Sweeping historical dramas have a way of captivating TV audiences like few other genres. When Game of Thrones debuted in the early 2010s, it sparked a kind of renaissance, with studios ever since trying to recapture the magic of George R.R. Martin’s iconic series.

While strong TV shows arrive every year, it’s relatively rare for a series set centuries in the past to break into the mainstream. As a result, fans often turn to Game of Thrones spin-offs like House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, along with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, to get their fix of epic, sword-filled storytelling. That said, Hulu and FX recently delivered what many consider one of the greatest historical TV shows ever made, though it leans far more into real-world history than fantasy-driven predecessors.