10 Must-Watch Shows to Really Understand Our Past
“Three Kingdoms” (2010)
China
Set at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, “Three Kingdoms” depicts the changing political landscape of China as the Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Wu states fought for dominance. This era in Chinese history was extremely impactful– between its fragmented leadership, war and famine, and technological advance, the Three Kingdoms period re-shaped China. Forced to rebuild after the fall of the stable Han, these years of instability required China to redefine itself, creating new governing structures and military strategies that would impact history to come.
This Chinese television show, which aired in 2010, adapted the historical novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” to the screen– recounting and dramatizing the events of this era. The series contains 95 forty-five minute long episodes, providing an in-depth look into the leading figures and key turning points of the Three Kingdoms. Though this period lasted approximately only 60 years of China’s several thousand year history, understanding it through this incredible series gives any history buff a better understanding of this tumultuous time.
“Rome” (2005–07)
US/UK
With “Rome,” HBO swung for the fences with its original content. A joint US–UK production, "Rome" had one of the biggest budgets television had ever seen at the time. The series set out to chronicle the violent unraveling of the Roman Republic. It shared the perspective of both legendary historical figures and ordinary soldiers. On one level, it follows famous figures like Julius Caesar, Pompey Magnus, Mark Antony, and Octavian. These titans of European history maneuver their way through civil war and political reinvention. But "Rome"'s smartest move was pairing that grand narrative with the grounded, human stories. Two somewhat ordinary legionaries, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, were fan favorites. Most historical shows pick a side — palace intrigue or street-level grit. “Rome” insists on both. The series plunges into the Senate, the Forum, and the battlefield with equal appetite. Its production design became instantly iconic: sprawling sets dense with mud, sweat, and imperial splendor. Every frame feels lived-in and chaotic. “Rome” also stood out for its unflinching depiction of imperial brutality. Slavery, corruption, and decadence don't exactly paint ancient Rome in an altogether favorable light. Though it ran for only two seasons, its influence is enormous. Critics often note how its mix of political intrigue, violence, and sprawling ensemble storytelling became a tv staple. For many viewers, this was the first time ancient history escaped the textbooks. "Rome" was raw, intimate, and astonishingly alive.
“Shōgun” (2024–)
US/Japan
“Shōgun” brings the fracturing world of early-17th-century Japan to life with an incredible level of cultural and political depth. Based on James Clavell’s novel — itself inspired by real figures — the series dives into a pivotal moment in Japanese history: torn between warring factions, threatened by Europeans, and inching toward unification. The strength of “Shōgun” is perspective. It filters the era’s upheaval through multiple lenses: the ambitious warlord Toranaga, the English castaway Blackthorne, and Lady Mariko. Their ambitions and loyalties reflect Japan’s collision of faith, honor, and politics. This triangulation makes the historical moment legible without oversimplification. Battles and assassinations form beautiful set pieces. But diplomacy, religious conflict, and tense, delicate etiquette weigh on every scene. “Shōgun” also commits to authenticity as a form of historical storytelling. Much of the dialogue is in Japanese as is most of the cast. The series foregrounds cultural nuance — from samurai legal codes to the role of Christianity in destabilizing the country. The drama is firmly rooted in the real-life forces that shaped the Tokugawa shogunate. “Shōgun” gives viewers a vivid window into the early collision of global cultures.
“The Tudors” (2007–10)
UK/Ireland/Canada
“The Tudors” doesn’t pretend to be a documentary. Yet it absolutely succeeds as a dramatized crash course in the impact of a single king 500 years ago. It follows the reign of Henry VIII, whose personal desires and political anxieties helped trigger seismic change across Europe. Instead of trudging through dates and decrees, the show reveals history through character: an impulsive, insecure Henry; advisors caught between ambition and survival; and queens whose marriages were diplomatic battlegrounds. A handful of people and their personal beefs altered religion, geopolitics, and culture on a continental scale. What “The Tudors” captures best is the chain reaction of Henry’s break from Rome. The quest for a male heir spirals into the English Reformation. The dissolution of monasteries follows, as does the realignment of England within Europe. The palace intrigue, rival families, and shifting alliances was "Game of Thrones" before "Game of Thrones" made it to TV. Personal relationships topple ministers, trigger wars, and spark religious persecution. Major world events are easily understood by an audience consumed with personal drama. “The Tudors” makes the 16th century feel immediate rather than distant. It shows viewers how monarchies expanded, how churches fractured, and how the early modern world took shape.
“Kingdom” (2019–21)
South Korea
It turns out a zombie outbreak can be one of the smartest ways to explore a country’s past. Set during Korea’s Joseon dynasty, "Kingdom" drops viewers into a world buckling under political rot. The show opens in the aftermath of the Imjin War, during a devastating famine. The monarchy’s legitimacy was threadbare; the court was dominated by powerful aristocratic clans. “Kingdom” builds its narrative around this historic sense of national weakness. Korea had a government paralyzed by infighting and peasants crushed by scarcity. Audiences are immediately thrust into the life of the crown prince, struggling against a system designed to sideline him. Even with zombies, “Kingdom” might be one of the most accurate depictions of Joseon-era Korea ever filmed. What makes “Kingdom” remarkable is that the zombies aren’t a gimmick, but a clever metaphor. They represent famine and class inequality that defined the period. When a nation ignores its starving citizens, the people eventually rise. The court politics, Confucian hierarchy, and power struggles are also rooted in real history. "Kingdom's" costumes and architecture are meticulously authentic. By blending political thriller, period drama, and horror, “Kingdom” becomes a gripping lesson on how societal collapse actually happens. It’s not a sudden event. Instead, collapse is a slow decay that only becomes visible when it’s far too late.
