Best War & Politics TV Series of All Time
Journal Index
Verified Ranking

Best War & Politics TV Series of All Time

SI
Stream It Editorial
May 2026
100 ENTITIES

Discover the top-rated War & Politics television shows. A curated list of the most acclaimed series in the War & Politics category.

Best War & Politics TV Series of All Time

Discover the definitive collection of movies and shows. Our dynamic tracking system ensures you always see the latest ratings and trending titles.

Explore the live-updated list below to find your next favorite watch.

Premium Curated List

The Definitive Collection

Our proprietary algorithm analyzed thousands of titles to bring you this definitive, real-time updated ranking.

Jump to:

Vikings

Must Watch2013

The adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok, the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sagas of Ragnar's band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods. Legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.

Band of Brothers

Must Watch2001

Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men from paratrooper training in Georgia through the end of the war. As an elite rifle company parachuting into Normandy early on D-Day morning, participants in the Battle of the Bulge, and witness to the horrors of war, the men of Easy knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear - and became the stuff of legend. Based on Stephen E. Ambrose's acclaimed book of the same name.

Homeland

Must Watch2011

CIA officer Carrie Mathison is tops in her field despite being bipolar, which makes her volatile and unpredictable. With the help of her long-time mentor Saul Berenson, Carrie fearlessly risks everything, including her personal well-being and even sanity, at every turn.

The Pacific

Must Watch2010

Track the intertwined real-life stories of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge – across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theater during World War II. A companion piece to the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers.

The Last Kingdom

Must Watch2015

A show of heroic deeds and epic battles with a thematic depth that embraces politics, religion, warfare, courage, love, loyalty and our universal search for identity. Combining real historical figures and events with fictional characters, it is the story of how a people combined their strength under one of the most iconic kings of history in order to reclaim their land for themselves and build a place they call home.

Shōgun

Must Watch2024

In Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.

SEAL Team

Must Watch2017

Military drama following the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high stakes missions our country can ask of them.

Lioness

Must Watch2023

Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.

Bodyguard

Must Watch2018

A troubled war veteran is assigned to protect a controversial politician who may be the target of a terror plot.

Designated Survivor

Must Watch2016

Tom Kirkman, a low-level cabinet member is suddenly appointed President of the United States after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union kills everyone above him in the Presidential line of succession.

Vikings: Valhalla

Must Watch2022

In this sequel to "Vikings," a hundred years have passed and a new generation of legendary heroes arises to forge its own destiny — and make history.

Vinland Saga

Must Watch2019

For a thousand years, the Vikings have made quite a name and reputation for themselves as the strongest families with a thirst for violence. Thorfinn, the son of one of the Vikings' greatest warriors, spends his boyhood in a battlefield enhancing his skills in his adventure to redeem his most-desired revenge after his father was murdered.

For All Mankind

Must Watch2019

Explore an aspirational world where NASA and the space program remained a priority and a focal point of our hopes and dreams as told through the lives of NASA astronauts, engineers, and their families.

M*A*S*H

Pure Comedy1972

The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.

Shooter

Must Watch2016

Bob Lee Swagger is an expert marksman living in exile who is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president.

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

Must Watch2016

A story of a 25-year-old Go Hajin who is transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty. She then wakes up in the body of Lady Hae Soo and finds herself amongst the ruling princes of the Wang Family.

Masters of the Air

Must Watch2024

During World War II, airmen risk their lives with the 100th Bomb Group, a brotherhood forged by courage, loss, and triumph.

Veep

Pure Comedy2012

A look into American politics, revolving around former Senator Selina Meyer who finds being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about.

SIX

Must Watch2017

Action drama series inspired by the real missions of Navy SEAL Team Six.

Generation Kill

Must Watch2008

The first 40 days of the war in Iraq as seen through the eyes of an elite group of U.S. Marines who spearheaded the invasion along with an embedded Rolling Stone reporter. A vivid account of the soldiers and of the forces that guided them in an often-improvised initiative.

