful encounter to another.
Tipping the Velvet
The Beeb got us all hot under the corset a few years back with a titillating take on the life of some 19th-century lesbians (currently being repeated on UK Drama). Any misconceptions that the Victorians were a bit uptight are soon put to bed thanks to numerous scenes involving mahogany dildos and whatnot.
Boardwalk Empire
This Prohibition-era crime drama – based on real-life characters – contains a lot of sex. Like, don’t-watch-with-your-parents levels of sex. It’s also a fascinating insight into how sordid and grotty society could be during such a supposedly sober time.
Pic: Sky Atlantic/HBO
Casanova
Even Amazon Prime is in on the act now, with its own sex-fuelled historical romp based on the life of the notoriously fruity 18th-century Venetian playboy. The pilot episode is available now, but for the love of God don’t watch it on the bus if you blush easily.
Game of Thrones
Strictly speaking, any show containing dragons and zombies has questionable historical credentials – but GoT also features Charles Dance and Diana Rigg wearing a wimple, so it’s definitely a period drama of sorts. And, yes, it contains more nudity and weird sex stuff than a vintage episode of Eurotrash.
Pic: Sky Atlantic/HBO
Camelot
Warning to anyone thinking of watching this with their mum: this is not the classy 1960s musical with Vanessa Redgrave in it. This is the flesh-filled US-produced version (that’s full of British actors as well as French sexpot Eva Green) and will make you look at Merlin in a whole new light.
Sharpe
There’s barely an episode of ITV/UK Drama's long-running Napoleonic Wars drama that doesn’t end up with rugged swashbuckler Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) whipping some busty wench’s petticoat off. Look out for a little-known Liz Hurley getting the Sharpe treatment in one particularly steamy encounter.
