A historical series has something a film lacks: time. Over several seasons you can live through an entire era with the characters, from the heirs’ childhood to the kings’ old age. We picked ten series that are already out and arranged them by era rather than by release year: from ancient Rome to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Some recreate real events and people, while others tell a fictional story against a real backdrop. Each entry gives the era in one line, the years, the channel or service, the number of seasons and episodes and a reason to watch, without spoilers. This is not a ranking: we do not invent our own ratings or viewing figures. We take English titles from English Wikipedia, and the data was checked on October 23, 2026.
Domina
Official trailer · “Domina” (2021)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the Sky TV YouTube channel
Era: ancient Rome, the end of the republic and the beginning of the empire. Domina is an Italian-British historical drama by Simon Burke about Livia Drusilla (Kasia Smutniak), wife of the Roman emperor Augustus. The struggle for power in Rome is shown here from the women’s point of view: marriages in Augustus’s family are made for advantage, and they decide who will inherit the throne. The first season came out on Sky Atlantic in 2021 and the second on MGM+ in 2023, after which the series was canceled. Why watch: events familiar from textbooks, seen through the eyes of a woman who learned to influence an empire.
Marco Polo
Official trailer · “Marco Polo” (2014)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the Netflix Philippines YouTube channel
Era: the 13th century, the Mongol Empire. Marco Polo is an American Netflix drama created by John Fusco. The series is inspired by the early years of the Venetian traveler Marco Polo (Lorenzo Richelmy) at the court of Kublai (Benedict Wong), khan of the Mongol Empire and founder of China’s Yuan dynasty. The first season came out on December 12, 2014, and the second in July 2016, with a standalone special in between. Netflix canceled the series after two seasons. Why watch: an era rarely seen on television and a court where the European is the outsider.
Medici
Official trailer · “Medici” (2016)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the Big Light Productions YouTube channel
Era: 15th-century Florence, the Renaissance. Medici is an Italian-British drama by Frank Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer about the Medici banking family. The first season begins in 1429: after the death of Giovanni de’ Medici (Dustin Hoffman), his son Cosimo (Richard Madden) takes over the richest bank in Europe and has to defend the family’s power in Florence. The second and third seasons follow Cosimo’s grandson, Lorenzo de’ Medici, known as the Magnificent. According to Auditel figures cited by Wikipedia, the first episode drew a record 8.04 million viewers in Italy, and the series was shown in 190 countries. Why watch: money, art and politics in the city where the Renaissance was born.
The Tudors
Official trailer · “The Tudors” (2007)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the SHOWTIME YouTube channel
Era: 16th-century England, the reign of Henry VIII. The Tudors is a historical drama by Michael Hirst, a joint project of American, British and Canadian producers filmed mostly in Ireland. Despite its title, the series is not about the whole dynasty but specifically about the reign of Henry VIII, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers; Henry Cavill is also in the cast. According to Wikipedia, the 2007 premiere was Showtime’s highest-rated in three years; the fourth season in 2010 brought the story to a close. Why watch: court intrigue and marriages on which the fate of the kingdom depended.
The Gilded Age
Official trailer · “The Gilded Age” (2022)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the HBO YouTube channel
Era: New York in the 1880s, the American Gilded Age. The Gilded Age is an American HBO drama created and written by Julian Fellowes, the author of Downton Abbey. The newly rich Russells move in across the street from “old money”, the van Rhijn family. Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) wants to climb to the top of Manhattan society, while Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) looks down on the newcomers. Critics especially praised the costumes and the cast; the second season received six Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series. Why watch: society wars with balls, opera boxes and new fortunes.
Downton Abbey
Official trailer · “Downton Abbey” (2010)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the Downton Abbey YouTube channel
Era: England from 1912 to 1925. Downton Abbey is a British drama by Julian Fellowes about the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants on an estate in Yorkshire. Major events reach the estate as news and as changes in the characters’ lives: from the sinking of the Titanic and the First World War to the Spanish flu pandemic. The series has won a Golden Globe and Emmys, and Guinness World Records named it the most critically acclaimed English-language TV series of 2011. The story continued in three films: in 2019, 2022 and 2025. Why watch: a whole era of British history through the eyes of both the masters and the servants.
