10 Best Historical TV Shows of the Past 10 Years

10. The Crown ( 2016—Now)

One of the most ambitious historical TV shows, The Crown aims to follow the British Queen Elizabeth II from the early days of her reign to the final ones.

The first season begins when she’s still a princess, and the next — sixth — series will be set in the 1980s. We already know the sad finale, but the path there is intriguing.

9. The Deuce (2017—2019)

Welcome to New York! It’s the 1970s, and America is feeling pretty well off; the same can’t be said for all its citizens, though. Sex industry workers, for one, are in the darkest of places: they don’t fit in well with the system, and they’re the people one could do anything with. Who would protect them, anyway, if they’re outlawed?

8. Show Me a Hero (2015)

For some, Show Me a Hero could even be called a horror show — for those who, like middle-class white families from the 1980s New York, are terrified of the idea of social houses for African American families. When such an initiative comes around a small town, its mayor does everything to pass it but faces immense resistance.

7. A Very English Scandal (2018)

One could only imagine the hardships of a gay politician in the conservative Britain of the 1960s. Alternatively, you could simply watch A Very English Scandal if you’re not one for imagining things. An ambitious politician can’t breathe freely because of his years-ago romance with a farmer and faces a bunch of hypocritical accusations for it.

6. The Americans (2013—2018)

For all those who see similarities between the Cold War and the current state of affairs, The Americans provide the perfect time travel to the time when the United States and the Soviet Union were at the peak of their antagonism. Spies, nuclear weapons, and diplomatic wars put way too many lives at stake for our comfort.

5. Vinyl (2016)

We’re back to the 1970s, and we’re back to America, but not for the sex industry this time. Would you like to look behind the scenes of the cocaine-fueled musical industry and see how legends were forged in the fire of treacherous studio intrigues? Vinyl’s got you — this series was overlooked by Mick Jagger who was at the center of it all.

4. Narcos (2015—Now)

Finally stepping away from America and Britain, we shall now visit Colombia to follow the life and criminal feats of none other than Pablo Escobar, the most legendary drug lord in history. A poor boy who grew up to become the richest cartel boss ever, Escobar will take you on a journey of waging solo wars against entire governments.

3. American Crime Story (2016—2021)

For anyone who’s missed perhaps the most scandalous and divisive court process in American history, here’s your chance to catch up. The O. J. Simpson case took the longest time and showed just how divided we truly are — but ultimately ended with an unprecedented twist. The show captures this case’s details flawlessly.

2. Call the Midwife (2012—Now)

With 12 seasons behind it and still going strong, Call the Midwife is a window into the 20th century and the most burning social issues we still can’t quite figure out. The post-war London setting provides the perfect backdrop as all the most taboo and divisive topics are raised through stories of common people we see every day.

1. Chernobyl (2019)

Back to the USSR we go to witness one of the greatest technological tragedies in human history: the Chernobyl disaster. The nerve-wracking drama, the lies, the political intrigues, and the loss of countless lives to radiation thanks to the party’s indecisiveness — all shown through the eyes of two weirdly compelling characters.