Historical dramas (TV series)

Historical dramas (TV series)
List of the best historical dramas selected by visitors to our site: I, Claudius, Empress Ki, Alchemy of Souls, The Great Queen Seondeok, Chicago Typewriter, The Last Dance, Nightflyers, The Blade and Petal, Hymn of Death, Princess Silver.

In the top there are new series of 2023, a plot description and trailers for series that have already been released.

Markimdb: 8.9
Genredrama, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom

Acclaimed blackly comic historical drama series. Set amidst a web of power, corruption and lies, it chronicles the reigns of the Roman emperors - Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and finally Claudius.

Markimdb: 8.5
Genremelodrama, drama, biography, history
CountrySouth Korea

The story of the woman that would become Empress Ki, and her struggles as she worked her way through war, political conspiracies, and the imperial palace to become Empress of China. This Korean Drama re-imagines the historical figure as a fierce, independent woman who goes to extreme lengths to protect those she loves.

Markimdb: 8.7
Genreaction, fantasy, comedy, melodrama
CountrySouth Korea

Set in a fictional country called Daeho, it is about the love and growth of young mages as they overcome their twisted fates due to a forbidden magic spell known as the "alchemy of souls", which allows souls to switch bodies.

Markimdb: 8.6
Genrebiography, history
CountrySouth Korea

Queen Seondeok is a 2009 South Korean historical drama, starring Lee Yo-won, Go Hyun-jung, Uhm Tae-woong, Park Ye-jin, Kim Nam-gil and Yoo Seung-ho. It chronicles the life of Queen Seondeok of Silla. It aired on MBC from May 25 to December 22, 2009 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 62 episodes. The viewership ratings for the show topped TV charts almost every week during its run, peaking at 44.7 percent. It swept the 2009 MBC Drama Awards; actress Go Hyun-jung's performance and subsequent grand prize win received near-universal acclaim.

Markimdb: 8.3
Genredrama, history
CountrySouth Korea
Duration00:15

Writers that lived under Japanese rule in the 1930's are reincarnated into a bestselling writer who is in a slump, a mysterious ghostwriter and an anti-fan of the bestselling writer.

Markimdb: 9.1
Genredocumentary, biography, sport
CountryUSA

A 10-part documentary chronicling the untold story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty with rare, never-before-seen footage and sound from the 1997-98 championship season – plus over 100 interviews with famous figures and basketball’s biggest names.

Markimdb: 5.8
Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, drama, detective
CountryUSA
Duration02:03

In the year 2093, a team of scientists aboard the Nightflyer, the most advanced ship ever built, embarks on a journey to find other life forms. Their mission takes them to the edge of the solar system, and to the edge of insanity, as they realize true horror isn't waiting for them in outer space—it's already on their ship.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountrySouth Korea
Duration01:10

A drama set in the Goguryo period. It is about how Moo Young, the daughter of King Young Ryu, falls in love with Yeon Choong, the son of Yeon Gaesomun had with a concubine. But Moo Young debates whether she should have her revenge, as Yeon Gaesomun is the man who killed her father. Meanwhile, Yeon Choong as the son of a noble blood father and a servant mother, despite his talent, he finds he cannot rise higher in rank due to the fact that he is a concubine′s son. He is later ordered by his father to kill the person he loves, and comes into inner conflict.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genremelodrama, music, biography, history
CountrySouth Korea
Duration00:31

Based on a true story, the drama tells the tragic love story of Kim Woo Jin, a married stage drama writer, and Yun Shim Duk, Korea's first professional soprano, who meet while studying at Tokyo University in the 1920s. Yun Shim Duk's recording of "Death Song" became the first Korean pop song in 1926.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryChina
Duration00:45

Rong Le, a princess of the royal family of the Xiqi Kingdom who wakes up one day to find that she has lost her memory. She is ordered to marry Wu You, seventh prince of the neighboring Beilin Kingdom, though her husband-to-be refuses to let her inside his manor. Unable to return home, Rong Le settles down in Beilin and opens a teahouse under the alias of Man Yao. It is rumored that the Qin family has misplaced an extraordinary tome that will supposedly usher in a time of prosperity for all the kingdoms, and Man Yao embarks on a journey to find the book. Man Yao and Wu You meet and fall in love without realizing each other's true identity, though they are forced to separate when Rong Le's brother Rong Qi orders her to marry the powerful General Fu Chou.

Set in the 18th century, the drama depicts the love story between King Jeongjo and royal concubine Seong Uibin.

