Another Period

It might not be for everyone, but by harnessing its specificity and allowing its talented cast to do what they do best, Another Period proves its worth.

Leggero and Lindhome are excellent as the sisters, but they’ve also filled the halls of Bellacourt Manor with a cast so tight that it’s hard for any one actor to stand out.

The humor is quick and smart, often poking fun at the conventions of period dramas and the perceived privilege of the wealthy.

Laughs come from all angles here, though particularly memorable gags crank up the raunchiness (one scene shows the Bellacourts engaging in boring “procreation sex”) and absurdity.

Another Period also skewers gender politics (and classism and the cult of celebrity), but the jokes are not particularly charged, aiming for--and granted, usually reaching--bawdiness, not brilliance.

Another Period is too intent on lampooning every period convention ever to wait even a millisecond for a laugh, resulting in a show that's more frantic than funny.

There are amusing moments, but the conceit ultimately seems better suited to a “Saturday Night Live” sketch than another series. Period.