favorite historical tv shows

[sea_changed]

There was discussion about making a post where people could share their favorite historical TV shows, so I thought I would go ahead and do that: I'd love to hear people's favorites, and I'm always looking for recs.

A few of my own favorites, to start us off--I'm undoubtedly forgetting many, but here are a few off the top of my head that I love:

Black Sails - Early 18th century pirates. The first season starts out somewhat trashy, but the show quickly matures into a fascinating and beautifully-done meditation on the stories we tell--about history, about others, about ourselves--and what stories get preserved and remembered and what stories are forgotten or destroyed. Excellent LGBT rep. Four seasons.

The Hour - 1950s BBC news reporters. The cast here is stellar--Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, Dominic West--and the production and writing utterly stunning. This isn't an era or a subject I would be naturally drawn to, but everything about this show is just so extraordinarily well done. Two very short (six-episode) seasons.

Deadwood - 1870s gold-mining town in South Dakota. The one, the only. A cult show for a reason--you either love it or you, well, don't--this show is incredibly well-acted and written like nothing you're likely to hear on television before or since. Three seasons.

North and South - Victorian England. The most goddamn romantic thing you'll ever see in your life. Based on the Elizabeth Gaskell novel, this follows a woman from the south of England and a man from the north, and deals with social and class issues in the mid-Victorian era while telling a nuanced and compelling love story. Also contains the best refusal of a marriage proposal scene ever. Miniseries.

ETA: I knew I was forgetting something important--the HBO John Adams miniseries. It's absolutely wonderful--the acting is incredible (almost everyone's perfect, but their Jefferson is especially perfect), the production is stellar, and it's for the most part quite remarkably historically accurate. A definite recommendation.

Comments

[silailo]

I was eyeing North and South on Netflix a while back. I should give it a try!

Despite being a huge fan of westerns, I've never even seen Deadwood but I probably should. You've convinced me. ;)

[sea_changed]

I highly encourage watching of North and South. And same with Deadwood—it’s definitely a Western, but it also takes a lot of twists and turns around and through the genre. It can also be a hard show to rec, though you’ll likely know pretty early on whether it’s for you.

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, thanks for doing a post! I've been busy Yuletiding the last few days...

And I'll have to think about mine as the list will be long, but North & South is one of my favourites, too, & I really enjoyed The Hour!

[rydra_wong]

Here for the Black Sails love!

[isis]

Some historical TV I've enjoyed recently (for some value of recently):

TURN - based on the true story of the Culper Ring, the rebel spies in the American Revolutionary War. (4 seasons, complete)

Marco Polo - really more about Kublai Khan, strays from the historical a few times, a lot of gratuitous sex and nudity but also stunning scenery. (2 seasons, then canceled)

The Last Kingdom - based on Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories, around a (fictional) character, a Saxon raised by Danes, who ends up fighting for Alfred the Great. Also strays from the historical a bit, but it's a wonderfully gritty show with great characters. (3 seasons so far)

Which of course reminds me of Sharpe, also based on Cornwell's books, with the fictional title character fighting for the Duke of Wellington in the Napoleonic wars; I saw these quite some time ago, but really loved them. (16 films, more movies than episodes)

[sea_changed]

Definitely! I was worried that I wouldn't remember to include everything, but at some point I just threw up my hands and thought, well, I'll get at least a few of the highlights listed.

[sea_changed]

Always. I feel like it's kind of a joke how much Black Sails fans prosthelytize for the show, but honestly, it's just so good. (And I love your Madi icon.)

[dickinsons]

I love Black Sails so much! I've also seen North and South and I loved it. Deadwood sounds so interesting, I definitely need to watch it.

I'd say Downton Abbey, but... For me it got worse in the later seasons, by that point I liked reading the fanfiction better than watching the show. Still, I still remember it fondly and it had some great characters. I also loved the first seasons of Vikings, but I stopped watching shortly before they killed off my favourite character (I'm petty I guess).

[rydra_wong]

By efficio who did some really stunning Black Sails icons!

