'Greatest ever' period drama inspired by best-selling book hailed 'true masterpiece'

Another series has entered the debate about which is the greatest period drama of all time - and this one is available to stream on Netflix. Anne with an E premiered in 2017 and tells the story of a young orphan living in the late 19th century, whose life is dramatically changed when she is adopted by aging siblings. Spinster Marilla and her bachelor brother Matthew Cuthbert decide to adopt an orphan boy to help out with their daily chores. However, when Matthew arrives at the train station to collect the orphan, he is shocked to find not a boy, as expected, but a spirited, red-haired girl named Anne Shirley.

Anne has been passed around orphanages since she was a few months old following the death of her parents. While Matthew decides he wants Anne to stay at their home, Marilla does not trust her to live on their farm. Set in Avonlea, a fictional town on Prince Edward Island, Anne must learn to navigate her new life as she seeks to find her place in the world. Amybeth McNulty stars as Anne, alongside Geraldine James and R.H Thompson as Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. The series also features Dalila Bela, Lucas Jade Zumann, Aymeric Jett Montaz and Corrine Koslo.

The show is loosely based on Anne of Green Gables, a book written by the Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery in 1908. Writing for Common Sense Media, Emily Ashby branded the series an "exceptional" and "spectacular" interpretation of Montgomery's book, which has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide and been translated into at least 36 languages.

The series was commended for its exploration of social issues, including gender inequality, racism, religion, bullying, and freedom of speech. Anne with an E ran for three series, concluding in 2020.

Passionate fans have flocked to share their verdicts online, with one branding it the "greatest ever" show and others calling it a "cinematic masterpiece".

One wrote: "A masterpiece!-Watching from the start, all the seasons through 2020, there is a consistency of genius that runs through the writing, the production, the acting and directing, each season and every episode-astonishing. To my mind, accomplished only by a brilliant and wise artistic team-and one with moral and ethical clarity that rounds out a true masterpiece."

Another penned: "There's not enough words on this earth to praise this Masterpiece. It's a lifetime unforgettable experience that this show given to this world. This series is a "WORK OF PURE ART". The characters in this show is non replaceable, even I can't imagine any other actors in their places for a single second. They are born to play these roles."

Also raving about the series, a third shared: "I cannot explain my love for this show. Analytically, cinematically, theatrically, and entertainingly, this show is a complete and irrevocable masterpiece. This show contains the most beautiful slow-burn romance shown on screen. The cinematics are stunning, everything about it is so intricate and well thought out."

Another declared: "This show was a cinematic masterpiece, I really felt it inside because I used to act exactly like Anne when I was a kid and would get bullied a lot this show made me feel seen and I loved how she was different from the other characters and she didn't care to feel embarrassed it made me feel better about myself."