“Rise of Empires: Ottoman” (2020–22)
Turkey
The fall of Constantinople is one of those moments that reverberated like an earthquake across multiple continents. "Rise of Empires: Ottoman" shows us exactly why. By blending cinematic reenactments with on-camera historians, it reconstructs the siege of 1453. For audiences, it's not a dusty legend but a living story. They are immersed in a chain of strategic decisions, technological breakthroughs, and political gambles that changed the world. Viewers follow Sultan Mehmed II as he attempts the impossible: taking the last stronghold of the Byzantine Empire. By doing so, he cemented Ottoman control over the gateway between Europe and Asia. The show makes clear how much was at stake. The city’s walls represented a thousand years of Byzantine history. Meanwhile, Mehmed’s massive cannons and naval maneuvers marked a pivotal moment in Ottoman siege warfare. Expert commentary walks audiences through the geopolitical implications. The series highlights the broader implications: from shifting economic and religious landscapes to the end of Byzantine power in Europe. The defenders, from Emperor Constantine XI to the exhausted populace, are portrayed as the final actors of a fading medieval world. By weaving hard history with dramatized storytelling, the series captures a moment when the Middle Ages gave way to something new.
“Roots” (1977)
US
Millions of Gen X public school students in the US remember watching "Roots" in school. It was a 1977 mini series that, for the first time in the public zeitgeist, blew up America’s founding myths. “Roots” explains centuries of American slavery with a sweeping multi-generational saga. The show tracks the forced journey of an African teen named Kunta Kinte and his descendants. It begins with his abduction in Gambia. When brought to the US, he was enslaved and tortured in colonial Maryland. Kinte’s story becomes the touchpoint for exploring how the Atlantic slave trade reshaped societies. African societies were dismantled to build the economies of colonial America. All of this was at the cost of entire generations of innocent people. The series gives human shape to systemic violence. It doesn't shy away from the brutal auctions, broken families, or resistance in small gestures. Adapted from Alex Haley's famous book, the miniseries doesn't just hyper-focus on the horrors of bondage. It's also a deep dive into the nature of identity and memory for Black Americans. Everyday white Americans were forced to confront how the legacy of enslavement stretches into the present. Over eight consecutive nights in January 1977, it became one of the highest-watched TV events in U.S. history. "Roots" sparked nationwide conversations about race, ancestry, and public memory. By dramatizing slave history with such scope and emotional power, the series helped shift both popular culture and educational discourse.
“John Adams” (2008)
US
The American Revolution is usually told through slogans and hero worship, with fireworks and apple pie. HBO's "John Adams" strips away the mythology, plunging viewers into the chaotic birth of the United States. Through the eyes of John Adams — lawyer, revolutionary, diplomat, second president — the miniseries reframes the Founding Era. It's easy to forget, after nearly three centuries, how uncertain the country's beginnings actually were, or how deeply flawed the Founders really were. Adams lived through some truly uncomfortable moments. People forget that the power behind the Declaration of Independence also once defended British soldiers in court. The Founders' attempts to navigate the treacherous waters of European diplomacy were not always successful. The series captures brilliantly the fragility of the nascent republic. The Revolution wasn’t inevitable; neither was the Constitution. Every major decision comes across as a true gamble. The series also makes clear that Adams and his contemporaries were far from a monolith. They clashed constantly over ideology, power, and the definition of American liberty. The show pulls no punches portraying the clash between revolutionary ideology and political reality. The miniseries is a reminder that the United States wasn't destined to be born. It was forged through heated debate, personal sacrifice, and the imperfect work of real people.
“Babylon Berlin” (2017–)
Germany
History rarely captures a society just before it explodes. "Babylon Berlin" does it with a jazzy style. Starting in late-1920s Weimar Germany, the show catalogues a republic dancing on the edge of catastrophe. Rot and excess exist side by side. Berlin is shown as a living organism: we dive into decadent nightclubs and crushing poverty alike. Socialites party while veterans broken by war struggle to survive and political factions sharpen their knives. It’s a portrait of a democracy in free-fall. The ordinary people we follow try desperately to survive the turbulence. What makes the series so powerful is its granular depiction of social collapse. Inflation, mass unemployment, right-wing paramilitaries, and Communist uprisings shape the world. Our characters must navigate this madness even as their nation's future is uncertain. "Babylon Berlin" makes clear that fascism didn’t spring up out of the blue. It grew in the cracks of a society overwhelmed by trauma, inequality, and disillusionment. The meticulous production design makes Berlin a character of its own. The plot centers around a mystery which widens into a national crisis. Institutions crumble one by one and extremism fills the void. It’s both a gripping thriller and a warning from history: the fall of a republic often begins long before anyone notices it happening.
“The Crown” (2016–23)
Monarchies often feel like opaque relics from a bygone era - and in many ways they are. But "The Crown" uses Britain’s modern royal family into a lens for understanding the entire postwar world. It dramatizes much of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II from the late 1940s through the early 21st century. "The Crown" shows how one ancient institution weathered decolonization, economic upheaval, cultural revolutions, and the rise of mass media. We also see the back-room dealings that shaped the 20th century. All the while, the queen must navigate rapidly evolving personal and political changes. What “The Crown” captures especially well is how power can be both vast and limited at the same time. Elizabeth doesn’t govern directly, but moments like the Suez Crisis or Thatcher’s tenure reveal the subtle influence of her station. Meanwhile, the series tracks the fading of Britain’s empire - from Africa to Hong Kong.The monarchy had to adapt as Britain’s global dominance vanished. The gorgeous production design, shifting cast, and decade-by-decade structure turn each season into a study of an era. The post-war era, the Cold War, the Troubles, the tabloid explosion - all were backdrops to a season.
Is there another TV show that taught you more history than your textbooks ever did? Let us know in the comments below!
