10 Best Period Dramas to Watch on Hulu to Escape from Our Timeline

10. Oliver Twist (2007–2008)

Let’s be honest with each other: who doesn’t love the classic Victorian London? The answer is, “those who lived in it,” by the way. Oliver Twist is but a small orphaned boy who’s almost completely alone in the huge city filled with crooks and criminals. He tries to find a place where he would belong and, perhaps, his very first love.

9. Banished (2015)

Today, Australia attracts millions of tourists every year. Back in the day, that number was much lower, and the contingent of people who arrived there was… Different. Banished follows a group of British criminals who were sent to Australia as punishment and have to adjust to a new life, just like the soldiers who brought them.

8. Taboo (2017)

The year is 1812, and good old Napoleon is still wreaking havoc in Europe. A young adventurer returns to London to rebuild his father’s shipping empire, but he’s yet to learn just how unwelcome he is there: everyone, from his competitors to the state, wants to cannibalize his inheritance, and they won’t stop before anything to get it.

7. Genius (2017–Now)

Whenever you learn about some prominent historical figure who changed the world, you can’t help but wonder: how did they become so genius? Thanks to this anthology series, you can travel to different eras and see for yourself how Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Martin Luther King Jr., and others rose to their statuses.

6. Versailles (2015–2018)

The best way to scare a fish is to take it out of the water, and this doesn’t just apply to fish. Young French King Louis XIV realizes that his vassals don’t respect the crown, and to force their submission, he takes the entire court away from Paris — into his new palace Versailles that might have eaten a gaping hole in the budget.

5. Black Sails (2014–2017)

Most pirate shows and movies feature the end of the Pirate Era, but how about diving into the epicenter of the Golden Age of Piracy? Back then, every civilized nation proclaimed pirates “enemies of all mankind,” and in return, the pirates declared and waged their war against the entire world. Those were the days!

4. The Looming Tower (2018)

Not every important period was that long ago, though. In the US, the most devastating event took place just over two decades ago, and The Looming Tower gives us an insight into how the growing rivalry between the CIA and FBI set the stage for the biggest terrorist attack in history and, later, the war in Afghanistan.

3. The Great (2020–2023)

Across the entire world and a few centuries back, Russian Empress Catherine the Great's rise to power was dramatic and full of intrigues and political plays. But The Great takes a different approach: the show dubs itself as “an occasionally true story” and follows a more light-hearted, black-comedy version of the events that were.

2. Vikings ( 2013–2020)

Many centuries ago, the vikings were a force that terrified — and terrorized — most of the civilized world. They were powerful and ruthless, and everyone felt better when they were gone… But when they still ruled the seas, no other viking was as feared and legendary as Ragnar Lodbrok, the Scandinavian king of vikings.

1. Shōgun (2024)

Finally, FX and Hulu ’s brand-new addition. Shōgun is set in Medieval Japan against the backdrop of political intrigues and internal wars. Three different characters’ fates intertwine as they get entangled in the local schemes and fight for power, and only the all-powerful shogun knows which part they’ll have to play in this scenario.