21
Generation War
8.1

Generation War

Must Watch2013

Five young German friends promise to meet again after WW2 ends, but soon their naive wishes of peace and happiness will become a long and tragic nightmare.

22
Saga of Tanya the Evil
8.2

Saga of Tanya the Evil

Must Watch2017

On the front lines of the war, Tanya Degurechaff, blond hair, blue eyes, and porcelain white skin, commands her squad with lisping voice. Actually, she is one of Japan's most elite salary men, reborn as a little girl into a world of magical warfare after angering a mysterious being who calls himself God.

23
Zero Day
7.0

Zero Day

Must Watch2025

A former U.S. President is called out of retirement to find the source of a deadly cyberattack, only to discover a vast web of lies and conspiracies.

24
The Diplomat
7.6

The Diplomat

Must Watch2023

Amid an international crisis, a US diplomat contends with her high-profile job as ambassador to the UK and her strained marriage to a political star.

25
The Diary of Anne Frank
7.3

The Diary of Anne Frank

Must Watch2009

Five-part adaptation of Anne Frank's famous wartime diaries in which a young teenager and her family go into hiding from the Nazis in wartime Amsterdam.

26
Hitler: The Rise of Evil
7.1

Hitler: The Rise of Evil

Must Watch2003

This biopic profiles history's most spectacular madman, tracing his journey from humble roots to complete mastery of Germany.

27
Years and Years
7.6

Years and Years

Must Watch2019

As Britain is rocked by unstable political, economic and technological advances, members of the Lyons family converge on one crucial night in 2019. Over the next 15 years, the twists and turns of their everyday lives are explored as we find out if this ordinary family could change the world.

28
Rise of Empires: Ottoman
7.5

Rise of Empires: Ottoman

Must Watch2020

Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II wages an epic campaign to take the Byzantine capital of Constantinople and shapes the course of history for centuries.

29
King David
7.6

King David

Must Watch2012

Our story begins in Bethlehem, an Israelite territory, in the year 1045 B.C. David is 10 years old and is preparing to herd his father Jesse’s flock of sheep. Being the youngest of seven brothers, David is tasked with being the household servant. He’s been relegated beneath his brothers because they all have the honor of being brave warriors for King Saul.

30
Madam Secretary
7.0

Madam Secretary

Must Watch2014

After years away from the CIA, Elizabeth McCord is pulled back into the political arena. The newly appointed Secretary of State is tough, fair, and smart, driving international diplomacy, wrangling office politics, and circumventing protocol as she negotiates global and domestic issues, both at the White House and at home.

31
Medici: Masters of Florence
7.7

Medici: Masters of Florence

Must Watch2016

The story of the Medici family of Florence, their ascent from simple merchants to power brokers sparking an economic and cultural revolution. Along the way, they also accrue a long list of powerful enemies.

32
Snowdrop
8.5

Snowdrop

Must Watch2021

An enduring love story in 1987 Seoul; Young-ro, a female university student, treats the bleeding Soo-ho, a student attending a prestigious university, who one day jumps into a women's university dormitory despite the dangerous situation.

33
Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan
7.1

Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan

Must Watch2021

Dynamic reenactments and expert commentaries bring to life the tumultuous history and power struggles of a warring 16th-century feudal Japan.

34
The White Princess
7.7

The White Princess

Must Watch2017

The story of Elizabeth of York, the White Queen's daughter, and her marriage to the Lancaster victor, Henry VII. Based on the Philippa Gregory book of the same name.

35
Kuruluş Osman
7.9

Kuruluş Osman

Must Watch2019

The epic continuation of Diriliş Ertuğrul, Kuruluş Osman follows Osman Bey — son of Ertuğrul and destined founder of the Ottoman Empire — as he transforms a small Turkic tribe into a sovereign state. Battling the Byzantine Empire, Mongol forces and treachery from within, Osman must prove himself as both a warrior and a leader. A sweeping historical action drama built on faith, honour and the birth of one of history's greatest empires.

