Marco Polo

Marco Polois a historical epic centering on the exploits of the noted Italian Internet Explorer and his skirmish with Kublai Khan , majestic ruler of the Mongols . It had its test from 2014 with two seasons , and was label as one of the most expensive TV shows . And even with a $ 200 - million budget , the show go bad to reach an audience thatNetflix pulled the plugafter the 2ndseason .

For those hungry for period epos in the same vena asMarco Polo , there is a large plethora of shows available there . Here are ten of them ( none of which areVikings ):

Beecham House

Co - created byBend It Like Beckhamdirector Gurinder Chadha , Beecham Housetackled the lives of a British sept residing on a compound period of India . Placing finish collide as the centrepiece for its societal comment , this ITV drama serial utilized the natural endowment of its ensemble cast , with Tom Bateman leading them as the head John Beecham .

Harkening the panache ofDownton Abbeybut portray two historical culture , this is a must - see for story enthusiasts .

The White Princess

Based on Philippa Gregory ’s Tudor dynasty novel that followedThe White Queen , The White Princessdepicted Elizabeth of York and her attempts to salvage the kingdom with her man and wife with Henry VII and her declaration over the Wars of the Roses .

As Elizabeth , Jodie Comershowed both vice and perseverance as a figurehead over a tense period of Britain . And with that kind of standout functioning , Comer established herself as a talent to behold .

Britannia

Still about Britain ’s history , Britanniais set up during the Roman quest of the Isles when two Celtic leaders strike an unlikely coalition to prune off the invasion limit by Aulus Plautius .

balance the action set slice with political machination , this Prime Video epic series embraced its own identicalness of peculiar mythos , bizarre character and phantasy episode that handle its history bending to creative gusto . The cast are game for the strangeness , which is still epic .

Kingdom

mouth of strangeness , this Netflix serial from South Korea blends two genres , centering on a prince investigating a mysterious plague that turns its victims into zombi .

While the blending of genres is fulfilled with seriousness , the strength ofKingdomlies in the execution of the activeness scenes and the production design ( which is a staple on Korean TV show ) . The realism of the zombie - similar plague is truly effective that it blends well with the history .

The Last Kingdom

For all the attempt to recapture the levels ofGame of Thronesor evenVikings , here is one about a Viking - raised Saxon who had to choose between honour his birthright or consider the significance that his lineage had caused .

A conscientious objector - production between BBC and Netflix , The Last Kingdomlays a mealy outlook of theAnglo - Saxon periodbefore the British kingdom unify . And as the central theatrical role , Uhtred of Bebbanburgis a jumpy yetcompelling figure .

The Pillars of the Earth

free-base on the well - selling novel by Ken Follett , The Pillars of the Earthis a turn on epic that places focus on the construction of a cathedral during a conflicted full stop between the kingdoms of England and Normandy .

Pitting two outstanding empirical figures on an honourable battle over honourable ingenuity and resolution , this Golden Globe - winning miniseries portrayed the perseveration to keep a bequest running over a riotous period and the resulting event that make out with it .

Knightfall

Just as Marco Polo is fork up as a magnetic but flawed physique , Knightfallportrays the central character , being a warrior ( bet by Tom Cullen ) haunt by his exploits in the Crusades yet motivated by the newsworthiness of the Holy Grail , in the same venous blood vessel .

Though the character does not hit the same way as the entries of this list , this History Channel serial total more layer to portray the complex history of theKnights Templar .

Troy: Fall of a City

This is not precisely neither a unmediated adaptation of Homer ’s larger-than-life Iliad nor a re - version of that Brad Pitt movie . It is more of a reimagining of the conquest of Achilles to the ancient urban center of Troy , with the perspective more on Paris .

While nothing original in context , troy weight : dip of a Cityboasts well - executed battle scenes , political machination and more grounded representation of the quality . It also gave a unequaled take on Grecian mythology .

Spartacus

Like many famed historical warriors , Spartacusreceived the miniseries treatment with thisgritty epicthat recalled many of its inspirations likeGladiatorand300 .

The class of its three season outlined the raise of Spartacus as aprominent gladiatorwho conduct a Thracian slave revolt but contend with govern over his compeer . As the titular soma , both Andy Whitfield ( who died in 2011 ) and Liam McIntyre personify an falsify , grittierpersonaof the nominal hero .

Rome

Finally , arguably the most successful of the entries of this list , Romeis HBO ’s hidden gem of epic proportions . boot for just two seasons , this series cover the transformation of the renowned urban center from a democracy to an empire .

At its centre are two soldiers , the principled Lucius Vorenus ( play by Kevin McKidd ) and the heedless Titus Pullo ( played by Ray Stevenson ) , who lived out dissimilar menstruation of Rome .   With its intricate output design and disingenuous delineation of its historical outcome , Romeis a move stop epic that pays off its $ 110 million production budget that deserves a second expression .

NEXT:10 show To see if You Like Vikings

Marco Polo TV Show Poster

Marco Polo Featured Image

The Beecham family in a cast photo in Beecham House

Jodie Comer as Elizabeth posing in a hallway with handmaids in The White Princess

Britannia

Kingdom

The Last Kingdom

Pillars of the Earth

knightfall

Troy Fall of a City

Spartacus

Rome

Marco Polo