‘The Paradise’ Comes to Masterpiece in October: Watch the First PBS Preview

Joanna Vanderham as Denise. (Photo: Courtesy of (C) Jonathan Ford/BBC 2012 for MASTERPIECE)
Joanna Vanderham as Denise. (Photo: Courtesy of (C) Jonathan Ford/BBC 2012 for MASTERPIECE)
Costume drama fans rejoice! You can get your period drama fix once again starting this October on PBS stations nationwide. The new series The Paradise, which adapts Emile Zola’s classic French novel set in a Victorian-era department store premieres on PBS stations nationwide beginning this October.

The Paradise is a rags-to-riches tale set in the first department store in northern England in the late nineteenth century. It follows the story of Denise Lovett, a bright-eyed country girl who finds more than just shop work when she brings her clever ideas and ambition to the glamorous store called, you guessed it, The Paradise. She is plunged headlong into intrigue and romance as she catches the eye of the store’s dashing and enigmatic owner, John Moray, who harbors a dark secret. Drama, predictably, ensues.

Watch the first PBS preview for this new lavish costume series below – and get a sneak peek at a scene from the first episode! 

As you can see from the trailer, the series will also follow the stories of the rest of the store’s staff and the various entanglements in which they find themselves, as well.  It seems safe to say we’ll get our fill of ill-advised love affairs, gorgeous clothes and class issues while we wait for Downton Abbey to return.

And The Paradise does look fun in its own right: 

Joanna Vanderham stars as Denise, alongside Game of Thrones’ Emun Elliott, Upstairs Downstairs’ Sarah Lancashire, Elaine Cassidy and Patrick Malahide.

The Paradise premieres Sunday, October 6 at 9pm and runs through November 17.

Are you planning to check it out? It looks fun!


Lacy Baugher

Lacy's love of British TV is embarrassingly extensive, but primarily centers around evangelizing all things Doctor Who, and watching as many period dramas as possible.

Digital media type by day, she also has a fairly useless degree in British medieval literature, and dearly loves to talk about dream poetry, liminality, and the medieval religious vision. (Sadly, that opportunity presents itself very infrequently.) York apologist, Ninth Doctor enthusiast, and unabashed Ravenclaw. Say hi on Threads or Blue Sky at @LacyMB. 

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