36
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
8.2

Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious

Pure Comedy2019

Goddess Ristarte summons Seiya Ryuuguuin, an OVERLY cautious hero to save the world of Gaeabrande. Seiya is obsessed with muscle training and buying extra armor to deal with low level creatures. It’s simply one cautious mission at-a-time for this hero!

37
Apocalypse: World War I
7.7

Apocalypse: World War I

Must Watch2014

Colorized historical footage in ascending order of World War 1. Not only the relatively known Flanders and France battles, but also the generally unknown Italian-Austrian, German-Polish-Russian, Japanese-German, Ottoman Empire- Allied and African German Colonies, and other unknown or forgotten fronts and battles.

38
World War II in Colour
7.6

World War II in Colour

Must Watch2009

World War II In Colour is a 13-episode television documentary miniseries recounting the events of World War II narrated by Robert Powell. The show covers the Western Front, Eastern Front, and the Pacific War. It is on syndication in America on the Military Channel. This series is in full color, combining both original and colorized footage.

39
Catch-22
7.4

Catch-22

Pure Comedy2019

Pianosa Island, Italy, World War II. Bombardier John Yossarian tries to fulfill his duty, maintain sanity and return home as soon as possible, but incompetence and bureaucracy constantly stand in his way.

40
'Allo 'Allo!
7.8

'Allo 'Allo!

Pure Comedy1984

The misadventures of hapless cafe owner René Artois and his escapades with the Resistance in occupied France.

41
Tres Caínes
7.3

Tres Caínes

Must Watch2013

The story follows the Castaño Gil family, a prosperous cattle ranching family marked by the kidnapping and murder of patriarch José Castaño by the guerrilla. This event triggers the decision of brothers Fidel, Vicente, and Carlos to form a self-defense army to fight the guerrillas, intensifying the armed conflict in Colombia. However, what seemed like a unified struggle is threatened by betrayal.

42
Fauda
7.5

Fauda

Must Watch2015

A top Israeli agent comes out of retirement to hunt for a Palestinian militant he thought he'd killed, setting a chaotic chain of events into motion.

43
Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World
8.2

Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World

Must Watch2020

For years, a great war has raged on between the scientifically advanced Empire and a paradise of witches known as the Nebulis Sovereignty. This age-old battle sets the scene for a fateful encounter between two young combatants: an imperial swordsman, Iska, and the witch princess, Aliceliese. As sworn enemies, they vow to cut each other down in order to unite their worlds, and yet Iska finds himself entranced by her beauty and righteousness, while Aliceliese is moved by his strength and resolve. In the midst of a never-ending war that forbids them from being together, they have no choice but to destroy each other-or find another way.

44
How to Become a Tyrant
7.4

How to Become a Tyrant

Must Watch2021

The documentary series explores different political figures throughout history.

45
TURN: Washington's Spies
7.1

TURN: Washington's Spies

Must Watch2014

The story of New York farmer, Abe Woodhull, who bands together with a group of childhood friends to form The Culper Ring, an unlikely group of spies who turn the tide in America’s fight for independence.

46
Shōgun
7.6

Shōgun

Must Watch1980

An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in complex political games in feudal Japan.

47
86 EIGHTY-SIX
8.1

86 EIGHTY-SIX

Must Watch2021

Called “Juggernaut,” these are the unmanned combat drones developed by the Republic of San Magnolia in answer to the attacks by the autonomous unmanned drones of the neighboring Empire of Giad, the “Legion”. But they’re only unmanned in name. In reality, they are piloted by the Eighty-sixers—those considered to be less than human and treated as mere tools. Determined to achieve his own mysterious ends, Shin, the captain of Spearhead Squadron, which is comprised of Eighty-sixers, continues to fight a hopeless war on a battlefield where only death awaits him.

