The 50 Best Historical Dramas: ‘American Crime Story,’ ‘Chernobyl’ & More Event-Inspired Titles
TV Insider is counting down the 50 best historical dramas on TV, both past and present. In the latest roundup, we’re looking at event-inspired titles ranging from Chernobyl to American Crime Story‘s first season, The People v. O.J. Simpson among other must-see shows.
Scroll down for a more in-depth peek into TV’s must-see historical dramas, and stay tuned for more.
Hey there, historians! Join us in our countdown of the 50 Best Historical Dramas, from both television and film. Be sure to check out TV Insider’s April 2024 issue, currently on newsstands.
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Hulu)
In the gripping 2016 series, viewers are taken behind court cameras to revisit the chaotic infamy of the 1994–95 murder trial — one of the most controversial cases in American history. The 10 episodes closely chronicle the battle between Simpson’s “Dream Team” defense (including attorney Johnnie Cochran, portrayed by Courtney B. Vance, above), prosecutor Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson), and the problematic history of the LAPD. — TV Insider Staff
A Very English Scandal (Prime Video)
Murder. Sex. Humiliation. These are the main ingredients in the secret affair between Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe and his lover Norman Scott. This striking 2018 limited series gives audiences a dramatized look at what happens after Thorpe is accused of attempted murder, with Ben Whishaw and Hugh Grant bringing gravitas and intensity to a relationship marred by social and political beliefs of the 1960s and ’70s. — TV Insider Staff
Chernobyl (Max)
Liam Daniel / ©HBO / Everett Collection
Long regarded as the worst nuclear power disaster in human history, the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion irrevocably changed the lives of those across the then–Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. This five-part 2019 limited series starring Ralph Ineson, Mark Bagnall, Stellan Skarsgård, and Jared Harris details the accident’s inception, from the harrowing physical effects to how the government handled the impact on communities—and, at large, the planet.
Devastating, emotional, and compelling, Chernobyl is drama at its best: a riveting dissection of an astounding tragedy. With delicate ease, it portrays the often untold stories of sacrifices made by innocent lives to save the world from further ruin. — Caroline Serpico
Rebellion (Netflix)
Even more than a century out, the 1916 Easter Rising (an armed insurrection against the British government in Ireland) remains a pillar in world history. The commemorative five-part series debuted on the 100th anniversary of the uprising in 2016. A sequel, Resistance, came out in 2019. The drama follows characters such as British Army lieutenant Stephen Duffy Lyons (Paul Reid) while the political turbulence of World War I billows throughout the country. Even when opposition grows ugly, fighters are buoyed by the thought of freedom. — TV Insider Staff
