The best historical TV series — whether they're set in the distant past or 20th century — remain an incredibly popular genre, with a seemingly limitless range of stories to tell. Period dramas and comedies give viewers a glimpse into the trials, tragedies, and tribulations of the past, many with incredible attention to detail and historical accuracy. Some historical TV series are based on the life of a real person, while others focus on completely original characters. Sometimes, these shows are highly dramatized to increase intrigue or tension, and, while that may irk hardcore history buffs, most are content if the changes make the story more compelling.

The best historical TV series walks a fine line between telling a compelling tale and maintaining a sense of authenticity. This often limits what networks and showrunners can do. As a result, they aren't often favored when compared to more fantastical productions. The staggeringly popular Vikings and uncompromisingly steamy romantic dramas like Bridgerton prove the best historical TV series come in all shapes and sizes. That said, recent years have given rise to historical retellings of a particularly high quality, giving fans all they could hope for in these epic tales.

25 Outlander (2014- )

Based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander tells the story of a World War II nurse named Claire, who accidentally is transported back in time to the Highlands in 1743. While there, Claire meets Jamie Fraser, and the two fall in love after they have to marry to save Claire from the dastardly Black Jack Randall. The series covers multiple time periods, with various characters traveling through time over the years, and with Claire and Jamie's story taking them through Scotland, France, the West Indies, and the colonies of North America. It's far from a purely accurate series, of course, but is hugely popular for the intense storylines.

The Starz original series has been incredibly popular and successful with seven seasons, and an eighth ordered to finish the story. The series has picked up multiple Emmy and Golden Globes nominations but has yet to win. However, it has been successful at the Saturn Awards with seven wins over the years.

Stream now on Starz

24 Marco Polo (2014–2016)

Running from 2014 to 2016, Marco Polo was an early Netflix original historical TV series about the title character's early years in the court of Kublai Khan. Starring Lorenzo Richelmy, the show also features MCU star Benedict Wong (Wong) as Khan and Joan Chen (Twin Peaks) as his favored wife Empress Chabi. The series lasted for two seasons and 20 episodes, plus one special episode that aired in between the two seasons. It received mixed reviews for the first season, but the second was critically acclaimed and picked up a Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for its music.

Streaming now on Netflix

23 Brittania (2017–2021)

One of the best historical TV series on Prime Video when it comes to original shows is Brittania. This is not a straight historical retelling but instead mixes some fantasy into the real-life history of the Roman invasion of Great Britain. There are several historical figures in the Prime Video series, but there are also druids and demons that play as much of a role. Brittania is also a great historical TV series for anyone who wants to see something with a little more of a female focus compared to other shows in the genre, with well-written female leads and great characters through its three seasons.

Stream now on Prime Video

22 The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

The Queen's Gambit might not be a drama from centuries ago, but it is still one of the best historical TV series on Netflix, taking place in the 1950s. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Elizabeth Harmon, an orphaned chess prodigy who sets out to become an elite player in a mostly male-dominated competition. She also has to deal with drug and alcohol addiction that threatens to destroy her chances of rising up and becoming as great as she could be. The Netflix historical series was a huge success, winning 11 Emmy Awards in 18 nominations while sitting at 96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Streaming now on Netflix

21 Alias Grace (2017)

Alias Grace is ​​​​​​One of the few Netflix shows to rank at almost 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an equally impressive high 88% audience score. The pedigree was there from the start, as the series was based on the novel by Margaret Atwood (author of The Handmaid's Tale). Sarah Gadon stars as Grace Marks, a woman accused of murder and held for 15 years, even after her co-conspirator was hanged. Much like Atwood's more popular adaptation, this is an equally biting social commentary and has an incredible cast, led by Gadon's electric performance as Grace.

Streaming now on Netflix

20 Knightfall (2017-2019)

Knightfall premiered in 2017 on the History Channel, one of the best historical TV series set in the 14th century. It follows the Knights of Templar and primarily focuses on their leader, Landry du Lauzon (Tom Cullen), who is a brave warrior who's struggling to find inspiration to keep leading the Knights of Templar in the face of their failures. When rumors that the Holy Grail is out there somewhere, du Lauzon finds himself feeling inspired again. While mostly a cult favorite, this period drama brought in Star Wars actor Mark Hamill for added geek credentials.