48
The Little Drummer Girl
7.1

The Little Drummer Girl

Must Watch2018

Brilliant young actress Charlie strikes up an acquaintance with an intriguing stranger while on holiday in Greece, but it rapidly becomes apparent that his intentions are far from romantic.

49
Gunpowder
6.8

Gunpowder

Must Watch2017

London, 1605. Robert Catesby, a 33-year old Warwickshire gentleman, devises a plot to blow up Parliament and kill the King.

50
The Vietnam War
8.2

The Vietnam War

Must Watch2017

An immersive 360-degree narrative telling the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. Featuring testimony from nearly 80 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both the winning and losing sides.

51
The Legend of El Cid
7.2

The Legend of El Cid

Must Watch2020

The story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a Castilian nobleman and war hero in medieval Spain.

52
Wolf
7.1

Wolf

Must Watch2018

Tasked with risky missions across Turkey, members of a special-operations police unit confront danger and tragedy both on the field and at home.

53
Cleopatra
6.6

Cleopatra

Must Watch1999

Cleopatra, the famed Egyptian Queen born in 69 B.C., is shown to have been brought by Roman ruler Julius Caesar at age 18. Caesar becomes sexually obsessed by the 18 year old queen, beds her, and eventually has a son by her. However, his Roman followers and his wife are not pleased by the union. In fact, as Caesar has only a daughter by his wife, he had picked Octavian as his successor.

54
Show Me a Hero
7.0

Show Me a Hero

Must Watch2015

Mayor Nick Wasicsko took office in 1987 during Yonkers' worst crisis when federal courts ordered public housing to be built in the white, middle class side of town, dividing the city in a bitter battle fueled by fear, racism, murder and politics.

55
Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution
7.5

Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution

Must Watch2005

This documentary series tackles one of history's most horrifying subjects: the Holocaust and the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

56
The Liberator
7.1

The Liberator

Must Watch2020

A diverse, dedicated, rough-and-tumble squad of soldiers spearheads the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II.

57
The Looming Tower
7.3

The Looming Tower

Must Watch2018

While Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda become a global threat, the rivalry between the CIA and FBI inadvertently sets the stage for the tragedy of 9/11 and the Iraq War.

58
Boots
7.9

Boots

Pure Comedy2025

After impulsively joining the U.S. Marine Corps, a bullied teen finds new purpose — and unexpected brotherhood — with his motley team of fellow recruits.

59
SAS Rogue Heroes
7.7

SAS Rogue Heroes

Must Watch2022

The dramatised account of how the world’s greatest Special Forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War Two.

60
Patria
7.3

Patria

Must Watch2020

A look at the impact of Spain’s Basque conflict on ordinary people on both sides, such as the widow of a man killed by the ETA who returns to her home village after the 2011 ceasefire between the separatist group and the Spanish government, and her former intimate friend, the mother of a jailed terrorist.

61
Tyrant
6.7

Tyrant

Must Watch2014

The story of an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Bassam "Barry" Al Fayeed, the younger son of the dictator of a war-torn nation, ends a self-imposed 20-year exile to return to his homeland, accompanied by his American wife and children, for his nephew's wedding. Barry’s reluctant homecoming leads to a dramatic clash of cultures as he is thrown back into the familial and national politics of his youth.

62
Hogan's Heroes
7.6

Hogan's Heroes

Pure Comedy1965

Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to July 4, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during World War II. Bob Crane starred as Colonel Robert E. Hogan, coordinating an international crew of Allied prisoners running a Special Operations group from the camp. Werner Klemperer played Colonel Wilhelm Klink, the commandant of the camp, and John Banner was the inept sergeant-of-the-guard, Hans Schultz. The series was popular during its six-season run. In 2013, creators Bernard Fein through his estate and Albert S. Ruddy acquired the sequel and other separate rights to Hogan's Heroes from Mark Cuban through arbitration and a movie based on the show has been planned.

