The Greatest Period TV Shows Set in Medieval Times
The Medieval era spans a whopping thousand years, from the 5th to the 15th century. Appropriately also called the Middle Ages, it's a giant span of time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. Television shows set in the Middle Ages have lots of themes to play with, including Vikings, knights, magic, and dragons.
The best medieval TV shows seem to have a fondness for King Arthur's court, multiple Robin Hood adaptations and the appearance of Merlin as a main or side character. Although some shows set in the Middle Ages play the idea of knights and Vikings for laughs or fun, most series seem to embrace what the Medieval era used to be called: The Dark Ages. Treachery, battles and lots of gloom, shows such as The Last Kingdom and Marco Polo examine the ferocity with which the world reclaimed territory after the fall of the Romans.
Which of these top TV shows set in the Middle Ages are the best? Vote up your choices for the best shows set in the Middle Ages, and see where your favorite Medieval shows rank.
And if you like these shows, check out our list of the best Renaissance movies.
- Alexander Dreymon, Emily Cox, Timothy Innes
- Premiered: October 10, 2015
- Katheryn Winnick, Moe Dunford, Josefin Asplund
- Premiered: March 3, 2013
- Max Irons, James Frain, Rebecca Ferguson
- Premiered: June 16, 2013
- Jodie Comer, Jacob Collins-Levy, Rebecca Benson
- Premiered: April 16, 2017
- Lorenzo Richelmy, Michelle Yeoh, Benedict Wong
- Premiered: December 12, 2014
- Ian McShane, Matthew McFadyen, Eddie Redmayne
- Premiered: July 23, 2010
- Charlotte Hope, Richard Pepper, Harriet Walter
- Premiered: May 5, 2019
- Frida Gustavsson, Pollyanna McIntosh, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson
- Premiered: 2022
- Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Richard Wilson
- Premiered: September 20, 2008
- Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, James Earl Jones
- Premiered: April 26, 1998
- Tom Cullen, Ed Stoppard, Padraic Delaney
- Premiered: December 6, 2017
- Derek Jacobi
- Premiered: May 29, 1994
- Cynthia Nixon, Tom Weston-Jones, Charlotte Riley
- Premiered: September 4, 2012
- Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies, Joan Allen
- Premiered: July 15, 2001
- Simon Russell Beale, Tom Hiddleston, James Purefoy
- Premiered: September 20, 2013
- Kåre Conradi, Nils Jørgen Kaalstad, Trond Fausa Aurvåg
- Premiered: October 21, 2016
- Jaime Lorente, Alicia Sanz, José Luis GarcÃa-Pérez
- Premiered: December 18, 2020
- Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson
- Premiered: January 1, 2013
- Jordi Aguilar, Aitor Luna, Pablo Derqui
- Premiered: May 23, 2018
- Jamie Campbell Bower, Joseph Fiennes, Eva Green
- Premiered: February 25, 2011
- Richard Armitage, Harry Lloyd, Lucy Griffiths
- Premiered: 7 October 2006
- Lee Jones, Katey Sagal, Stephen Moyer
- Premiered: September 15, 2015
- Joshua Sasse, Timothy Omundson, Vinnie Jones
- Premiered: January 4, 2015
- Richard Greene, Bernadette O'Farrell, Patricia Driscoll
- Premiered: September 26, 1955
- Heath Ledger, John Saint Ryan, Vera Farmiga
- Premiered: July 14, 1997