House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, with all the same political intrigue, violence and drama you’d expect from George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world of Westeros.
If you’ve finished this one and are looking for something similar, we’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing.
To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have.
Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming House of the Dragon.
Game Of Thrones will forever go down as the show that completely squandered its ending, falling flat on its face before the finish line. Despite its lacklustre final two seasons, the first 4 are some of the best fantasy and political drama on TV. Specifically, the adaptations of books 2 and 3 in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy epic.
For those unaware, Game Of Thrones is an epic fantasy series, taking place deep in the fictional realm of Westeros. In its simplest form, this fantasy epic revolves around warring houses fighting for control of the Iron Throne. Nine different noble families fight for control of this, while in the East a new threat begins to form with the Targaryen princess, Daenerys.
While all this is going on, ancient enemies known as the White Walkers begin to stir, threatening certain doom unless the families can somehow learn to co-exist.
Featuring epic battles, incredible moments and one incredibly bad ending, Game Of Thrones is a must-watch for period drama fans. If you can go in and expect a fan-fic ending, you should find enough to like with this one.
You can read our thoughts on Game Of Thrones in our full season reviews here!
Set during the time of the Viking Invasions of Britain, The Last Kingdom is a well written, brutally realistic series relying on the charisma of its many characters to drive the story of Uhtred Ragnarson forward.
The story begins with Alfred the Great defending his kingdom from Norse invaders while a man named Uhtred- born a Saxon but raised by Vikings – seeks to claim his ancestral birth-right.
The time period is perfectly captured in both atmosphere and set design too. If that wasn’t enough, the story draws from the rich history of Britain across 5 epic seasons of entertainment.
You can read our thoughts on The Last Kingdom in our full season review here!
Following the journey of Ragnar Lothbrok, Vikings is a fascinating and often violent look into the lives of the first Norsemen in history.
Full of dramatic tension and leaning (mostly) toward historical accuracy, Vikings does a great job blending fact and fiction. In doing so, it produces a methodically paced, interesting journey through the lives of the infamous warriors of the North.
While the later seasons do take some liberties with that realism and the plot does run out of steam before its final season limps over the finish line, there’s enough here to enjoy nonetheless.
You can read our thoughts on Vikings in our full season reviews here!
Babylon 5 is arguably one of the closest sci-fi shows to House of the Dragon’s political intrigue and warring states. Released back in 1993, it remains one of the best sci-fi offerings out there and a must-watch for anyone interested in sci-fi.
The story takes place in the mid 23rd century aboard the Earth Alliance space station, Babylon 5. This station happens to be a major focal point for political intrigue, racial tensions and various wars.
Babylon 5 is an amazing slice of sci-fi and despite its dated visual effects, stands the test of time thanks to strong writing.
If you swap out the fantasy setting of House of the Dragon for pirates and high sea shenanigans, it wouldn’t be far removed from what Black Sails achieves. Split across four seasons, this sea-faring venture captures the essence of piracy beautifully and does so with some impressive visuals and an expansive story.
Instead of the over-the-top swashbuckling Jack Sparrows of the world, Black Sails examines the true nature of piracy through an eclectic group of characters. The action is gritty and violent too and it’s definitely worth persevering through the slower first season. From there on out, this show really comes into its own.
There’s a reason Rome is regarded as one of the best historical TV shows HBO has ever produced. Alongside Band Of Brothers, Rome is an incredible feat on the small screen. The series was actually originally intended to be a mini-series too, but was later expanded and turned into a visual and storytelling treat to behold.
Set during the 1st century B.C., the story follows the lives of two men serving in the Roman army, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pollo. There’s no shying away from the brutal harsh realities of their profession and Rome captures this in all its bloody glory.
And this glory is backed up by stunning visuals and some of the best production work one could ask for from a historical epic like this. Rome is essential viewing and despite its disappointing ending after a second season, remains a quintessential choice for any historical drama fan.
The Tudors is essentially a dramatic story revolving around the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII. Serving up a glorious dose of period drama, The Tudors is not always historically accurate but is consistently entertaining. That’s before even mentioning the costume and production design which are both fantastic.
Split across four seasons, there’s a lot of The Tudors to get through and if you’re taken by the tone of the first couple of episodes, this is one show worth sticking around for the long haul.
Set in the 15th Century, The Borgias places viewers right in the midst of Pope Alexander VI wrestling for control of Italy with his sons.
Intriguing, intelligent and gorgeously dressed (seriously, the costume design is amazing), this historical drama blends murder, war and tense alliances to dramatic effect.
The storyline is engrossing too and without spoiling too much, there’s some delicious twists along the way that make this worth sticking with for the long haul.
The Witcher is not without its flaws but it’s hard to discredit what a satisfying and well written slice of high-fantasy this is. There’s certainly enough magic, monsters and sword-fighting to keep things rooted in danger, while doing the video game it’s based on justice.
For those unaware, the story here revolves around a monster hunter named Geralt. Vilified by human-kind, these white-haired, emotionless Witchers spend their time hunting creatures and getting paid to do so.
Geralt is joined on this hunt by Ciri, a princess in a neighbouring city and a mage-in-training named Yennefer. Across this first season, the show balances i nvestigative work with monster slaying really well, which should satisfy those looking to scratch that high fantasy itch.
You can read our thoughts on The Witcher in our full season review here!
When it comes to world-building, The Expanse is unrivalled. The show offers up a glimpse of a possible future where mankind has extended its reach beyond Earth to inhabit Mars and the surrounding asteroid belt.
With the story jumping between Earth, Mars and the Belt, some clever editing and a good attention to detail keeps the tension ticking away between the different characters. When that tension spills over into action, it brings with it one heck of a seismic shift.
To give much more away would be a disservice to this show but suffice to say The Expanse is one of the best sci-fi series out there and a must-watch.
You can read our thoughts on The Expanse in our full season reviews here!
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished with House of the Dragon on HBO/Sky.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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