Will Thorne Staff WriterThis year’s TV comedies have shown that period pieces aren’t just about petticoats and pretentiousness.Some shows, including Apple TV Plus’ “Dickinson” and Hulu’s “The Great,” use language and tone to put modern twists on what can be a stilted genre, while others from Showtime’s “Black Monday” to Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs.
Maisel” are infused with references from their time periods that feel highly relevant to today’s audience.When Alena Smith wrote the pilot for “Dickinson” what flowed from her quill (or, keyboard) was a straightforward period drama.
But that is far from the show she ended up delivering. Instead, she struck a balance between the 19th Century language and setting that came easily to.
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