Findable at: https://bungalows.dreamwidth.org/tag/tv:+black+sails

[sea_changed]

Sharpe sounds really interesting, I'll have to check it out. It seems like Turn should be something I love, but I struggled through most of the first season; I've been informed it'll be worth it to continue, though, so I'm hoping to return to it soon.

[sea_changed]

Black Sails people unite! It's been my main fandom for maybe a year and a half now, I can't let it go.

Oh, Downton Abbey. I also have mixed feelings about it--I do have a fondness for it, but there are so many things about it I dislike as well, from the way they frame Thomas to what they did to Tom to, really, the whole set-up of the show itself. Which makes me sound like I hate it, and yet, I do find it so addictive and enjoyable (and pretty, which is always more of a factor than it should be).

I watched the first season of Vikings and remember enjoying it (such threesome potential!), but I fell off the bandwagon after that.

[dickinsons]

Thomas is my favourite character from the show, and yeah, the way they treated him... I'm glad there's a ton of fanfiction out there and I can imagine him having a happier life.

And about Vikings, yeah, there was so much potential there, and they didn't do anything with it :/ a shame, really!

[fucktheg0ds]

Someone else who likes Marco Polo! What a fantastic and underrated show, with AMAZING aesthetics. The cliffhanger ending is such a shame.

[fucktheg0ds]

Some historical shows I love or have watched recently. The first two should be on Netflix, not sure about the other two.

Marco Polo, as mentioned above.

Spartacus: This is the show my username comes from! Four seasons (or three full seasons + a prequel mini-series), don't let the first season put you off. Ancient Rome, with gladiators and rebellion. Great costumes, bi and gay representation, POC, some great story lines. Graphic violence and sex, lots of nudity. Every trigger warning you can think of applies. Oh, and Lucy Lawless and John Hannah are in it.

Harlots: About sex workers in 18th century London. Two seasons are out, with a third in production. LGB and POC rep. It's very very very good.

Vanity Fair: Regency England, one season. I watched this recently and it was interesting. The main character has so many negative traits but you can't help liking her.

[sea_changed]

Thomas is my favorite as well; there's something extremely satisfying about a character in a show like that who works against the grain, as it were, of the show's message. He doesn't want to be a servant, he doesn't think there's anything laudable about the social hierarchy, he's completely outside the main through-line of the show and almost always is working against it. In some ways it's amazing he's even in the show; on the other hand, the way the show treats him for not being who it thinks he should be is horrible. I definitely agree that fic is the answer here.

[greerwatson]

I loved Deadwood. I totally agree about the acting: it's fabulous. It's definitely tough to watch at times, though. Very gritty take on realism.

[greerwatson]

Do you like Sean Bean? Because he played the hero.

[sea_changed]

Ambivalent on Sean Bean; the Age of Sail-ness of it does appeal, though.

[sea_changed]

Agreed--Deadwood is amazing, but it's definitely not for everyone, and can be tough to watch for a lot of reasons. Definitely a specific taste, but a completely unique and wonderful one, if it clicks with you.

[sea_changed]

I can't wait to watch Harlots, it's at the top of my list and everything I've heard about it makes it sound wonderful.

And Vanity Fair! It looks so pretty, but I haven't heard much about the specific production. It's definitely on the list, though.

[fucktheg0ds]

Harlots is incredible and deserves to be at the top of your list!

And Vanity Fair is pretty. It breaks the fourth wall at the start of each episode and at the end of the show, which is strange, but overall it's cool. I think there's only 7 episodes, so it's very watchable.

[sparrowfart]

I've got a friend who's been harassing me to watch Black Sails already. I really need to get myself together and sit down and watch!

Definitely gonna toss The Hour and Deadwood onto the to-watch list now too

[sea_changed]

Oh, interesting—I’m very into fourth-wall breakage, so that actually nudges it up a few spots on my list.

[sea_changed]

Excellent—I highly endorse the watching of all of them. I should note that season one of Black Sails is widely agreed upon to be not particularly interesting, but necessary—season two is when it truly gets good.

[lettered]

Oh, is this a new Vanity Fair? I'm a huge fan of the 1998 BBC Vanity Fair, but have watched several different versions and am always up for a new one. I love the book.