Entertainment - Historical TV Dramas - Strip.jpg

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Historical TV Dramas

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This page is under initial construction, and will grow into an extensive list of historical television series and movies.  Repeat visitors can visit the Update History on the About page to see what was added by date.  The summaries and my comments about each series are dynamic, and might be updated over time, so a date is listed when each was updated. 

   

Ancient Period

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The general theme of this category is the ancient history time period.  Click on each toggle to expand it and show further details.

The Last Kingdom (TV Series 2015-2020+)

The Last Kingdom is at television series which originally began on British television network BBC, and shifted to being produced by Netflix after the first season. The series is historical fiction based on novels from Bernard Cromwell. The setting is England during the late 800s and early 900s, and the primary character is Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Uhtred was born a Saxon, and was the son of an earl. He was taken as a slave by the Danes (Vikings) when he was a boy. He later returns to the Saxons, and repeatedly attempts to claim his family's land, and drawn into battles between the Danes and Saxons. The series has aired since 2015, and so far there have been four seasons. The fifth and last season has finished filming. This is an outstanding series, and extremely well produced. It is probably one of my favorite series of all time, and one that I've watched repeatedly. Summary updated August 14, 2021



Maximilian (TV Mini-Series 2017)

Maximilian is a foreign language historical television drama that was produced by Austrian network ORF and German network ZDF, and aired in the USA on Starz. The series is a loosely based account of Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy who married in 1477. The mini-series aired in 2017, and consist of six episodes that run about an hour each.

This was a solidly entertaining and well produced series that contains dialgoue in both German and French. There is a pleasing balance of drama, political intrigue, and action. Summary updated August 14, 2021



The Eagle (Theatrical Movie 2011)

The Eagle is a historical action drama movie that was released theatrically. The movie is set in year 140 when the Roman Empire was occupying Britannia, or what would be present day Great Britain. The movie is set twenty years after the disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion, including their golden eagle standard, in the northern lands of the Picts, a Celtic tribe, in what would be present day Scotland. The son of the legion's commander, who is portrayed by American actor Channing Tatum, goes on a mission to find it and takes a loyal slave with him. The movie was released in 2011, and runs about 2 hours. This is an entertaining film, with engaging story and good cinematography throughout. The only oddity is that the filmmakers decided to have all dialogue from the Romans with an American accent, obviously to attract an theater audience. As I recognized some of the British actors, it was odd hearing them speak with a faux accent. Summary updated August 14, 2021



   

Middle Ages & Medieval Period

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The general theme of this category is the middle ages and medieval time period.  Click on each toggle to expand it and show further details.

The Last Kingdom (TV Series 2015-2020+)

The Last Kingdom is at television series which originally began on British television network BBC, and shifted to being produced by Netflix after the first season. The series is historical fiction based on novels from Bernard Cromwell. The setting is England during the late 800s and early 900s, and the primary character is Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Uhtred was born a Saxon, and was the son of an earl. He was taken as a slave by the Danes (Vikings) when he was a boy. He later returns to the Saxons, and repeatedly attempts to claim his family's land, and drawn into battles between the Danes and Saxons. The series has aired since 2015, and so far there have been four seasons. The fifth and last season has finished filming. This is an outstanding series, and extremely well produced. It is probably one of my favorite series of all time, and one that I've watched repeatedly. Summary updated August 14, 2021



Maximilian (TV Mini-Series 2017)

Maximilian is a foreign language historical television drama that was produced by Austrian network ORF and German network ZDF, and aired in the USA on Starz. The series is a loosely based account of Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy who married in 1477. The mini-series aired in 2017, and consist of six episodes that run about an hour each.

This was a solidly entertaining and well produced series that contains dialgoue in both German and French. There is a pleasing balance of drama, political intrigue, and action. Summary updated August 14, 2021



Outlaw King (TV Movie 2013-2020)

is a historical action and drama television movie produced by Netflix. The movie is a loosely based account of Scottish king Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), who led a rebellion against the king of England. American actor Chris Pine portrays Robert the Bruce. The movie was released in 2018, and runs about two hours. This is a very well producted movie, and though more weighted toward action than drama, it still contains an engaging script. Summary updated August 14, 2021



Vikings (TV Series 2013-2020)

Vikings is a fictional historical television drama produced by the History channel. The primary character is Ragnar Lothbrok, who becomes a Viking king. The series evolves surrounding the family that he raised, and Viking raids in England, Francia, and the Mediterranean. The series aired from 2013 to 2020, and there are a total of 89 episodes that run about an hour each. This was a solid entertaining drama about the Vikings. The series does include a minor amount of fantasy element pertaining to some of the Viking gods and beliefs. My biggest criticism and dislike of the series is when the story began to shift to Ragnar's son, Ivar the Boneless. The attributes of the character were simply not believable, and there is no evidence or agreement from historians about his condition. My other criticism is that they could have evolved and developed a deeper sub-plot about Rollo in Francia. Summary updated August 14, 2021



    

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© Copyright  -  Timothy J. Barron  -  This page was updated August 14, 2021