If there’s one thing that’s been a constant throughout all of human history, it’s war. Armed conflicts have been recorded for thousands of years, often stemming from various issues like political differences, religious beliefs, or territorial disputes. With war making up such a significant chunk of human history, it’s to be expected that many historical TV shows will focus on these terrible times.
Covering a range of conflicts from Antiquity to the Modern Era, war isn’t the most common TV genre, but it’s definitely pretty prevalent. With how many war TV shows there are, there are plenty that have come out over the years that have been left behind or overshadowed, despite their quality. These are the most underrated war-themed TV shows that everyone seems to have forgotten about.
10
‘Combat!’ (1962–1967)
Combat! is quite possibly the very first war-themed TV show ever created. At the very least, it was certainly the first one broadcast to American audiences. In the 50s and 60s, the world was still very much feeling the aftermath of World War II, so films and TV shows about the conflict were quite popular at the time. As is to be expected, Combat! is indeed about the Second World War.
The premise is simple: it’s about an American ground infantry squad battling their way across Europe’s Western Front during the waning months of World War II. Some of the actors used in this show were veterans of the conflict themselves, which made their roles feel that much more authentic. To this day, it’s a phenomenal, if somewhat dated watch, yet its name rarely passes anyone’s lips nowadays.
9
‘Shaka Zulu’ (1986)
Shaka Zulu is a South African miniseries set during the rise of the Zulu Kingdom in the early 19th Century. During this time, the Zulu Kingdom was seeing rapid expansion under the rule of its king, Shaka (Henry Cele), to the point where they became a source of worry for the colonizers/invaders of the British Empire. The story is mostly presented via flashbacks, but the episodes all focus on the life and rule of King Shaka, including his clashes with the British.
While this conflict is quite a major part of South African history, it’s not something that is widely known outside of the region. Today, Shaka is considered one of the most influential kings in African history, so it’s great that this underrated war TV show decided to showcase his life for the world to see. This is a top-tier pick for history buffs, or any fans of biography series, really, but it still needs some more attention.
8
‘Turn: Washington’s Spies’ (2014–2017)
Turn: Washington’s Spies is a series set during the birth of the United States itself: the American Revolutionary War. As many already know, the war was about American revolutionaries fighting for independence from the British Empire, which they eventually received. However, the gruelling combat wasn’t the primary reason the Americans won their freedom, which is what this show is ultimately about.
The series follows the spies present in the Culper Ring, which served as America’s very first espionage group. This ragtag group of American nationals often posed as farmers or merchants, but would secretly report British battle plans and movements to George Washington. Their efforts became instrumental in winning the war. While the show does get off to a rocky start, it gets very interesting by the end, and certainly deserves more love, especially from history fans.
7
‘Shōgun’ (1980)
Shōgun is based on the James Clavell novel of the same name, which also inspired the 2024 Hulu and FX TV series. The 2024 show is absolutely excellent in its own right, but it came with an unfortunate side effect: it caused audiences to forget about or overlook the original miniseries based on the book. Modern audiences may argue that the recent iteration of the story is better, but the 1980 miniseries still has its own charm.
The story is completely fictitious, taking place at the onset of the Edo Period of Japan, at the turn of the 17th Century. It follows an English trader who befriends a fictional Japanese lord, with the two eventually conspiring to defeat other Japanese lords in this tumultuous point in time. While all the characters and events are loosely based on reality, things have been heavily embellished and changed so that it is unrecognizable, almost as if it is an alternate history show. Still, it’s a wonderful miniseries that has been sadly forgotten.
6
‘Women at War’ (2022)
Women at War is a French Netflix series that’s exactly what it sounds like. Set during the First World War, the miniseries examines the lives of four different women and the roles they play from behind the front lines. At the time, women were prohibited from enlisting in combat, limiting their roles to nurses or factory workers, where they would produce supplies for the war effort.
Despite these cultural limitations, the show makes sure to depict how vital these roles were for the effort as a whole. It shines a bright spotlight on the unsung heroes of the conflict, who broke their backs keeping soldiers fed and healthy, often without getting any credit for it. It’s obviously not a very action-oriented series, but this drama does a great job of displaying how women of vastly different backgrounds came together for a common cause, and how everyone was able to help out in one way or another.
