Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters
“Historical Drama with the Boston Sisters” a podcast where we talk about historical drama series, biopics, and films -— stories that give us a window to the past, and a mirror of the present. Co-hosted by Michon Boston and Taquiena Boston, real-life sisters who binge on historical drama.
Episodes
In episode 82, The Boston Sisters discuss the Hallmark Channel’s adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility featuring a multiracial cast. Vanessa Riley, the historical and cultural consulting producer, shares her journey into Austen's works and her role in ensuring historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity. Riley also discusses her novels Queen of Exilesand Island Queen, which explore the lives of Marie-Louise Chr...
In episode 81, the Boston Sisters (Michon and Taquiena) explore how costumes bring iconic characters to life in 3 adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice with Alden O’Brien, costume historian and costume and textile curator for the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington DC .
The 3 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE adaptations featured:
- 1995 (BBC/Arts & Entertainment) series
- 2005 (Focus Features, Universal Pictu...
Explore the fascinating elements of style in Regency and Federal era clothing, inspirations, and the fashion clues that bring Jane Austen’s characters to life with Alden O’Brien, costume historian and curator of costumes and textiles for the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Museum in Washington, DC.
Episode 80 is part 1 of a 3-podcast mini-series, JANE AUSTEN ADAPTED, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the English auth...
November 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials in Germany at the end of World War II. In episode 79 Michon and Taquiena Boston aka The Boston Sisters talk with award-winning journalist and author Jack El-Hai about the James Vanderbilt film NUREMBERG based on El-Hai's thought-provoking book, "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. "
Jack El-Hai’s book and the film explore the psychological dynamics between Nazi second-in-co...
In episode 78, The Boston Sisters discuss the film adaptations of plays by award-winning playwright August Wilson (1945 - 2005) and their significance in understanding American history with Dr. Sandra G. Shannon, a leading authority on Wilson's work, as well as founder and President Emerita of the August Wilson Society. Three of Wilson plays were adapted into feature films: FENCES, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, andTHE PIANO LES...
In episode 77 of "Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters®," Michon and Taquiena Boston discuss the Apple TV+ series "CHIEF OF WAR" with co-creator (with Jason Momoa), writer, and co-executive producer Thomas Pa'a Sibbett.
The series, set between 1782 and 1810, tells the story, based on true events, of Hawai'i's unification from an indigenous perspective, featuring a predominantly Polynesian cast, i...
Susanne Simpson, Executive Producer and Head of Scripted Content for MASTERPIECE, the Emmy Award winning PBS drama series, returns to "Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters" for the 5th season preview of MASTERPIECE and MYSTERY! — a podcast annual event since the launch in 2021.
In episode 76 Susanne previews new MYSTERY! series coming in the fall 2025 (MAIGRET and THE GOLD), and new historical dramas for MASTERPIECE co...
The 5th season premiere!
In Episode 75 we go behind-the-scenes with DOWNTON ABBEY costume designer Anna [Mary Scott] Robbins who reflects on her journey designing costumes for two DOWNTON ABBEY series and the three feature films including the recent and final chapter DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE.
In this conversation, Anna highlights the importance of creating costumes that reflect the characters' shifting roles and status ov...
Episode 74 features a conversation with Keith W. Stokes, Rhode Island State Historian Laureate, and Theresa “Soni” Guzman Stokes, Executive Director for the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society (advisors for Season 3 of THE GILDED AGE) about Newport and Rhode Island’s African heritage history.
In THE GILDED AGE’s 3rd season, the HBO series created by Julian Fellowes (DOWNTON ABBEY), audiences are introduced to the Kirklands of Newpo...
We wrap up Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters®'s 4th season with THE GILDED AGE, the Emmy® nominated HBO Original drama series, from creator Julian Fellowes (DOWNTON ABBEY).
Season 3 of THE GILDED AGE introduces a new family: The Kirklands of Newport, RI. We wanted to know more about Newport’s Black history, heritage and community in the 1880s.
