Top 20 Historical TV Shows

#20: “The White Princess” (2017)

Before Jodie Comer played villainous Villanelle in “Killing Eve,” she was Elizabeth of York in “The White Princess.” Her marriage to Henry VII united Britain’s two rival houses, York and Lancaster, essentially ending the War of the Roses. It wasn’t an easy marriage on account of high tensions leftover from a 32-year war. Alongside Comer, Jacob Collins-Levy plays the king, while Michelle Fairley plays his mother. You may recognise the latter as Catelyn Stark from “Game of Thrones.” The acting is its most praised aspect, making it more than worth a watch even if the era isn’t your cup of tea.

#19: “The White Queen” (2013)

Before you rush to watch our prior entry, you should consider checking out its predecessor, “The White Queen.” It’s one of many adaptations of Philippa Gregory’s Tudor novels, and it’s generally considered the best. It’s centred around the women embroiled in the War of the Roses, specifically Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, and Anne Neville. They’re all married to the men responsible for the war, revealing how they pull the strings behind the scenes. It was so renowned it became nominated for a plethora of awards, but sadly failed to win any significant ones.

#18: “Victoria” (2016-19)

You probably recognise Jenna Coleman as Clara in “Doctor Who,” but she also played the famed Queen Victoria in this series. It’s a biographical dramatisation of the Queen’s life, covering her early years and then making it all the way to 1851. Don’t get your hopes up for a conclusive ending; it was disappointingly left on a cliffhanger, and they have no current plans for a new season, potentially because Coleman isn’t old enough. On the bright side, Queen Victoria was a real person, so you can simply look up how the story goes. That’s nowhere near as interesting as seeing Coleman’s stellar portrayal of her, though, so definitely check it out if you haven’t already.

#17: “Upstairs, Downstairs” (1971-75)

Decades before “Downton Abbey,” a similar concept was explored in this 70s drama. It was set in an immense residence in central London, and as the name suggests, it’s about both the aristocrats upstairs and their servants downstairs. It begins in 1903 and then concludes in 1930, depicting the era’s change of attitudes alongside the decline of the aristocracy. It was so popular they revived it in 2010, 35 years after the original wrapped up. It’s easily one of the UK’s most significant historical dramas, paving the way for countless series that came after.

#16: “A Thousand Blows” (2025-)

You are likely familiar with Steven Knight for his work on “Peaky Blinders,” but he also wrote this more recent series, based on the Forty Elephants gang. They were around during the first half of the 20th century and were notable for being exclusively ladies. Additionally, they were incredibly challenging to detect, leading to them sticking around for at least 50 years. This won’t cover their whole careers; it instead focuses on their early years. Erin Doherty plays the lead character, but you may also recognise the antagonist, who is played by Stephen Graham.

#15: “Father Brown” (2013-)

We’ve made it to our list’s first mystery series, based on a selection of short stories published over a century ago. The titular Catholic priest also works as a detective, making him an inspiration for later characters like Miss Marple. It’s set entirely in a small village in the Cotswolds during the 50s. It’s far from idyllic, given its unusually high murder rate, making it one of the most dangerous villages in British television. Brown is different from most TV detectives, though, because rather than forcing justice on them, he’ll hear them out and convince them to confess.

#14: “Foyle’s War” (2002-15)

Our next entry is another mystery show, although this time it’s set during World War Two. The protagonist is Chief Superintendent Foyle, who deals with a lot of criminals hoping to exploit the chaos of the period to make a quick buck. They frequently underestimate who they’re up against, however. Its setting makes it particularly interesting, as media rarely covers the homefront and especially not the life of a detective. It’s exceptionally accurate, too, meaning it’s worth a watch if all you care about is the setting. Unfortunately, it was cancelled twice and is unlikely to return again.

#13: “Call the Midwife” (2012-)

Midwives are rarely the focus of media, but this show came along and proved they can make for compelling protagonists. It started in 2012, but it’s set in the 50s and extended all the way into the 70s. The setting is London’s East End, with the drama covering the career of a young midwife named Jenny Lee. The period is significant as the post-war baby boom was still underway, making being a midwife one of the most demanding jobs around. The themes change as the times do, resulting in each season discussing completely different topics, making it always feel fresh.

#12: “Upstart Crow” (2016-20)

David Mitchell is an ideal fit for a historical series, and in this one, he portrays the greatest playwright who ever lived - William Shakespeare. Alongside him are the easily recognisable actors Harry Enfield and Mark Heap. It’s centred on his early years, but don’t expect a highly accurate dramatisation; it’s a sidesplitting sitcom. It only ran for three series, but each episode is comedy gold, and if you’re into the Bard, then you’ll be spoiled for references. If that didn’t sell you, learning that it was written by Ben Elton of “Blackadder” fame might.

#11: “Poldark” (2015-19)

In 1945, Winston Graham published the first-ever Poldark novel, and he wouldn’t publish the last until 2002. 12 years later, the BBC decided to adapt them into this stellar piece of television. Aidan Turner is cast as the titular character, who has just returned to Cornwall after fighting against the American Revolution. He’s not quite given the hero’s welcome he’d expect, with the series focusing on his struggles reintegrating back into society. That’s because his wealthy father died while he was away, so his family is broke and it’s up to him to fix things.

