10 Excellent Historically-Accurate TV Shows

History-based TV shows are often judged based on their accuracy, and the best shows can stay faithful to the truth without dipping in quality. Making a TV show about real history requires a trade-off, because writers are forced to fill in certain gaps. Also, it’s often better to cut certain events or subtly change characters to enhance the drama for the format of TV. However, some exceptional shows highlight the fact that historical accuracy doesn’t have to come at the cost of quality.

There has been a recent trend of historical TV shows which don’t claim to be accurate, like Bridgerton and The Great. These shows claim that all scripted TV is a fantasy, and that any attempt to represent eras from centuries ago must resort to guess work. While this is true, there’s still a big audience for shows which can portray history as accurately as possible, according to what historians and experts can be certain of.

10 The Crown

From The Costumes To The Content, The Crown Remains True To History

Netflix’s most expensive show of all time focuses on the reign of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, and the scandals and surprises that have swirled around the royal family over the last several decades. There have been three different actors who have portrayed Elizabeth across the six seasons of The Crown, and they have been supported by an ensemble cast which includes many of the finest British actors around.

The Crown
imagines some conversations which may have taken place behind closed doors, but it mostly tries to stick to the facts.

The Crown imagines some conversations which may have taken place behind closed doors, as any historical drama must, but it mostly tries to stick to the facts. This means that audiences can compare The Crown‘s representation of history with what we know about some major historical events in Britain during Elizabeth II’s reign. The results are often surprising, and the show shines a light on some aspects of the royals which they prefer to keep in the dark. There have been some reports that Netflix is developing a show about JFK to replace The Crown.

9 Band Of Brothers

Steven Spielberg And Tom Hanks Have Made More Than One Remarkable War Drama

Three years after the groundbreaking success of Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reunited to create Band of Brothers, an HBO miniseries that follows a real military unit throughout World War II. Band of Brothers was a landmark moment for HBO, and for the concept of prestige television as a whole. Over two decades later, it still stands out as one of the greatest miniseries ever made.

Band of Brothers
has been praised by historians, military experts and World War II veterans.

Band of Brothers has been praised by historians, military experts and World War II veterans. In particular, its shocking battle scenes have often been singled out for praise, with experts claiming they faithfully recreate the realities of war in Europe. After Band of Brothers, the same creative team worked on The Pacific and Masters of the Air many years later. All three shows provide some fascinating insight into the war, using stories from real-life soldiers.

8 John Adams

HBO’s Biopic Looks At The Founding Of The United States

John Adams is based on David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of the American founding father. The show tracks Adams’ life from his early days as a lawyer to his tenure as president. There was just one season produced back in 2008, but John Adams is still regarded as one of the most historically accurate TV shows ever. Paul Giamatti and Laura Dern both earned Emmy nominations for their performances.

John Adams
uses real quotes from Adams’ speeches, and other lines recorded in primary historical sources such as journals and letters.

Each episode of John Adams focuses on a different chapter in the life of the second president of the United States. This scope allows the show to portray many different key figures in early American history, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and many more. John Adams uses real quotes from Adams’ speeches, and other lines recorded in primary historical sources such as journals and letters.

7 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Captures The Atmosphere Of New York City In The 1950s and 1960s

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has an interesting relationship with history. It certainly isn’t as historically accurate as some other shows, because it seeks to present a stylized, idealistic vision of mid-century New York City. However, the comedy-drama also touches on some real historical events and some of the difficult realities of 20th century America. Characters are often held back by society’s opinions on gender, race and religion.

Some of
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
‘s characters are based on real people. Luke Kirby is particularly captivating as the countercultural icon Lenny Bruce.

Some of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s characters are based on real people. Luke Kirby is particularly captivating as the countercultural icon Lenny Bruce. Other characters are merely inspired by real-life figures, like Shy Baldwin, who is a fictionalized version of Harry Belafonte. Midge is based on Joan Rivers and other trailblazing female comedians. While the characters and the stories are mostly fictional, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has often been praised for the accuracy of its costumes and its visual design.

6 Deadwood

A lot of westerns can romanticize life in the Old West, but Deadwood presents a grittier reality. The show follows the development of Deadwood, South Dakota from a gold-mining camp into a fully-fledged town. There are some appearances from legends of the Wild West, such as Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane, but Deadwood is far from the usual gunslinging fantasy. The show doesn’t shy away from darker themes like racism and violence.

Deadwood
uses extensive research from diaries and newspapers of the 1870s.

Aside from the famous historical figures, Deadwood features some lesser-known people who lived in the Old West. The two main characters, played by Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane, are both based on real people.Deadwood uses extensive research from diaries and newspapers of the 1870s as inspiration for many of the show’s biggest plot points, as well as the general look and feel of the drama. Deadwood explores how human societies are built, and it chooses the ideal setting.