Markimdb: 2.1
Genrecomedy, melodrama
CountrySouth Korea

The hotel heir and the best employee twisted to change the standard of service and undertook to implement the concept "You will be sincerely smiled at in King". King is the name of the company and a metaphor for addressing guests as kings.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
Duration00:59

France, 1815. Jean Valjean, a common thief, is released from prison after having lived a hell in life for 19 years, but a small mistake puts the law again on his trail. Ruthless Inspector Javert pursues him thorough years, driven by a twisted sense of justice, while Valjean reforms himself, thrives and dedicates his life to good deeds. In 1832, while the revolution ravages the streets of Paris, Valjean and Javert cross their paths for the last time.

Markimdb: 8.5
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryRepublic of Ireland

Marianne and Connell weave in and out of each other’s lives in this exploration of sex, power and the desire to love and be loved. Adaptation of Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genredrama, biography, history
CountryJapan
Duration00:54

The drama series depicts the life of Tokuzo Akiyama, head chef of the Imperial Household Ministry’s Imperial Cuisine Division during the Taisho (1912-1926) and early Showa (1926-1989) eras. Based on a true story and book by Hisahide Sugimori, 'The Emperor’s Cook' follows the life of country boy, Akiyama, who arrives in Tokyo in pursuit of the culinary arts. Driven by a deep love for his wife and family, a great reverence for his teachers, strong reliance on friends and an abiding love for cooking, Akiyama eventually rises to become 'the Emperor’s cook'.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genremelodrama
CountrySouth Korea
Duration01:30

Lee Young-Joon's family runs a large company and he works as the vice-president of the company. He is smart, rich and handsome, but he is arrogant. His secretary is Kim Mi-So. She has worked for him for years and she is perfect for him, but Kim Mi-So decides to quit her job.

Markimdb: 8.2
Genredrama, crime, biography, history
CountryCanada, USA
Duration00:33

This drama series is a fictionalized retelling of the story of meth dealer-turned-ATF informant Charles Falco, who spent three years inside one of America's most dangerous motorcycle gangs, the Vagos. Although Falco originally took on the assignment to avoid spending 20 years in prison on drug charges, it eventually evolved into a quest for justice for him. “Gangland Undercover” documents the lives of outlaw bikers, who live in a world in which respect is earned through fear. The series is based on Falco's memoir, “Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws,” and documented historical research of gang rivalries.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genremelodrama, drama, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom
Duration00:49

This four-part historical drama follows the end of Catherine the Great's reign and her affair with Russian military leader Grigory Potemkin that helped shape the future of Russian politics.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryUSA
Duration00:59

Ordinary college student Paige gets her big break after auditioning for the starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. She must now navigate her new star-studded life and the highs and lows that come with being the new It Girl in town as well as balancing her college workload.

Markimdb: 8.2
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountrySouth Korea

Set during the turbulent time of the fall of Goryeo and the founding of Joseon, two former friends face-off against one another over a woman and the future shape of the nation.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
Duration02:30

The social and class divisions in early 20th century England through the intersection of three families - the wealthy Wilcoxes, the gentle and idealistic Schlegels and the lower-middle class Basts.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genrefantasy, melodrama
CountrySouth Korea

When a gateway opens to a parallel universe in modern-day Korea, a king must step into another world in search of answers to a long-unanswered mystery.

Markimdb: 8.5
Genreaction, melodrama, drama, adventure, biography, history
CountryUSA
Duration05:35

Spartacus is an American television series inspired by the historical figure of Spartacus, a Thracian gladiator who from 73 to 71 BCE led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic departing from Capua.

Markimdb: 7
Genredrama, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom, Italy

The extraordinary rise of Livia Drusilla, who overcame adversity to become the most powerful woman in the world. Follow Livia’s journey from a naïve young girl whose world crumbles in the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination, to Rome’s most powerful and influential Empress.

Markimdb: 6.9
Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, military, history
CountryGermany, Canada, United Kingdom, Hungary

Two hundred years after the construction of the great cathedral, the medieval town of Kingsbridge is taken under siege by Queen Isabella. Caris, a visionary young woman, inspires her people to stand up for their rights and revolt against to the most powerful forces of her time, the Church and the Crown.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genremelodrama, drama, military, history
CountryUnited Kingdom
Duration01:05

A story that revolves around five aristocratic families, set during the reign of Alexander I, and centered on the love triangle between Natasha Rostova, Pierre Bezukhov, and Andrei Bolkonsky.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryUSA

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible her life is only hinted at during a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons in the Book of Genesis. Told through Dinah's eloquent voice, this sweeping miniseries reveals the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood. Dinah's tale begins with the story of her mothers: Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah, the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that are to sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah tells us of the world of the red tent, the place where women were sequestered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and illness; of her initiations into the religious and sexual practices of her tribe; of Jacob's courtship with his four wives; of the mystery and wonder of caravans, farmers, shepherds, and slaves; of love and death in the city of Shechem; of her half-brother Joseph's rise in Egypt, and of course her marriage to Shechem and it's bloody consequences.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genremelodrama, drama, biography, history
CountrySouth Korea
Duration26:00

Haute couture meets the high court in this drama based on Lady Jang Hui Bin, or Jang Ok Jung, one of the most celebrated royal concubines of the Joseon Dynasty. Lady Jang establishes herself as a coveted fashion designer who quickly finds herself sought after not only by fashionable noblewomen, but by the king himself. Political drama and the catwalk collide in this tale of fashioning dreams into reality!

Markimdb: 7.9
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryChina

An ordinary girl is admitted to the most prestigious school in the country where she encounters F4, an exclusive group comprised of the four wealthiest and handsomest boys in the school - Dao Ming Si, Hua Ze Lei, Xi Men and Mei Zuo.

Markimdb: 8
Genrecomedy, melodrama
CountrySouth Korea

Lim Ju-kyung is a high school student. Since she was little, she has had a complex about her appearance. To hide her bare face, Ju-kyung always wears make-up. Her excellent make-up skills make her pretty and she hides her bare face in front of others. She gets involved with 2 men; Lee Su-ho and Han Seo-jun.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genremelodrama, drama, music
CountryUSA
Duration00:43

Rayna Jaymes and Juliette Barnes face personal and professional challenges as they navigate their paths as artists and individuals. Surrounding them, and often complicating their lives, are their family, friends and, in some cases, lovers, as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business. In Nashville, musicians and songwriters are at the heart of the storm driven by their own ambitions. Some are fueled by their creativity and passion for fame. Others struggle to cope with the pressures of success and are doing everything in their power to stay on top.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genredrama, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom
Duration01:00

Following the fact-based historical book of the same name, this drama follows the rise of Cromwell as he becomes Henry the VIII's closest advisor. England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the King dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The Pope and most of Europe oppose him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer, and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?

Markimdb: 8.2
Genrecomedy, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA

A genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th century Russia following the rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great and her explosive relationship with husband Peter, the emperor of Russia.

Markimdb: 8
Genrefantasy, melodrama, drama, adventure, detective, biography, history
CountryUSA
Duration00:59

The series follows the "untold" story of Leonardo Da Vinci: the genius during his early years in Renaissance Florence. As a 25-year old artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time as he begins to not only see the future, but invent it.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrecomedy, melodrama
CountrySouth Korea
Duration00:30

Based on the webtoon "Noona Fan Dot Com", Sun Deok-mi is an art curator who lives a double life as an idol fan girl. Ryan, her new director, learns of her secret and begins to take an interest in her.

Markimdb: 8.2
Genrefantasy, melodrama
CountrySouth Korea
Duration01:30

The Hotel Del Luna, located in Seoul, is not like any other hotel: its clients are all ghosts. Jang Man-wol, stuck in the hotel for the past millennium, meets Goo Chan-sung, the new manager.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genremelodrama, drama, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
Duration03:43

Elizabeth I is a two-part 2005 British historical drama television miniseries directed by Tom Hooper, written by Nigel Williams, and starring Helen Mirren as Elizabeth I of England. The miniseries covers approximately the last 24 years of her nearly 45-year reign. Part 1 focuses on the final years of her relationship with the Earl of Leicester, played by Jeremy Irons. Part 2 focuses on her subsequent relationship with the Earl of Essex, played by Hugh Dancy. The series originally was broadcast in the United Kingdom in two two-hour segments on Channel 4. It later aired on HBO in the United States, CBC and TMN in Canada, ATV in Hong Kong, ABC in Australia, and TVNZ Television One in New Zealand. The series went on to win Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe Awards. The same year, Helen Mirren starred as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, with which she dominated the award season.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genremelodrama, drama, family, military, music, history
CountryUSA

American Dreams is an American television drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios. The series was created by Jonathan Prince and developed by Josh Goldstein and Prince; the latter was also one of the executive producers with Dick Clark. It debuted on September 29, 2002. The show is set mostly in Philadelphia. It initially aired on Sundays at 8:00 pm Eastern time, but moved to the same time on Wednesdays from March 9, 2005, to the third season finale. The show tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia during the mid-1960s. Season one takes place in 1963–64, season two in 1964–65, and season three in 1965–66. The show was known as Our Generation when it debuted in Australia, however it was changed back to American Dreams when it returned for the second season.The theme song "Generation" was written and performed by Emerson Hart, lead singer of the band Tonic. The song earned Hart an ASCAP award for Best Theme Song of Television in 2003. The show was the 2003 TV Land Awards "Future Classic" winner.