Babylon Berlin
Official trailer · “Babylon Berlin” (2017)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the Sky Österreich YouTube channel
Era: Berlin in 1929–1933, the last years of the Weimar Republic. Babylon Berlin is a German neo-noir series by Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Hendrik Handloegten based on the novels by Volker Kutscher. Police inspector Gereon Rath arrives from Cologne on a secret mission to break up a blackmail ring, while police clerk Charlotte Ritter dreams of becoming an inspector herself. According to Wikipedia, it is the most expensive non-English-language TV series in history; its awards include a Bambi and a European Film Academy award. The final fifth season came out in Germany on September 10, 2026. Why watch: a detective story set in a city that does not yet know what awaits it.
Band of Brothers
Official trailer · “Band of Brothers” (2001)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the HBO YouTube channel
Era: the Second World War, the Western Front, 1942–1945. Band of Brothers is an American miniseries by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks based on historian Stephen Ambrose’s 1992 nonfiction book of the same name. It tells the story of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division: from the paratroopers’ training and the landing in Normandy to Berchtesgaden at the end of the war. Each episode opens with excerpts from interviews with veterans of the company. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries, and two more war series followed later: The Pacific (2010) and Masters of the Air (2024). Why watch: the story of real people, told almost like a documentary.
The Crown
Official trailer · “The Crown” (2016)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the Netflix YouTube channel
Era: the United Kingdom from 1947 to 2005. The Crown is a historical drama by Peter Morgan for Netflix about the reign of Elizabeth II. The series covers almost six decades, from the preparations for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip in 1947 to the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla in 2005. The cast changed every two seasons: the Queen was played by Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton. The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series and two Golden Globes, although it was also criticized for historical inaccuracies. Why watch: recent history that many remember from the news, only behind closed doors.
Chernobyl
Official trailer · “Chernobyl” (2019)Still: © the series’ rights holders, source — the official trailer on the HBO YouTube channel
Era: the Ukrainian SSR, April 1986, the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Chernobyl is a British-American miniseries created and written by Craig Mazin and directed by Johan Renck. It tells the story of the reactor explosion — a disaster that Ukrainian Wikipedia counts among the largest man-made catastrophes in history — and of the cleanup of its consequences. The lead roles are played by Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson. The series won Emmys for Outstanding Limited Series, directing and writing, as well as a Golden Globe and a BAFTA; each episode was accompanied by a podcast in which Mazin explained what had been changed for dramatic purposes. Why watch: a story from Ukraine’s past that has been recognized around the world.
How we chose
Want to live through a whole era with the characters, not just a two-hour film? We’ve gathered series that each show a different period, from ancient Rome in Domina and the Tudor court to Downton Abbey and The Crown. We chose them based on what viewers and critics say, as well as our own impressions from watching. If you’d like to start with something short, go for Chernobyl: five episodes.
What to choose by mood
| What you want | What to pick |
|---|---|
| The ancient world and the Middle Ages | Domina, Marco Polo |
| Kings and court intrigue | Medici, The Tudors, The Crown |
| Estates, balls and high society | Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age |
| A detective story in the past | Babylon Berlin |
| War | Band of Brothers |
| Short, for a few evenings | Chernobyl (5 episodes), Band of Brothers (10 episodes) |
We collected historical films in a separate selection of historical movies, and epics about Vikings, Rome and Japan are among the series like Game of Thrones. For fans of the Ottoman Empire, there are Turkish historical TV series.
Tip. If you want to start with something short, pick Chernobyl: five episodes of 59 to 71 minutes. For long evenings, Downton Abbey and The Crown, with six seasons each, are a good fit.
Frequently asked questions
How historically accurate are these series?
It varies. Band of Brothers draws on research and interviews with veterans, and critics praised Chernobyl for its attention to detail. The Crown, on the other hand, was criticized for historical inaccuracies, so any of these series is best seen as a dramatized version of events.
Which of these series have already ended?
All except The Gilded Age: as of October 23, 2026, it has three seasons. Band of Brothers and Chernobyl are miniseries, and Domina and Marco Polo were canceled after two seasons.
What to watch about the history of England and the United Kingdom?
The Tudors (16th century), Downton Abbey (1912–1925) and The Crown (1947–2005) together cover several centuries of British history.
Are there spoilers here?
No. We only describe the starting situation and general information about the series from Wikipedia pages.
Sources
- Medici (TV series) (Wikipedia)
- Downton Abbey (Wikipedia)
- Babylon Berlin (Wikipedia)
- Band of Brothers (miniseries) (Wikipedia)
- Chernobyl (miniseries) (Wikipedia)
Data was checked against Wikipedia on October 23, 2026.
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