26 shows similar to Game of Thrones to watch next

22. Barbarians

Next up we have Barbarians, a 2020 show produced by Netflix and German studio Gaumont. Once again, we’re thrown back to a time where the Romans are doing…well, all those those things that apparently make ancient Rome a great topic for historical fiction shows. In the case, we’re examining the Roman occupation of Germania, largely from the perspective of the tribal peoples who lived there at the time. And once you know a bit more about why the show chose to cover this particular period of time, it’s pretty clear why it’s a great choice for television.

During the Roman expansion under Augustus, the Germanic tribes were expected to pay hefty taxes and tribute. Some revolted and were crushed while others tried to cozy up to Rome. And others organized a coordinated coup to let the Romans know they would not be subjugated. Barbarians tells the tale from all these different perspectives, with a firm focus on said coup and its widespread ramifications.

The thing that sets this story apart from others like Spartacus is that the Germanic tribes actually pull off their rebellion. We won’t say too much, because Barbarians has some great twists that are better left un-spoiled. The only hint we’ll give for the history buffs is that this show involves the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, which is considered one of the turning points of Roman expansion.

The first season of Barbarians is available on Netflix. A second season is currently in production.