'Downton Abbey,' 'Mad Men' Inspire New Starz Series 'Magic City'

With the enormous success of shows like Mad Men and Downton Abbey, many TV networks -- big and small -- are starting to capitalize on the appeal that bygone eras have with TV audiences.

The colorful costumes and eccentric personalities of characters from periods such as the Roaring 20s and 'Flower-Power' 70s are quickly coming back to life as some of the most raved-about TV shows take us back in time.

And with many shows that conjure TV nostalgia slated for debut in the upcoming year, it seems to be a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.

Undoubtedly hoping to score big with a breakout series, the Starz network will premiere Magic City on Apr. 6.

The crime drama focuses on mobsters from Miami Beach in the late 1950s. Set at Miami Beach's dream palace -- the Miramar Hotel -- the series follows Ike Evans (Jeffery Dean Morgan), the hotels visionary leader.

Evans is presented with the task of dealing with the mob, his complicated family and a city in the midst of dramatic change as Fidel Castro takes control of Cuba, just 200 miles offshore.

With Magic City in production and many other period shows already having drawn acclaimed popularity, we've decided to round up a list of the best ones on TV in recent years.

From pre-World War I to the Prohibition era, early 1960s and even into the 1970s, these are the top five period shows that made their mark on the small screen.