Streaming now on Netflix

19 The Chosen (2017- )

Although Jesus Christ is no doubt the main feature of this free-to-watch show, it's the disciples and other characters that truly make this series shine. Viewers are exposed to events like the healing of Mary Magdalene, the calling of the apostles, and Jesus's other miracles, but they are all shown through the eyes of Nicodemus, Peter, Matthew, and other supporting cast members. Seeing these New Testament events unfold in front of not just the main cast, but side characters put a different yet inspiring spin on Jesus's narrative, making it one of the best historical TV series based on Biblical events.

Streaming now on Prime Video

18 The Terror (2018-2019)

The Terror is a historical horror anthology series that plays up the disturbing circumstances and supernatural rumors surrounding real-world events. The show does an excellent job merging these two widely different genres. The first season recounts John Franklin's doomed expedition to find the supposed Northwest Passage in the Arctic, and the second sees a community of Japanese prisoners stalked by a supernatural being during their confinement in an American internment camp during the Second World War. The Terror may not appeal to those with rigid regard for historical accuracy, but it'll appeal to viewers who can't resist a macabre story.

Streaming now on Hulu

17 Spartacus (2010-2013)

Spartacus is one of the best historical TV series of the early 2010s, airing from 2010 through 2013 for a total of three seasons on Starz. The series is set during the first century BCE and follows the life of Spartacus, a Thracian gladiator who led a slave uprising and rebellion against the Romans during his life in the early 70s BCE. The series is an action-packed show that is perfect for people who were into the movies 300 and Gladiator and wished that there had been more to them. While the show only lasted for three seasons, it also picked up a miniseries and won two Saturn Awards.

Streaming now on Starz

16 Poldark (2015-2019)

Poldark is one of the best historical TV series that began airing in 2015 as part of PBS' Masterpiece line of shows. The series is set in the late 18th century in Cornwall and is based on a novel series by the same name. This series stars Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark, a man whom everyone he knew believed to be dead prior to his return home from fighting in the American Revolution. The love of his life has gotten engaged, and his father is dead, his property having been sold and more or less abandoned. The series follows the man's struggles with returning home and back to his previous life. The thoroughly underrated historical TV series was especially popular in Britain, winning one BAFTA Award.

Streaming now on Prime Video

15 The Great (2020-2023)

Hulu's The Great doesn't place much emphasis on historical accuracy, going so far as to label itself as an "occasionally true" historical comedy-drama. A very loose retelling of the life of Russia's Catherine the Great, it follows the titular character's ascension into the Russian oligarchy and her plot to kill her husband, Peter III. The marquee characters are hilariously over-the-top in The Great, and its witty, if occasionally disturbing, lampooning of decades-old Russian nobility. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult both shine in their roles, and the series finished with three seasons with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations under its belt.

Streaming now on Hulu

14 The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)

The Last Kingdom is a historical TV series that began airing in 2015 and is based on The Saxon Stories novels by Bernard Cornwell. One of the best historical TV series, this began airing on BBC America before Netflix acquired the rights and solely produced episodes since then. The series is set in the late 9th century, following a man named Uhtred who was born as a Saxon but has spent his life raised by Vikings. As conflicts arise, Uhtred is forced to choose between the people who raised him and the people to whom he is connected by blood. The movie remains one of the most popular on TV, even though it isn't an award contender.

Streaming now on Netflix

13 The Tudors (2007-2010)

The Tudors aired from 2007 through 2010 for a total of four seasons. This series, which originally aired for Showtime, is available to stream on a few different streaming services and is worth binge-watching for anyone who wants to see a scandalous, dramatic take on the early days of King Henry VIII's reign. King Henry VIII is known for having had a total of six wives while he was ruler, many of whom met some unfortunate ends. The story mostly follows his rule and his relationships with Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. The series picked up Emmy nominations but never took home an award from the organization.