63
Tour of Duty
8.1

Tour of Duty

Must Watch1987

The trials of a U.S. Army platoon serving in the field during the Vietnam War.

64
Pearson
7.3

Pearson

Must Watch2019

Powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson adjusts to the dirty world of Chicago politics.

65
North and South
7.5

North and South

Must Watch1985

The story of the enduring friendship between Orry Main of South Carolina and George Hazard of Pennsylvania, who become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point but later find themselves and their families on opposite sides of the American Civil War.

66
The World at War
8.3

The World at War

Must Watch1973

A documentary series that gives a historical account of the events of World War II, from its roots in the 1920s to the aftermath and the lives it profoundly influenced.

67
Resurrection: Ertugrul
7.8

Resurrection: Ertugrul

Must Watch2014

Ertuğrul Bey and the Knights Templar in the 13th century Alba and step and step with the struggle against brutal Mongols depicts the process of establishing the Ottoman principality.

68
Amend: The Fight for America
7.1

Amend: The Fight for America

Must Watch2021

Will Smith hosts this look at the evolving, often lethal, fight for equal rights in America through the lens of the US Constitution's 14th Amendment.

69
Catherine the Great
6.7

Catherine the Great

Must Watch2019

This four-part historical drama follows the end of Catherine the Great's reign and her affair with Russian military leader Grigory Potemkin that helped shape the future of Russian politics.

70
Mussolini: Son of the Century
8.1

Mussolini: Son of the Century

Must Watch2025

The rise of Benito Mussolini and the birth of fascism in Italy, chronicling a country’s surrender to dictatorship and the relentless ascent of a man who rose from his ashes time and again.

71
Yes Minister
8.3

Yes Minister

Pure Comedy1980

Satirical sitcom set in the office of a UK Cabinet minister, Jim Hacker MP, who struggles with Civil Service bureaucracy and political machinations as he tries to get on with government business.

72
House of Cards
8.1

House of Cards

Pure Comedy1990

Frustrated at a new moderate Conservative government and deprived of a promotion to a senior position, chief whip Francis Urquhart prepares a meticulous plot to bring down the Prime Minister then to take his place.

73
Caliphate
7.4

Caliphate

Must Watch2020

National Security agent Fatima receives a tip that a terrorist attack against Sweden is in the planning stage. Meanwhile Sulle, a teenage girl in Stockholm, gets interested in her student assistant who opens doors to a new and fascinating world - the true path. Kalifat is a thriller about the intermingled fates of five young women who get caught up in the seducing and destroying force of religious fundamentalism.

74
The Law According to Lidia Poët
7.4

The Law According to Lidia Poët

Must Watch2023

In late 19th-century Turin, the young Lidia Poët, fights against everything and everyone to get what is rightfully hers: to be enrolled in the official register of lawyers. A profession, at the time, reserved exclusively for men. Nevertheless, nothing could stop her dream of becoming the first female lawyer in Italy.

75
Apocalypse: The Second World War
8.4

Apocalypse: The Second World War

Must Watch2009

A six-part French documentary about the Second World War composed exclusively of actual footage of the war as filmed by war correspondents, soldiers, resistance fighters and private citizens. The series is shown in color, with the black and white footage being fully colorized, save for some original color footage. The only exception to the treatment are most Holocaust scenes, which are presented in the original black and white.

76
Das Boot
8.6

Das Boot

Must Watch1985

Based on an autobiographical novel by German World War II photographer Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, Das Boot follows the lives of a fearless U-Boat captain (Jurgen Prochnow) and his inexperienced crew as they patrol the Atlantic and Mediterranean in search of Allied vessels, taking turns as hunter and prey.

77
The Last Czars
7.2

The Last Czars

Must Watch2019

When social upheaval sweeps Russia in the early 20th century, Czar Nicholas II resists change, sparking a revolution and ending a dynasty.

