You're scrolling. We've all been there. You want something that feels "important" but also lets you turn your brain off after a ten-hour shift. That is exactly why historical shows on netflix have basically taken over the cultural conversation. It isn't just about the fancy dresses or the way people used to talk. Honestly, it’s about seeing our own mess reflected in people who lived hundreds of years ago. We like to think we're special, but the Tudors were just as chaotic as any modern influencer. Maybe more so.
History is messy. Netflix knows this. They’ve poured billions into shows that range from "this definitely happened" to "we just liked the aesthetic." Whether you're watching a documentary-drama hybrid or a stylized romance, you're participating in a weird kind of time travel. It's addictive.
The obsession with royal drama
Let's talk about The Crown. It is the heavy hitter. People get genuinely heated about how much of it is true. Peter Morgan, the creator, has always been pretty open about the fact that he's writing a drama, not a textbook. But for a lot of people, Claire Foy or Olivia Colman became the Queen.
That's the power of these shows. They take these remote, cold figures from stamps and currency and make them cry in bathrooms. It humanizes the untouchable. But there is a downside. Historians like Hugo Vickers have spent years pointing out the creative liberties the show takes, especially regarding the portrayal of Prince Philip or the timeline of the Diana years. It’s a tightrope. You want the "vibes" of history, but you also want a good story. Usually, the story wins.
Then you have Bridgerton. Now, if you go into Bridgerton looking for a documentary on Regency England, you're going to have a bad time. It’s "historical" in the same way a theme park is historical. It uses the setting as a playground. The bright colors, the orchestral covers of Taylor Swift songs—it’s intentional. It’s historical fantasy. And that’s okay! It’s actually great. It opened up the genre to a much wider audience by ignoring the "rules" of period dramas that used to be very stuffy and, frankly, very white.
When the subtitles are worth it
Some of the best historical shows on netflix aren't even in English. If you haven't seen Barbarians (the German series Barbaren), you are missing out. It covers the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. It’s gritty. It’s dirty. Most importantly, the Romans actually speak Latin.
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Hearing Latin spoken as a living language—not just something on a tombstone—changes the whole energy. It makes the Roman Empire feel like a terrifying, bureaucratic machine instead of a bunch of guys in bedsheets. It’s one of the few shows that manages to feel ancient and modern at the same time.
Then there’s The Empress (Die Kaiserin). It focuses on Elisabeth of Austria, basically the Princess Diana of the 19th century. It’s lush and suffocating. You really feel the weight of those corsets. It captures the sheer boredom and anxiety of court life in a way that feels very claustrophobic.
The "Dirty" History vs. The "Pretty" History
There’s a divide in how we consume the past.
On one side, you have the "Pretty" history. Downton Abbey (which drifts in and out of licensing) or The Law According to Lidia Poët. These are aspirational. You want the house. You want the tea sets. You want the witty repartee while walking through a manicured garden.
On the other side, you have the "Dirty" history. The Last Kingdom.
The Last Kingdom is basically just people covered in mud screaming "Destiny is all!" for five seasons. It’s fantastic. It covers the formation of England under Alfred the Great, but it does it through the eyes of Uhtred of Bebbanburg. What makes this show work is that it doesn't try to make the 9th century look like a museum. It looks like a place where you would probably die of a cold at age twenty-four. It’s visceral.
Historical accuracy in these shows is always a sliding scale. The Last Kingdom is based on Bernard Cornwell’s books, which are meticulously researched, but Uhtred himself is a fictional insertion into real events. He's the lens through which we see the Treaty of Wedmore or the Battle of Edington. It works because it gives us an emotional anchor in a world that feels completely alien.
Why we can't stop watching
- Escapism with a side of learning. You feel smarter watching The King even if you're just there to see Timothée Chalamet’s haircut.
- The stakes were higher. If you messed up a social interaction in 1750, you didn't just get ghosted. You got exiled or executed. That makes for great TV.
- The costumes. Let’s be real. Sometimes we just want to see $20,000 worth of silk.
The weird world of "Docudramas"
Netflix loves this hybrid format where they mix talking-head experts with scripted scenes. African Queens: Njinga or Rise of Empires: Ottoman are the big ones here.
This format is polarizing. Some people find the constant interruptions from professors annoying. They want to stay in the story. Others find it helpful because it clarifies what we actually know versus what the writers are guessing. Rise of Empires: Ottoman is actually pretty solid at this. It covers the fall of Constantinople with a lot of tactical detail. You actually understand why the walls fell, not just that they did.
But you have to be careful. These shows often have a specific perspective. History isn't just a list of dates; it's an interpretation. Depending on who is producing the show, the "hero" of the story might change. This is especially true in shows covering colonial history or ancient empires. Always check who the "experts" are.
Navigating the inaccuracies
Does it matter if the buttons on a coat are from 1820 but the show is set in 1810?
For most people, no. For the "Stitch Nerds" on YouTube, it’s a crime against humanity. But bigger inaccuracies can be trickier. When The Crown suggested a certain member of the royal family was complicit in something they weren't, it caused a massive PR headache for Netflix.
The trick is to treat historical shows on netflix as a starting point. They are "history-adjacent." They get you interested in a period so you go out and buy a biography or listen to a podcast like The Rest is History. They provide the spark.
If you're watching Peaky Blinders, you’re seeing a highly stylized version of the post-WWI Birmingham underworld. The real Peaky Blinders were mostly small-time thugs who were long gone by the 1920s. But Cillian Murphy walking in slow motion to Nick Cave music is way cooler than the reality of 19th-century street gangs. We trade accuracy for "cool" all the time.
What to watch next: A roadmap
If you're overwhelmed by the library, stop scrolling and try one of these based on your mood.
If you want something intellectual and tense, go for The Crown. It’s a masterclass in acting, even if you don't care about the monarchy. The episode "Aberfan" in Season 3 is probably some of the best television ever made, regardless of the historical context.
If you want action and grit, The Last Kingdom is the winner. It has a satisfying ending (and a follow-up movie, Seven Kings Must Die), which is rare for Netflix shows. You won't be left on a cliffhanger.
If you want pure aesthetic and romance, Bridgerton or its spin-off Queen Charlotte is the move. Queen Charlotte is actually surprisingly heavy and deals with mental health in a way that feels very modern and touching.
If you want real history with a bit of help, watch High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. It’s a docuseries, but it’s historical storytelling at its finest. It tracks the migration of ingredients and techniques from Africa to the US. It’s beautiful and essential.
Actionable steps for the history fan
Don't just binge and forget. If a show grabs you, use these tricks to dive deeper without it feeling like homework.
- Check the "Based on" source. If it's a book, the book almost always has more nuance. Alias Grace is a perfect example—the Netflix limited series is great, but Margaret Atwood's book is a psychological maze.
- Search for the "Historical vs. Hollywood" breakdown. Sites like History vs. Hollywood or various history subreddits do a great job of pointing out exactly where the writers went off the rails.
- Look at the maps. Especially for shows like Vikings: Valhalla or The Last Kingdom. Seeing the actual geography of where these battles happened makes the stakes feel much more real.
- Verify the costumes. If you're into the fashion, follow creators like Bernadette Banner on YouTube. They break down why certain "historical" outfits are actually impossible or just plain weird.
Historical shows on netflix aren't going anywhere. They are the new period dramas—faster, bloodier, and more expensive than the stuff our parents watched on PBS. Enjoy the spectacle, but keep a Wikipedia tab open. It's more fun that way.