Game of Thrones finished almost three years ago, and the once-beloved cultural giant is now largely recognized for its poor final season. This isn’t entirely fair or truthful in terms of what the programme was like over the span of its eight seasons. While the HBO fantasy hit’s final season was uninspiring (and, to be honest, so was the penultimate season), there were still some highlights (“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is one of the show’s best episodes!). And the fact that the last two seasons haven’t lived up to the previous six doesn’t negate the quality of the previous six. Consider how many scenes from Game of Thrones created such an impression on you that you’ll never forget seeing them for the first time.
We’ve put up a list of shows that will hopefully transport you to the world of Game of Thrones. From dramatic historical dramas to escapist fantasies to programmes starring Game of Thrones alumni, there’s something for everyone. Following Game of Thrones, we’ve compiled a list of the finest shows to watch.
Foundation
What if Game of Thrones took place in outer space? With its limitless budget and tremendously vast universes, Apple TV’s Foundation is aiming for something similar. The sci-fi series depicts an autocratic administration that decides a mathematician’s warning that the empire is about to crumble and plunge humanity into a dark age is scientific nonsense, so the mathematician and his followers are banished to the farthest regions of the universe. Foundation will remind you a lot of your favorite fantasy programme, with its many biomes, complex politics, and great attire.
Outlander
Outlander is either the attractive program on television or a historical drama with a hint of science fiction, depending on who you ask. Maybe it’s a combination of the two! Outlander is based on the Diana Gabaldon novel series and follows Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a married World War II nurse who falls in love with Jamie (Sam Heughan), a young Scottish warrior, after unexpectedly time traveling back to 1743. You should be aware that it lacks the near-constant thrill that Game of Thrones provided (there are far less expensive battle scenes, to put it that way), but if you’re looking for something that will occasionally provide you with an accurate history lesson while also immersing you in a sweeping romance that travels centuries, Outlander is the show for you.
Black Sails
Black Sails is about pirates, but not the cheerful, rum-drinking variety from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: they are ruthless pirates. Black Sails is a prologue to Treasure Island and follows Captain Flint’s (Toby Stephens) debaucherous existence as the captain of a gang of swashbucklers in the early 1700s. He enlists Long John Silver (Luke Arnold) as a member of his crew, and the two fight over New Providence Island in a massive battle. Black Sails has been likened to Game of Thrones, and while it isn’t a fantasy, it has many features that fans will recognize and enjoy, including its period setting, terrific characters, interesting storytelling and world-building, and some wonderfully shot action sequences.
Spartacus
Spartacus is the movie to watch if you want to watch people fight one other after you’ve finished watching Game of Thrones. This show, set in the Roman Empire in 72 B.C., is about gladiators, so expect plenty of blood and brutality. It has everything you’re searching for: brutal fighting, treachery, sex, and nudity (when the characters on this programme aren’t trying to maim one other, it’s probably because they’re too busy having sex), and gore that’s both exhilarating to look at and incredibly nasty.
Rome
It’s difficult to recall a time before Game of Thrones, but it did exist. Indeed, HBO produced Rome, a hugely underestimated drama set during Ancient Rome’s transition from republic to empire, in 2005. It’s a quick watch (just two seasons!) with pretty much everything you’re looking for: opposing families locked in power conflicts, well-choreographed fight sequences, interesting characters, and more. Many series aspires to be the next Game of Thrones, but Rome was Game of Thrones long before Game of Thrones was even conceived.