#10: “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” (1989-2013)

Few shows ran as long as this one, which managed to adapt almost every single Poirot novel written by Agatha Christie. It lasted thirteen seasons, spread out across 24 years, with Sir David Suchet playing the titular character in every single one. So many actors have portrayed the Belgian detective over the years, but to us, Suchet is the definitive one. There are 70 episodes in total, which is a hefty amount for a British show, especially as many are movie-length. If you somehow manage to run out of episodes, you can always check out Agatha Christie’s other popular shows, like one of the many Miss Marple series.

#9: “Gentleman Jack” (2019-22)

Anne Lister was born in Halifax in 1791, then became noteworthy for having multiple affairs with ladies, among other things. She was also an industrialist with a famously androgynous fashion sense. This led to her being patronisingly nicknamed “Gentleman Jack,” explaining where the name for this dramatisation comes from. It fascinatingly uses the millions of words written in her diaries as a primary source. This results in it being a remarkably accurate adaptation, giving us a lens into the life of such an interesting figure. It only received two series before HBO pulled funding, leaving the BBC to find replacement co-producers. This sadly hasn’t happened yet, so it may never be finished.

#8: “The Last Kingdom” (2015-22)

It might be a series about Vikings, but it was originally a British production, and it’s one of the highest-rated Viking shows ever made. It’s based on a series of novels by Bernard Cromwell, focused on a Saxon who gets captured and raised by Norsemen. Series one covers the Great Heathen Army of 865, which is easily one of the most significant events of the era. It then covers his life after the invasion, giving us massive insight into the attitudes of Saxons and Norsemen. It also comes to a concrete conclusion, meaning you won’t be disappointed after watching the final episode.

#7: “‘Allo ‘Allo!” (1982-92)

Despite being set in France during the German occupation, this series is essential viewing for British sitcom lovers. It’s centred around the antics of René Artois, owner of a cafe in northern France. It's frequented by a variety of whimsical characters, such as local German officers and secretive resistance figures. It ran for an entire decade, in that time releasing 85 episodes across 9 series. The premise was to parody a plethora of war-related media, with “Secret Army” being the main inspiration. A ton of episodes feel like they have identical plotlines, although the humour is turned up to the max.

#6: “Downton Abbey” (2010-15)

This series was so celebrated that it won a world record for being 2011’s most acclaimed English-speaking TV show. It begins in 1912, covering the daily goings on of a sizeable Yorkshire estate. This includes not just the wealthy homeowners, but their servants too, making it highly similar to “Upstairs, Downstairs” in its set-up. It covers their lives all the way until 1925, with a subsequent film trilogy reaching into the Great Depression. Its cast of characters is incredibly large, covering multiple generations, so don’t feel guilty about researching the extensive family tree to keep track.

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#5: “Dad’s Army” (1968-77)

Few series can match the cultural significance of this one. Captain Mainwaring and his elderly platoon are tasked with protecting the British Isles during the Second World War. They’re not the most skilled bunch, but that doesn’t mean they’re not an easily lovable cast of characters. Many of the actors had previously served in the war, making it a remarkably authentic depiction of wartime attitudes. It’s so popular it was still pulling in over a million viewers per episode in 2021, outperforming most modern series. Sadly, none of the primary cast is still around since the death of Ian Lavender in 2024.

#4: “Wolf Hall” (2015-24)

Thomas Cromwell was a majorly important figure during Henry VIII’s reign, being his chief minister for 6 years, until eventually getting his head chopped off. This series covers his entire career, beginning when he’s a young lawyer and ending with his controversial beheading. Season one puts a lot of focus on Anne Boleyn, then series two shifts to Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleeves. It was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception, with it being a challenge to find a single negative review. It got nominated for an abundance of awards, then won quite a few, making it one of the best-received historical dramas in history.

#3: “Blackadder” (1983-89)

It would be impossible for us to write this list and not mention this gem of a sitcom. While the first series is great fun, the following three are where it shines the hardest. Created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, the former stars as the lead antihero, Edmund Blackadder. A different Blackadder is introduced each season, with it covering a distinct time period every time. It’s so high quality, it’s impossible to pick a clear greatest season, as it’s entirely down to personal preference. The greatest scene is much easier to decide, which to us has to be the final moment where the characters finally charge into no man’s land.

#2: “Pride and Prejudice” (1995)

This wouldn’t be a UK list if we didn’t mention a single Austen adaptation. Austen only wrote six novels, and while each one was widely adored, Pride and Prejudice is her most famous. If you’d like to avoid reading, you can instead watch this remarkable adaptation, featuring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as the lead duo. We would argue it’s the most faithful adaptation, doing an excellent job at romance, while simultaneously loading it with as much sarcasm as the original novel. It was so successful, Colin Firth became an A-list celebrity almost overnight, with his Lake Scene still being remembered decades later.

#1: “The Crown” (2016-23)

Queen Elizabeth II’s reign was the second-longest in the history of monarchism. The popular ruler became queen at 25, then lived through one of the most eventful rules ever. In 2016, “The Crown” came along and dramatised six decades of her life. Three separate actors were chosen for Her Majesty, each one being exceedingly talented. It’s easily one of the highest-rated and most awarded shows in history, with ratings only dipping slightly during its closing two series. If you’ve seen it all and are desperate for more, you’ll be glad to hear a prequel series is in the works, depicting the first half of the 20th century.

Do you have a favourite historical series, and did we give it a mention today? Let us know down in the comments section!