5 A Young Doctor’s Notebook

Daniel Radcliffe And Jon Hamm Adapt Mikhail Bulgakov’s Semi-Autobiographical Work

A Young Doctor’s Notebook is a hidden gem for fans of history-based TV. Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm play the same doctor at two different points in his life, with Hamm as the more experienced physician looking back at his long list of rookie mistakes. The BBC series is based on the collection of short stories of the same name by Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, which were inspired by his own experiences as a doctor in a remote Russian town.

A Young Doctor’s Notebook
also focuses on the shocking condition of medical practice in the early 20th century.

A Young Doctor’s Notebook takes place from 1916 to 1918, so it captures a tumultuous period in Russian history. Although the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War rage on in the background, the remoteness of the hospital means that these seismic historical events don’t always have a huge bearing on proceedings. A Young Doctor’s Notebook also focuses on the shocking condition of medical practice in the early 20th century, and there are some horrific scenes of amputations and other surgeries, all delivered with pitch-black humor.

4 Chernobyl

Chernobyl tells the story of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in incredible, often harrowing detail. The HBO miniseries manages to balance a few different stories in just five episodes, so Chernobyl has the scope to look at the disaster itself, the political reaction, and the troubled efforts to restore the area and care for those affected. In doing so, Chernobyl paints a portrait of corruption and neglect that highlights the disaster as a failure of government rather than merely a freak accident.

Chernobyl
has been hailed as a stunningly accurate recreation of the Soviet Union, and the show’s attention to detail is admirable.

Chernobyl has been hailed as a stunningly accurate recreation of the Soviet Union, and the show’s attention to detail is admirable. Chernobyl even ensures that the license plates on the cars have Kyiv-region numbers. The technology, architectural design and fashion have also been praised. As well as being historically accurate, Chernobyl achieves a high degree of scientific accuracy. There are fews which are so accurate and so compelling at the same time, and Chernobyl can be binged in a single weekend.

3 Mad Men

A Stylish Show With A Dark Side

Mad Men often presents an aspirational vision of advertising agencies in New York City during the 1960s, with long business lunches, luxurious business trips and plenty of fun and games around the office. The gorgeously stylish costumes and set design have been praised by many experts, especially for the subtle ways that they change throughout the show. As the 1970s approach, the fashion trends on Mad Men gradually start to shift.

For all its retro-chic charms,
Mad Men
isn’t afraid to look at the darker side of history.

For all its retro-chic charms, Mad Men isn’t afraid to look at the darker side of history. There are frequent allusions to real-world events, like the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, and the characters often discuss politics. Not many of the characters in Mad Men are based on real people, but they are all designed to represent a real cross-section of affluent Manhattanite life during the era.

2 Mindhunter

David Fincher’s Netflix Show Dives Into Criminal Psychology

Any fan of Mindhunter will echo the sentiment that the show was canceled too soon. Mindhunter‘s budget eventually caused Netflix to pull the plug on David Fincher’s historical crime drama after just two seasons. In this short time, Mindhunter developed a large following, many of whom have commented on the show’s accurate recreation of the 1970s and 1980s. Experts have also praised the show’s exploration of the development of criminal psychology.

Mindhunter
‘s casting is outstanding, as each killer is brought to life in chilling fashion.

Mindhunter portrays some infamous serial killers, such as Charles Manson, David Berkowitz and Dennis Rader, which helps ground the show in reality even though the FBI agents are fictional. Mindhunter‘s casting is outstanding, as each killer is brought to life in chilling fashion. Fincher’s work has even mined the dark depths of criminal pathology, and Mindhunter‘s period setting allows the audience to go on the same journey of discovery as the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit agents.

1 Shōgun

The Smash Hit Is 2024’s Best Historical Drama

Shōgun‘s first season won a staggering 18 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, which underlines the impact that the historical drama has had. Shōgun is based on the novel of the same name by James Clavell, and it looks at a period of change during the 16th century in Japan. Ever since its release, Shōgun has been praised by historians for its attention to detail and its representation of the time period, even though the political saga is largely fictional.

Shōgun
has been praised by historians for its attention to detail, even though the political saga is largely fictional.

Some of Shōgun‘s characters are based on real historical figures, although they have their names changed to illustrate that they aren’t direct copies. The bulk of the drama is generated by the friction between Lord Taranaga and the shipwrecked sailor John Blackthorne. These two characters are inspired by Tokugawa Ieyasu and William Adams. Although it was initially envisioned as a miniseries, the immense success of Shōgun has sparked plans for two more seasons.