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Alternate history is a genre of fiction in which a historical event or era either happened differently or did not happen at all, significantly changing how Earth's timeline plays out. This differs from fantasy in that typically, alternate history is not supernatural or magical in nature, though it does sometimes contain sci-fi aspects. However, even these sci-fi aspects are nothing too wild or ridiculous.
There have been a lot of movies and books about alternate timelines, where scenarios play out differently than they actually did in real life, so of course, there are plenty of shows that have explored potential outcomes, too. These are the best alternate history shows, which take the known history of the world, and add a central "what if?" question that turns things upside-down, allowing for freer storytelling and a more unique take on the historical fiction genre.
10 'Crossbones' (2014)
Created by Neil Cross, James V. Hart, and Amanda Welles
Image via NBC
Crossbones is a series that ultimately received mixed reviews, but still garnered its fair share of fans. This pirate-themed TV series is about one of the most dreaded pirates to ever sail the Seven Seas during the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. In real life, Blackbeard was killed after the British Empire led a manhunt against him, and finally found him on an island off the coast of North Carolina, where he was killed at a fairly young age.
Crossbones examines what would happen if Blackbeard went into exile, surviving the manhunt, and emerging decades later as an aging man on a quest for vengeance. Played by John Malkovich, Blackbeard not only reemerges as a fearsome pirate, but as a political leader too, making him more powerful than ever before. Even though reviews are mixed, fans of pirate films should absolutely check this show out, because it offers a new spin on the classic story, even in spite of its inherent flaws.
9 '1983' (2018)
Created by Joshua Long
Netflix's 1983 is ironically set in 2003, 20 years after deadly terrorist attacks devastated Europe. With the heightened tensions of the Cold War at the time, this meant that the world's superpowers felt justified in their wariness of each other, and so the Iron Curtain never lifted, the Berlin Wall dividing Germany never fell, and the Cold War continued long past the time that it did in the real world. In Poland, a student and an investigator uncover secrets about the Eastern Bloc that are enough to rewrite the current geopolitical climate and become inspired to start a revolution.
Netflix's first Polish original series, the show received mixed to positive reviews, but was unfortunately not very popular with international audiences, which is honestly kind of a shame, because it introduces some really interesting prospects about the way things were and the way things could have been. Fans of Cold War-era espionage thrillers will definitely like this show, even if it only lasted for eight episodes.
8 'Hunters' (2020–2023)
Created by David Well
Hunters is set in 1970s America, where a group of Nazi hunters begins to investigate a lost cabal of Nazi officials, who have survived the Second World War and have gone underground following the collapse of the regime. Secretly, they plan to rise from the ashes of Nazi Germany and form the Fourth Reich, and these Nazi hunters are the only ones capable of stopping the top-secret operation before it can begin.
Another twist is that the tyrannical dictator Adolf Hitler's wife, Eva Braun (Lena Olin), actually survived the war, and is in on the conspiracy. The show comes with a star-studded cast, including Al Pacino, Logan Lerman, and Josh Radnor among others as these Nazi hunters lock and load to prevent the rise of the Fourth Reich in the United States. The show had a short run of only two seasons, but this was honestly all it needed. It wasn't canceled by its network, but Hunters ended because the time was right. Overall, it isn't fantastic, but it is interesting and pretty fun to watch.
7 'The Last Empress' (2018–2019)
Created by Park Young-soo
The Last Empress occurs in a world where the Korean Empire was never dissolved, and that still reigns, even in the modern day, meaning the Republic of Korea as we know it never came to be. Initially slated to be just 48 episodes, four more episodes were added as a result of its popularity with domestic audiences. However, everything goes the way of the horse and cart eventually, so when secrets about the Imperial family are uncovered, their reign begins to crumble.
All of this takes place as an aspiring actress falls in love with the emperor, eventually getting her tangled up in a murder mystery and the political games that the upper class plays. Its thrilling political drama and familial aspects are perfect for Bridgerton fans as it whisks audiences away to a different part of the world, in an altered version of our current time period. The Last Empress sadly doesn't get the international attention that it deserves, which is a shame, because it earned some very good reviews.
6 'The Plot Against America' (2020)
Created by Ed Burns and David Simon
The Plot Against America is a miniseries that's based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth. In this version of the United States, American aviator and war hero Charles Lindbergh (Ben Cole), who was known for his racist and antisemitic views, as well as being a Nazi sympathizer, is elected President of the United States and gradually begins to warp America into a fascist state similar to that of the Third Reich.
