Historical series - Ranked
Series are not simply ranked after how good they are, but also after how historical correct and enlightening they are.
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- StarsJørgen BuckhøjBuster LarsenGhita NørbyA man comes to Korsbæk, Denmark, in 1929, opens a women's clothing store in competition with an established one - bringing him up against the conservative establishment including the bank manager. We follow the families until after WWII.Recognised as the best Danish TV-series ever, a perfect masterpiece giving an captivating and in-depth look into all social classes of a Danish provincial town from the 1930s to 1940s.
- CreatorMichael HirstStarsJonathan Rhys MeyersHenry CavillAnthony BrophyEpic series reveals the scandalous life of a young king whose affairs and obsession with producing a male heir changed marriage, the church, and the world.Properly the best English language historical TV-series. It combines an exciting drama with a masterly description of the period. It isn't a 100% accurate, changing when things happens a few times, but this is acceptable as it is in order to make it work as a TV-series.
- CreatorAnthony HorowitzStarsMichael KitchenHoneysuckle WeeksAnthony HowellAs WWII rages, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front; investigating crime on the south coast of England. Later series, see the retired detective working as an MI5 agent in the aftermath of the war.One of the best TV-series ever, as a drama it is even better than The Tudors, but as it is fictive stories, based upon reality, it is ranked beneath. Gives a very original and critical look at Britain during the 2. World War.
- StarsJames Badge DaleJoseph MazzelloJon SedaThe Pacific Theatre of World War II, as seen through the eyes of several young Marines.
- CreatorJulian FellowesStarsHugh BonnevillePhyllis LoganElizabeth McGovernA chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.
- StarsIan McShaneMatthew MacfadyenEddie RedmayneSet against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart.
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayDorian HealyHoratio Hornblower begins his naval career, but a deadly feud with a despicable mate is causing complications.The whole series, not just this single movie.
- CreatorMichael HirstStarsKatheryn WinnickGustaf SkarsgårdAlexander LudwigVikings transports us to the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore--and raid--the distant shores across the ocean.
- StarsPaul GiamattiLaura LinneyJohn DossettThe life of one of the USA's Founding Fathers, its second President, and his role in the nation's first 50 years.
- StarsDavid TennantRose ByrnePeter O'TooleAfter a life spent seeking pleasure and decadence, Casanova seeks his one true love, Henriette.I love this TV-series, but it is undoubtedly a "bit" historical incorrect, especially as it gives a very original look upon the story, combining it with more modern sceneography and costumes. Yet, it gives a very good and convincing look into both the period and Casanova, looking beneath the normal superficial story about a "ladies man".
- CreatorJohn FuscoStarsLorenzo RichelmyBenedict WongJoan ChenIn a world replete with greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry, "Marco Polo" is based on the famed explorer's adventures in Kublai Khan's court in 13th century Mongolia.
- StarsYûki KajiHiroshi KamiyaMiyuki SawashiroAfter a long and treacherous journey, our Hero finally arrives at the Dark Lady's castle only to find himself being asked for help. The Hero explains how the war that the demons have brought upon the humans have killed thousands and put more in misery. The queen of demons however argues that this war has made the human society band together as one and showed empirical evidence how it has increased population, increased production, boosted economy and improved society overall. Furthermore, she explains to the Hero that ending this war will result in a civil war that will produce more bloodshed than there ever was. The Hero, convinced that the only way to bring peace, relatively speaking, is to join forces with the Dark Lady, agrees to help with her plans! (Source: MU)Japanese cartoon/anime that gives an excellent understanding of defining traits of the middle age in Europa and the material changes that brought about social, religious and political change at the epoch of the renaissance. Told through a fantasy realm with demons...
- StarsMark RylanceDamian LewisClaire FoyAfter the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey, his secretary, Thomas Cromwell, finds himself amongst the treachery and intrigue of King Henry VIII's court and soon becomes a close advisor to the King, a role fraught with danger.
