The Duchess of Duke Street: Series 1

This acclaimed BBC miniseries traces the triumphant, 20-year ascent of ambitious 19th-century scullery maid Louisa Leyton (Gemma Jones), who rises through the ranks to eventually rub elbows with the rich and powerful. After persevering through a turbulent marriage and financial hardship, Louisa becomes mistress of the successful Bentinck Hotel in London, an establishment that caters to only the most discerning of Edwardian society.