The show was met with critical acclaim, with many reviewers commending it for its cautionary tale of unchecked power in the wrong hands, showing how Germany fell into the jaws of the Third Reich in the 20th Century, and how the same thing could easily happen in other places if care is not taken. There were some deviations from the original novel, but this was actually received well, as the novel felt more hopeful, but the show is more cynical and doesn't sugar-coat anything. This is a show that must be watched by everybody, because it's not just entertaining; it has an important message, too.
5 'SS-GB' (2017)
Created by Len Deighton
SS-GB is set in the midst of World War II. However, in this version of 1941, Germany has won the Battle of Britain, and subsequently invades the United Kingdom, marking significant changes in society under German occupation. Because of this occupation, Winston Churchill is executed, King George VI is abducted and presumed dead, and Queen Elizabeth II is forced to flee the country. The show is based on a novel by Len Deighton, who also created the show, so viewers can rest assured the adaptation is faithful.
Much of the story of SS-GB is about a detective hired by the German authorities to investigate the British resistance, only for him to discover that his lover has been involved with the resistance for some time, leading him to reconsider his position on the matter. It's definitely more of a political thriller and a mystery show rather than an action series, but that's okay because everything works pretty well. It's a bit reminiscent of a film noir and is tense and subtly rewarding.
4 'Our Flag Means Death' (2022–2023)
Created by David Jenkins
Image via Max
Our Flag Means Death is another pirate show about Blackbeard, this time played by Taika Waititi. It also stars another famed real-life pirate: Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), also known as "the Gentleman Pirate" because of his non-threatening demeanor and because of how bad he was at his job. In real life, Bonnet did indeed sail with Blackbeard. However, because the two were polar opposites, Blackbeard loathed Bonnet and expelled him from his crew, feeling that the man was incompetent and not pirate material, which was honestly kind of true.
In Our Flag Means Death, however, Blackbeard doesn't hate Bonnet at all, and the two form a romantic relationship, resulting in a romantic comedy series with a swashbuckling twist. While of course, in real life, it's unlikely the two ever had romantic feelings for each other, it's a fun thing to speculate on, and it doesn't come off as feeling like a campy fan fiction. Our Flag Means Death is definitely one of the most unique pirate shows, one that was canceled far too soon despite very positive reviews from both critics and audiences.
3 'The Man in the High Castle' (2015–2019)
Created by Frank Spotnitz
Image via Amazon Prime
The world of The Man in the High Castle is truly daunting, as it takes place in an alternate version of the 1960s where the Axis Powers have won the Second World War, and rule over the broken remains of the Earth with an iron fist. A long string of events led to this devastating Allied defeat, beginning with the assassination of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Germans becoming more technologically advanced, dropping the first atomic bomb on Washington, D.C.
Of course, with the Axis powers coming out victorious, Adolf Hitler is still alive and serves as the ruler of essentially the entire world. Based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle was a critical success, despite its ruthlessly depressing world. In a sense, though, it's actually kind of uplifting, because it's a reminder of how lucky we really are that the Allies won World War II, as the world would look very different, and infinitely worse.
The Man in the High Castle
2 'For All Mankind' (2019–)
Created by Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi, and Matt Wolpert
Image via Apple TV+
Perhaps the longest-running alternate history show, For All Mankind takes place in a technologically advanced modern day, which is a result of the Space Race never coming to a close. Because the Space Race never ended, the world's superpowers continued to invent and innovate with technology, resulting in more advanced means of space travel, but nothing that is too ridiculously outlandish or implausible.
Another interesting twist is that in this world, the Soviet Union was actually the first country to land on the moon, not the United States, which is the sole reason why the Space Race continued. The amount of good reviews for this show has been immense, and it is still going strong, with a fifth season on the way. As underrated as it is, it is a brilliant sci-fi-esque show that shows the future of humanity today, coming as a direct effect of an altered version of the Space Race.
1 'Shōgun' (2024–)
Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks
Image via FX
Shōgun takes place in Japan in the year 1600, during the beginning of the Edo period in Japan. However, none of the actual political officials of the Empire are present or even mentioned, with the series instead focusing on creating a load of fictional characters based on real figures and creating a bit of a fictional plotline that doesn't quite parallel what happened in real life. In fact, very few, if any of the characters featured in the show, or in the novel upon which it was based, actually existed at all.
Initially intended to be a miniseries, Shōgun was an absolute smash-hit, garnering nothing but positive reviews for its political intrigue, stunning character development and production value, and harrowing drama, as well as the intricacies of feudal Japanese culture. It was so popular in fact, that a second season of Shōgun has been greenlit, which was never in the plans, but is clearly being asked for. It's a show that never, ever gets boring, which is what makes it the best alternate history show, no question about it.
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