26 shows similar to Game of Thrones to watch next

18. Rome

Before HBO struck gold with Game of Thrones, there was another enormously ambitious period piece that the network backed. That show is Rome, and in many ways it was the precursor to Game of Thrones. Created jointly by HBO and the BBC, this show was HBO’s first foray into making this kind of large, immersive, epic drama. It doesn’t feel like much of a stretch to say that without Rome, the studio might not have taken a chance on Thrones.

Rome details the rise and fall of Julius Caeser, the man who would come to rule the largest empire in the world. If Caesar looks a little familiar to you, it’s because he’s played by Ciarán Hinds, who also portrayed Mance Rayder on GoT. And he’s not the only cast member who went on to appear in Game of Thrones: both Indira Varma (Nymeria Sand) and Tobias Menzies (Edmure Tully) star as well. It also features Ray Stevenson (Blackbeard on Black Sails) and James Purefoy (A Knight’s Tale), among many other strong performances.

Rome ran for two seasons before HBO canceled the show, in part due to its high production costs. This was a series ahead of its time, one that has a lot of the nuance and scope that made Game of Thrones so good. So if you’ve been missing GoT, Rome is one of the best substitutes out there.

Both seasons are currently available to stream on HBOMax and Hulu.