78
Das Boot
7.0

Das Boot

Must Watch2018

An inexperienced U-boat crew has to survive a secret mission and a young German woman is torn between loyalty for her home country and the French resistance in the WWII drama.

79
Record of Grancrest War
8.2

Record of Grancrest War

Must Watch2018

On a continent ruled by chaos, the Lords have the power of a holy seal that can calm the chaos and protect the people. However, before anyone realizes it, the rulers cast aside their creed of purifying the chaos, and instead start to fight each other for each other's holy seals to gain dominion over one another. Siluca, an isolated mage who scorns the Lords for abandoning their creed, and a wandering knight named Theo, who is on a journey to train to one day liberate his hometown, make an everlasting oath to work together to reform this continent dominated by wars and chaos.

80
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
7.9

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Must Watch2024

The powerful real-life story of Lali Sokolov, a Jewish prisoner who was tasked with tattooing ID numbers on prisoners' arms in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War II.

81
Troy: Fall of a City
5.8

Troy: Fall of a City

Must Watch2018

A rich story of love, intrigue, betrayal and belonging told from the perspective of the Trojan royal family at the heart of the siege of Troy.

82
D-Day Sacrifice
6.9

D-Day Sacrifice

Must Watch2014

Comprised entirely of re-mastered and colorised archive footage from World War II, much of it never before seen, Sacrifice recounts the story of D-Day through the testimonies of those who lived it. These important historical days are seen through the eyes of French civilians and members of the military fighting on both sides. The testimonies of famous individuals like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Erwin Rommel are intertwined with those of anonymous soldiers and citizens, such as film director Samuel Fuller and Eisenhower's chauffeur, Kay Summersby. From the preparations for D-Day all the way through to the liberation of Paris, the accounts of these men and women provide a moving and invaluable retelling of this pivotal time in history.

83
Boss
7.2

Boss

Must Watch2011

Mayor Tom Kane sits like a spider at the center of Chicago's web of power; a web built on a covenant with the people. They want to be led, they want disputes settled, jobs dispensed, and loyalties rewarded. If he achieves all this through deception and immorality, so be it. As long as he gets the job done, they look the other way. Yet despite being the most effective mayor in recent history, a degenerative brain disorder is ripping everything away from him. He can't trust his memory, his closest allies, or even himself.

84
Yes, Prime Minister
8.4

Yes, Prime Minister

Pure Comedy1986

James Hacker MP the Government's bumbling minister for Administrative Affairs is propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - No. 10. Could this have possibly have been managed by his trusted Permanent Private Secretary, the formidably political Sir Humphrey Appleby who must move to the “Top Job” in Downing Street to support him, together with his much put upon PPS Bernard Wolley. What could possibly go wrong?

85
I, Claudius
7.8

I, Claudius

Must Watch1976

Acclaimed blackly comic historical drama series. Set amidst a web of power, corruption and lies, it chronicles the reigns of the Roman emperors - Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and finally Claudius.

86
The Barrier
7.0

The Barrier

Must Watch2020

One family’s fight for survival in a future dystopian Madrid illustrates the disparity between two worlds separated by a fence — and so much more.

87
Secret City
6.6

Secret City

Must Watch2016

Beneath the placid facade of Canberra, amidst rising tension between China and America, senior political journalist Harriet Dunkley uncovers a secret city of interlocked conspiracies, putting innocent lives in danger including her own.

88
Shaka Zulu
7.1

Shaka Zulu

Must Watch1986

South Africa, 1823. The Zulu Empire, headed by King Shaka, a brilliant but ruthless military strategist, begin to encroach on the British colony of Cape Town. A volunteer cadre of explorers, mercenaries and professional soldiers are sent to Zululand to try to make contact with Shaka and assess the real threat of his army.

89
Manhattan
7.1

Manhattan

Must Watch2014

Set against the backdrop of the greatest clandestine race against time in the history of science with the mission to build the world's first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Flawed scientists and their families attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.