Streaming now on Showtime

12 The Borgias (2011-2013)

If there's one reason to watch this series, it's Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo de Borgia/Pope Alexander VI. The series, as the title would imply, focuses on the notorious Borgia family and their rise to power and infamy during Renaissance-era Italy. If Irons's brilliant and despicable portrayal of the scandalous pontiff wasn't enough to grab the audience's attention, its plot is absolutely seething and slithering with greed, intimidation, treachery, and sacrilegious scandal. Even though it's one of the most inaccurate historical TV series, the true crime and political thriller elements of The Borgias narrative more than make up for it, as proved it's the three Emmy Awards over as many seasons.

Streaming now on Showtime

11 Call The Midwife (2012- )

Call the Midwife is a BBC period drama that is set in the 1950s and 1960s. Although many of the best historical TV series that fans just can't get enough of are set way farther back in history, the fact that this series is set in the mid-20th century doesn't make it any less fun to watch. The series is based on a series of novels by Jennifer Worth and follows a young midwife named Jenny who recently left her home to work in London's Nonnatus House as a midwife. This series began airing in 2012 and currently has 11 seasons. While it never won awards at the Emmys, it has won several awards from other organizations.

Streaming now on Netflix

10 Deadwood (2004-2006)

Rivaling Firefly in its status among shows that were canceled too soon, Deadwood, which aired on HBO from 2004 to 2006, tells the tale of the titular town after its establishment in the 1870s. Considered to be a territory separate from the United States, Deadwood was a lawless refuge for all sorts of vagrants and villains. Led by actors Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane, Deadwood uses its historical basis as a jumping-off point to tell larger-than-life tales about some of the Old West's most prominent figures such as Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane.

Thirteen years after its cancelation, Deadwood: The Movie continued the original story. Deadwood won one Golden Glove and an Emmy as one of the best historical TV series.

Streaming now on Max

9 Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)

Boardwalk Empire aired from 2010 through 2014 and is set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era. Steve Buscemi stars in this series as Nucky Thompson, a sly politician who runs Atlantic City with the help of the mobsters who are working in the seedy underbelly of the city. This crime drama follows Nucky's rise to prominence as a politician in Atlantic City through the 1920s until the early 1930s when Prohibition came to a close. The main character of this series is loosely based on Enoch L. Johnson, a real-life politician from Atlantic City in this era. The series won three Emmys and two Golden Globes Awards.

Streaming now on Max

8 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)

Released in 2017, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel tells the story of a young Jewish-American housewife who sets out in 1958 New York City to make her name as a comedian. Rachel Brosnahan has won a Golden Globe and Emmy for her performance as Miriam "Midge" Maisel, the title character. With Alex Borstein as her manager and Tony Shalhoub as her father, the cast is top-notch, and the humor is on target. The fifth and final season aired in 2023, and it remains one of the best historical TV series in history with five Emmy wins heading into the final season.

Streaming now on Prime Video

7 Downton Abbey (2010-2015)

Downton Abbey remains one of the most successful of the best historical TV series in British television history, premiering in 2010 on ITV in the United Kingdom and PBS in the United States. With an all-star British cast, including a standout performance by Dame Maggie Smith, the series is set in a fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey that shows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants.

This historical drama brings in several real-world events, but it's the day-to-day trials and struggles of the endearing character roster that made Downton Abbey such a global phenomenon. There were six seasons and a movie, and it averaged over 10 million viewers for all but its first season (via Forbes).

Streaming now on Max

6 Bridgerton (2020-)

While it hasn't won anywhere near as many awards as more prestigious of the best historical TV series, Bridgerton did something few other historical TV shows have managed — creating a period drama that feels modern. With only one Emmy nomination in its two seasons, Bridgerton was a success thanks to its almost viral popularity. The first season of the series, based on the novels by Julia Quinn, broke the record for the most-viewed series in Netflix history with 625 million viewers (via Deadline).

The second season broke that record, and despite its lack of awards success, Bridgerton continues to set itself apart as a genre-redefining historical TV show for a new generation of viewers seeking a modern, fresh take on period dramas.

Streaming now on Netflix