- CreatorTom FontanaStarsMark RyderIsolda DychaukDiarmuid NoyesStory of the rise and the fall of the Renaissance dynasty.
- StarsKevin ZegersAlessandra MastronardiDerek JacobiThe construction of the R.M.S. Titanic at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast against the background of union riots, political and religious conflicts, and a romance between a young ambitious engineer and an Italian immigrant.
- StarsBen ChaplinCharlotte RileyNora WaldstättenThe English town of Kingsbridge works to survive as the King leads the nation into the Hundred Years' War with France while Europe deals with the outbreak of the Black Death.
- CreatorNicholas MeyerFrank SpotnitzStarsDaniel SharmanAlessandra MastronardiSynnove KarlsenA political family drama set in Florence in the early fifteenth century. Cosimo de Medici finds himself at the helm of his banking dynasty when his father, Giovanni, dies suddenly.
- StarsChristian ClavierIsabella RosselliniGérard DepardieuA masterful soldier, tactician, and statesmen, Napoleon Bonaparte, with courage and love for his country, rises from an unpaid general consumed with ambition to the most powerful man in Europe. But his life ends with a fall and exile.
- StarsAnne Louise HassingAnders W. BerthelsenMaibritt SaerensStarting in 1949, the series follows four young Danes through 25 years of history and personal developments in a story about finding yourself in a world of changes.
- CreatorAndrew DaviesKate BrookeStarsRon CookJeremy PivenTom Goodman-HillCenters on the real-life story of the flamboyant and visionary American founder of Selfridge's, London's department store.
- StarsMarlies EngelRolf BeckerLeslie MaltonFollows a German boys involvement in the Hitler Youth during the pre WWII years.
- CreatorMartine BrantPeter FlanneryStarsAndrea RiseboroughDominic WestTom Goodman-HillDrama charts the progress of the English Civil War through the story of a young woman, the fictional Angelica Fanshawe, and her three husbands.
- StarsSøren PilmarkPer PallesenKirsten LehfeldtA small Danish resistance group, fights the Swedish occupation of Denmark in 1658. The main plot is about bringing a large sum of money from the southern part of Sealand to the king in Copenhagen. Based on the popular novel by Danish author Carit Etlar.
- StarsNis Bank-MikkelsenFrits HelmuthJens Jørn SpottagStory of the development of the Carlsberg brewery.
- StarsJoakim NätterqvistSofia HelinStellan SkarsgårdArn must endure a great ordeal before he can get the love of his life Cecile, who has been confined to a monastery.
- CreatorMichael MacLennanAdrienne MitchellStarsMeg TillyJodi BalfourCharlotte HegeleA drama about World War II women at work in a munitions factory.
- CreatorOle BornedalStarsPilou AsbækSarah-Sofie BoussninaBent MejdingWhen Prussia and Austria declare war on Denmark, two brothers are called to serve in the bloodiest battle in Denmark's history.
- StarsPeter StormareFriedrich von ThunPeter O'TooleA profile of the life of Adolf Hitler with a unique slant, as a child and his rise through the ranks of the National Socialist German Workers Party prior to World War II.Very superficial historical understanding, but a decent series.
- StarsRichard E. GrantRonan VibertGerard MurphyDuring the turmoil of the French Revolution, English aristocrat Percy Blakeney, often aided by his League of friends, secretly undertakes various daring missions as the Scarlet Pimpernel.
- StarsScott GrimesDamian LewisRon LivingstonThe story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.Unlike "Pacific", Band of Brothers is an uncritical propaganda piece typical for the USA. It's better at giving an understanding of USA self-portrayal/self-understanding, than of the actual history of the 2. World War.
- CreatorDavid MilchStarsTimothy OlyphantIan McShaneMolly ParkerA show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.Boring.
- StarsAneurin BarnardRebecca FergusonAmanda HaleThree different, yet equally relentless women vie for the throne in 15th-century England.Very bad, very uninteresting.
- StarsAlexander DreymonEliza ButterworthArnas FedaraviciusAs Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred--born a Saxon but raised by Vikings--seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.