5
‘Tour of Duty’ (1987–1990)
Tour of Duty made a pretty gutsy move when it came out. See, at the time, the Vietnam War was still a sore subject in the United States, with the US military having pulled out just a decade or so prior. As such, many viewing the show were veterans of the conflict, and weren’t keen on reliving what was, by all accounts, a nightmarish experience. Another thing the show did was portray the true nature of the conflict–it wasn’t a great crusade, despite what American propaganda stated. Though, it was fairly common at this point for people to oppose American intervention in the war.
In any event, the war series paints a brutally realistic picture of life on the front lines, deep in the jungles of Southeast Asia. It took a hard look at themes of racism, mental health, imperialism, and religion, which are topics that very few shows would touch on so willingly. As a result, it was way ahead of its time. Even though it was pretty popular when it came out, the buzz surrounding it has faded to a hum in recent years.
4
‘The Winds of War’ (1983)
The Winds of War is a miniseries set during World War II, which is based on a novel of the same name by Herman Wouk. As far as TV adaptations of novels go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that is this faithful to its source material. It’s not exact, of course, but it does an excellent job of sticking to its roots. Rather than focusing on ground combat, the series is about the war at sea.
Specifically, it follows an American naval leader who is a fictional character, though he often intersects with real historical figures. For example, he is a close friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Ralph Bellamy) and his family. The story doesn’t focus on the broader war effort, but rather on the build-up to it — for the Americans, at least. Though the war officially started in 1939, the US didn’t join until 1941. This two-year period is what the show is about, so it’s mostly politics and such. However, it’s still entertaining and examines what the political climate of the U.S. was like at the time.
3
‘Birdsong’ (2012)
Birdsong is a British miniseries set during World War I, which was broadcast on the BBC. Starring Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Wraysford, the miniseries is based on the 1993 Sebastian Faulks novel of the same name, albeit it does take quite a few artistic liberties. The story is told via flashbacks, following Eddie as he recounts his experiences on the front lines and his affair with a young French woman.
Even though this miniseries is only two episodes, it paints a harrowing picture of how bleak and depressing war is, especially the First World War. Birdsong is a deep dive into how war ruins the psyche, romances, and the overall sense of hope and joy that people can feel, even if they aren’t on the front lines. Since it was short-lived by design and was primarily aired in the United Kingdom, very few people have seen this work of art.
2
‘Roots’ (1977)
Roots is a miniseries that premiered in the ’70s, which is all about the darkest parts of the United States’ history. Specifically, it focuses on the practice of slavery and how prevalent this atrocity was, especially in the Deep South. As many know, Black people were primarily used as slaves by White plantation owners, subjecting them to centuries of misery, hardship, and cruelty before the practice was formally abolished after the American Civil War.
Roots is a miniseries that takes place at different points in history, with the later episodes featuring the American Civil War as the primary plot point. It shows how the conflict looks through the eyes of Black slaves, intentionally forcing viewers to confront the uncomfortable truths about history. It received a few sequel miniseries and even a 2016 remake due to its critical reception and cultural impact, yet no one really seems to talk about it anymore. It wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s definitely been forgotten at this point, which it shouldn’t be.
1
‘Barbarians’ (2020–2022)
Barbarians is a German Netflix series that is set at the beginning of the Common Era. Just 10 years into the First Century, the Roman Empire is rapidly expanding across Europe, Asia, and Africa, but there are some who would not greet them with kindness. Deep in the forests of Germania are warring tribes, primitive warriors who lack discipline and military structure. However, they make up for this with their incomparable ferocity.
Famously, the Romans had a really hard time combating the Germanic tribes. This brilliant series depicts the struggle between the two groups, as the Germanic tribes unite to fend off the Roman invaders. The series culminates in the famous Battle of Teutoburg Forest, which to this day is synonymous with a crushing defeat. It’s an excellent, highly cinematic series about a sorely overlooked conflict in history.
Barbarians
- Release Date
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2020 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Andreas Heckmann, Arne Nolting, Jan Martin Scharf
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Jeanne Goursaud
Thusnelda
