If you have finished watching Barbarians, what should you watch next? What are some shows like Barbarians? With our top 6 recommendations for alternate watching, we’ve looked through the archives and saved you the trouble of having to attempt to locate anything comparable, and we’ve noted what commonalities these have to make things easier for skim readers.
So, without further ado, here are 6 TV series to whet your appetite once you’ve done watching Barbarians, and we assure you every single one of these shows like Barbarians is worth your time.
Also Read: Barbarians Season 2 Release Date, Trailer – Is It Canceled?
1. The Last Kingdom
The Last Kingdom
The Last Kingdom, set during the Viking Invasions of Britain, is a well-written, brutally realistic series that relies on the magnetism of its numerous characters to propel the narrative of Uhtred Ragnarson along, and both the ambiance and the set design perfectly portray the era. If that wasn’t enough, the plot is based on Britain’s rich history and spans four epic seasons of entertainment, making it one of the shows like Barbarians with its history-rich plot.
With a 5th season already in the works, this is one of the better options to check out after Barbarians, and we think this should be your first go.
2. Vikings
Vikings
Vikings is a fascinating and often brutal look at the life of the earliest Norsemen in history, following the adventure of Ragnar Lothbrok, and is a fantastic combination of fact and fantasy, full of dramatic tension and leaning toward historical reality. As a result, it creates a carefully paced, intriguing trip through the lives of the infamous Northern soldiers, making it one of the shows like Barbarians.
While the latter seasons take some liberties with that realism, and the narrative runs out of steam before the final season, it is still worth watching.
3. Spartacus
Spartacus
Spartacus is a bloodthirsty, savage series about Roman gladiators and the story focuses specifically on Spartacus, a fighter who leads a rebellion against the Romans. You’d be excused for dismissing this one early on, especially given the excessive nudity and blood-soaked violence: this series, however, quickly turns into a more interesting plot over time, having an exciting, action-packed series spread across three seasons.
The season finale is appropriately grandiose as well, rewarding your patience with a gratifying ending, but overall, Spartacus is one of the best shows like Barbarians.
4. Rome
Rome
There’s a reason Rome is recognized as one of HBO’s greatest historical television programs as is an extraordinary achievement on the tiny screen, the series was initially supposed to be a mini-series as well, but it was eventually enlarged and transformed into a visual, and storytelling marvel.
The novel is set in the first century BC and follows the lives of 2 Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pollo, and there’s no avoiding the terrible harsh truths of their vocation, and Rome catches it all in its bloody splendor. This magnificence is backed up by breathtaking graphics and some of the greatest production work a historical epic like this could ask for, so Rome is essential to watch, especially if you are looking for shows like Barbarians. Despite a dismal conclusion after a 2nd season, it remains a must-see for any historical drama aficionado.
5. Poldark
Poldark
The temptation of continuing to watch “Poldark” episode after episode and season after season is obvious, it has wonderful people, a rich landscape, superb acting, incredible period settings and costumes, and the ideal dosage of 19th-century British escapism. However, the same fascinating drama that makes it so intriguing is also its undoing, as it just goes on too darn long, like Outlander and other time-warp glimpses of another, harsher age, necessitating the scriptwriters to devise more unbelievable plot-device dramas to keep us interested.
The case of “Poldark,” it’s all about Ross Poldark, and yes, he’s a British Revolutionary soldier who nearly perished in Virginia after a patriot’s bullet ripped through his face. He’s a hands-on miner, swinging a pick-ax with his coworkers 50-100 feet under grass, a perilous career as one may imagine, making it one of the best shows like Barbarians.
6. Britannia
Britannia
If you watched all of the shows above and still looking for shows like Barbarians, Britannia might be a good choice: this performance is about the Roman conquest of Britain, with some sorcery, gods, and demons thrown in for good measure. Britannia is a fantasy historical program set in A.D. 43 that follows the Roman Imperial Army as they attempt to take over Britannia, which is controlled by some warrior women and frightening Druids.
The first episode is sluggish and leaves you wondering towards the end, but if you stick with it, it explains everything and everything makes sense, making it one of the shows like Barbarians. Along with Kelly Reilly and David Morrissey, who are fantastic as always, The Outcast and Cait are the two that truly make this drama sparkle.
Also Read: Barbarians Cast – Ages, Partners, Characters