Preview Episode 74 -- our conversation with Theresa “Soni” Guzmán Stokes (Execu...
Episode 73 is the 2025 Page to Screen podcast where The Boston Sisters talk about 5 books related to historical drama series and films for summer reading.
This year we highlight stories or provide a deeper dive into the films and series featured in the 4th podcast season (2024 - 2025). The authors of three 2025 summer reads were guests on the podcast.*
- The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen* (2015) | Ep. 58
- The Piano Lesson by Aug...
In Episode 72, we talk with filmmaker Darren Haruo Rae about NISEI (2023). NISEI , written and directed by Rae, is the first historical drama short film featured on the podcast. The film shines a light on an all-Japanese-American troop of soldiers who fought in World War II for a country imprisoning them and their families in internment camps because of their ancestry. The film is inspired by Rae’s Japanese American grandfather’s e...
NISEI, a short film written and directed by Darren Haruo Rae, (our guest for Ep. 72), shines a light on an all-Japanese-American troop of soldiers who fought in World War II for a country imprisoning them and their families because of their ancestry. The story is inspired by the filmmaker's Japanese American grandfather's WWII experiences in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. In the preview, Darren Haruo Rae talks about unco...
In episode 71 we talk with Gill Hornby, author of the best-selling novel Miss Austen which has been adapted for a 4-part series premiering on MASTERPIECE on PBS May 4, 2025 (check local listings). MISS AUSTEN seeks to unravel the historic literary mystery by reimanging Cassandra Austen’s act of sisterly love in burning the letters of her famous author sister Jane Austen after Jane’s death in 1817.
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TIMESTAMPS
0:57- MISS AUSTEN...
Episode 71 preview:
In episode 71 we talk with Gill Hornby, author of the best-selling novel Miss Austen which has been adapted for a 4-part series premiering on MASTERPIECE on PBS May 4, 2025 (check local listings).
The complete podcast (Episode 71) featuring this conversation with Gill Hornby will be published Tuesday, April 29.
MISS AUSTEN seeks to unravel the historic literary mystery by reimanging Cassandra Austen’s act of sis...
In episode 70, we go behind the scenes of CALL THE MIDWIFE with Jenny Agutter who portrays Sister Julienne in the series. Jenny Agutter has been with CALL THE MIDWIFE since the series premiere in 2012. CALL THE MIDWIFE is enjoying its 14th season on PBS.
Created and written by Heidi Thomas, CALL THE MIDWIFE is based on the trilogy of memoirs by Jennifer Worth about her experiences as a midwife nurse in London’s East End during the 1...
In episode 70, we go behind the scenes of the drama series CALL THE MIDWIFE with Jenny Agutter who portrays Sister Julienne. Jenny Agutter has been with CALL THE MIDWIFE since the series's premiere in 2012. CALL THE MIDWIFE is enjoying its 14th season on PBS.
Created and written by Heidi Thomas, CALL THE MIDWIFE is based on the trilogy of memoirs by Jennifer Worth about her experiences as a midwife nurse in London’s East End dur...
In episode 69 we spotlight the PBS Masterpiece series WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT with a behind-the-scenes visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library exhibition, “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition” with the curator Dr. Heather Wolfe Curator of Manuscripts for the Folger (in Washington, DC), which holds the world’s largest Shakespeare collection.
WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT traces the final four years of Thomas Cr...
March has been a busy month for the Boston Sisters. This is an extended trailer for Episode 69.
The complete podcast will be available for download Thursday, March 27th where we spotlight the PBS MASTERPIECE series WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT and our visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC for the exhibit "How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition."
Our guest for Episode 69 is Dr. Heather Wolfe, curator of man...
In episode 68 we explore themes of time, place, race and identity in BLITZ , the 2024 World War II drama written and directed by Academy and BAFTA-Award-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen. BLITZ is told from the unique perspective and epic journey of a 9-year-old biracial boy named George (played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan) whose mother sends him from London to safety in the English countryside. But George doesn’t want to go to the...
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