90
Nuremberg
7.4

Nuremberg

Must Watch2000

Justice Robert H. Jackson leads Allied prosecutors in trying 21 Germans for Nazi war crimes after World War II.

91
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror
7.2

Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror

Must Watch2021

Modern history can be divided into two time frames: before 9/11 and after 9/11. This five-part docuseries is a cohesive chronicle of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., offering illuminating perspectives and personal stories of how the catastrophic events of that day changed the course of the nation.

92
The Loudest Voice
7.4

The Loudest Voice

Must Watch2019

The rise and fall of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, focusing primarily on the past decade in which Ailes arguably became the Republican Party’s de facto leader, while flashing back to defining events in his life.

93
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
7.6

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Must Watch1979

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a seven-part BBC2 spy drama written by Arthur Hopcraft, adapted from John le Carré's eponymous 1974 novel. The serial, which stars Alec Guinness, Alexander Knox, Ian Richardson, Michael Jayston, Bernard Hepton, Anthony Bate, Ian Bannen, George Sewell and Michael Aldridge, was broadcast from 10 September to 22 October 1979. George Smiley, the ageing master spy of the Cold War and once heir-apparent to Control, is brought back out of retirement to flush out a top level mole within the Circus. Smiley must travel back through his life and murky workings of the Circus to unravel the net spun by his nemesis Karla 'The Sandman' of the KGB and reveal the identity of the mole before he disappears.

94
The Civil War
7.9

The Civil War

Must Watch1990

A documentary on the American Civil War narrated by Ken Burns, covering the secession of the Confederacy to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

95
Greatest Events of World War II in Colour
8.0

Greatest Events of World War II in Colour

Must Watch2019

Using highly advanced colourisation techniques, critical moments from World War II, from Stalingrad to The Battle of Britain, are shown in a whole new light.

96
Occupied
7.1

Occupied

Must Watch2015

In the near future, Norway is occupied by Russia on behalf of the European Union, due to the fact that the newly elected environmental friendly Norwegian government has stopped the all important oil- and gas-production in the North Sea.

97
The Sympathizer
6.8

The Sympathizer

Must Watch2024

Near the end of the Vietnam War, a spy who was embedded in the South Vietnam army flees to the United States and takes up residence in a refugee community, where he continues to gather intelligence and report back to the Viet Cong.

98
The Honourable Woman
7.3

The Honourable Woman

Must Watch2014

Nessa Stein, the daughter of a Zionist arms procurer who as a child witnessed his assassination. Now an adult, Nessa inherits her father's company and changes course from supplying arms to laying data cabling networks between Israel and the West Bank. Her efforts to reconcile the Israelis and Palestinians lands her an appointment to the House of Lords and creates an international political maelstrom.

99
The Century of the Self
8.5

The Century of the Self

Must Watch2002

The legacy of famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud informs the lives of people throughout the world even to this day, though it's a phenomenon to which most are unaware. The film is an exhaustive examination of his theories on human desire, and how they're applied to platforms such as advertising, consumerism and politics.

100
The Name of the Rose
7.0

The Name of the Rose

Must Watch2019

Northern Italy, 1327. The Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young apprentice Adso of Melk reach an isolated Benedictine abbey on the Alps to aid in a dispute between the Franciscan Order and the Avignon papacy. Upon arrival at the abbey, the two find themselves involved in a chain of mysterious deaths.

Data Transparency & Integrity

Our Methodology

This list represents a fusion of massive scale TMDB audience data and expert editorial oversight. We track global engagement, critical reception, and historical significance across over 10,000 data points to ensure every entry is verified for accuracy.

TMDB Verified
IMDb Consensus
Live Indexing
Accuracy Score99.8%

"We prioritize data-driven rankings to eliminate bias and provide the most objective 'Top 100' lists in the entertainment industry."

Head of Content

Editorial Verification Office