Markimdb: 8.7
Genredrama, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom
Duration02:35

The gripping, decades-spanning inside story of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Ministers who shaped Britain's post-war destiny. The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world – Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street – and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Two houses, two courts, one Crown.

Markimdb: 7
Genrecomedy, melodrama, detective
CountrySouth Korea
Duration01:03

As the heir to a large company, Han Tae Hee has everything he could possibly want - except for his long lost love. But instead of nursing his heartache like a sensible person, Tae Hee enlists Sa Geum Ran, whom he transforms from an overweight ugly duckling to a gorgeous bombshell named Sara. In the process of falling in love with his "creation" he discovers that even though it appears that money can buy just about everything, it can't buy love or heal emotional scars.

Markimdb: 8.2
Genrecomedy, melodrama, biography, history
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
Duration00:56

Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, 1832. Anne Lister attempts to revitalize her inherited home, Shibden Hall. Most notably for the time period, a part of her plan is to help the fate of her own family - by taking a wife.

Markimdb: 6.9
Genremelodrama, music
CountrySouth Korea
Duration00:15

Kang Han-Kyeol is a great yet sullen composer who becomes inspired by the voices of others and keeps his identity secret from people. He meets Yoon So-Rim, a high school student who possesses beautiful singing, whilst under his secret identity, and she falls in love with him. Adaptation of the manga by Kotomi Aoki under the same name, which has been running since 2009.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryNetherlands

Follow the Dutch royal family in the 19th century.

Markimdb: 8.7
Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama, detective
CountrySouth Korea
Duration01:15

The satirical comedy takes place in a four-story apartment building in the suburbs of Seoul inhabited by a number of professionals: doctors, judges, prosecutors, professors, and their wives. The wives are from prestigious and highly educated backgrounds, and part of the plot will feature their efforts to get their children admitted into universities. Some grew up in families with multiple generations of doctors or lawyers, and their ambitions will be depicted with realism and comedy.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genremelodrama
CountrySouth Korea
Duration00:59

What happens when an encounter between a man and woman who seem to have nothing in common develops into a complicated love story?Cha Soo Hyun is a woman and daughter of a politician who lives a life where she is unable to choose her own path. After graduating from college, she entered into a loveless marriage with the son to a wealthy conglomerate, a marriage only beneficial to her politican father. After having a child, she was obliged to divorce. Her life is changed when she meets simple and kind Kim Jin Hyuk.Kim Jin Hyuk is ordinary and innocent, a young man who enjoys life and finds happiness in the smaller things. He works various part-time jobs to earn a living, but is looking for a regular job. One day, he decides to take a trip abroad, where he meets Cha Soo Hyun.

Markimdb: 8.3
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryUnited Kingdom
Duration01:44

Britain is in the grip of a chilling recession... falling wages, rising prices, civil unrest - only the bankers are smiling. It's 1783 and Ross Poldark returns from the American War of Independence to his beloved Cornwall to find his world in ruins: his father dead, the family mine long since closed, his house wrecked and his sweetheart pledged to marry his cousin. But Ross finds that hope and love can be found when you are least expecting it in the wild but beautiful Cornish landscape.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryChina
Duration30:40

A prophecy foretold that victory goes to the one who has the priestess' blessing. Yang Xue Wu, the last priestess of her clan, unwittingly embroiled in a war between Northern Qi and Northern Zhou. Although she foresees the tragic fate of Lan Ling Wang, the general of Northern Qi, she nonetheless falls in love with him and helps him win the war against Yuwen Yong, the king of Northern Zhou. But destiny can not be altered.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryIndia
Duration00:21

Jodha Akbar is an epic drama about a sixteenth century story of the political marriage of convenience between a Mughal emperor Abu'l-Fath Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar and a Rajput princess Jodha Bai. The show focuses on how their political marriage brings love between them to an extent that it changed the fate of India. This period drama also portrays the wars of that time along with the relations between the Mughals and the Rajputs. The drama also focuses on the functioning of the queens, the courts, courtesans, the ministers and their influence on the love story of Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar and Jodha Bai. The show also highlights on how Mughal emperor Jalal ud-din Muhammad acquires the title of Akbar from the people.




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