30 Best War Shows That Will Immerse You in the Action

Our first series in our best war show list is 68 Whiskey, where army medics are deployed to a base in Afghanistan, nicknamed “The Orphanage.” They must band together to endure a dangerous world, which often leads to self-destructive appetites, outrageous behavior, camaraderie, and sometimes a sense of purpose.

IMDb score: 5.9

Though Faraway Downs does not directly have war in the show, there is an undeniable impact of World War II on Northern Australia, which is where the show takes place. The main character is Lady Sarah Ashley, an English aristocrat who travels halfway around the world to confront her wayward husband and sell a ranch called “Faraway Downs.” After her husband dies though, and ruthless cattle baron King Carney plans to take her land, Ashley joins forces with a cattle drover to protect the ranch.

IMDb score: 6.9

Take a glimpse into a new side of the story in The American Revolution, one of the best war shows. In this series, learn about the unsung heroes and their history in our fight for independence. One such hero is Joseph Warren, America’s least remembered founding father, or Nancy Hart a patriot spy who disguised herself as a man and wandered through British encampments gathering information.

IMDb score: 6.8

You’ve probably seen this as a video game, but there is also a TV series out about Halo. The series is an American military science fiction series that is based on the video game franchise, following a 26th-century war between the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant. The Covenant is a theocratic-military alliance of several advanced alien races that are determined to eradicate the human race and lead to an addictive television series.

IMDb score: 7.2

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Set during World War II, World on Fire follows the intertwined lives of ordinary civilians across Europe. For instance, meet an English translator in Warsaw who is attempting to smuggle his Polish lover back to Manchester, or an American war correspondent who makes a discovery at the Polish-German border and runs up against censorship in Germany. United by trying to survive in tough circumstances, the characters may be vastly different, but we are all connected in the end.

IMDb score: 7.3

Vikings: Valhalla is a spin-off of the famous show Vikings, one of the best war shows, and is set more than 100 years after the events of the original show. Set in England, tensions between descendants of the Vikings and native English are reaching a bloody breaking point, while the Norse also spend time clashing against each other over conflicting Christian and Pagan beliefs.

IMDb score: 7.3

Based on the novel by William Brinkley, The Last Ship gives another perspective of a deadly virus that sweeps across the Earth. In this series, the USS Nathan James is en route to the Arctic and must stay at sea to save humanity from extinction. A virus has wiped out more than half the population since the ship embarked, and now it is up to the crew (virologist Dr. Rachel Scott) to develop a vaccine at sea and provide relief from a war on death.

IMDb score: 7.4

Also based on a book, The Long Road Home focuses on the heroism on the front lines of the Iraq War and dramatizes what happened on the battlefield. The eight-episode series cuts between Iraq and the homefront in Texas where families wait for 48 agonizing hours on April 4, 2004, also known as “Black Sunday” when the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood was brutally ambushed.

IMDb score: 7.4

Based on the best-selling novel by Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See is one of the best war shows that weaves two seemingly completely different people’s lives together, all set against the backdrop of World War II. One character is Marie-Laure who lives with her reclusive great uncle in a tall house by the sea, while the other is Werner Pfennig who becomes an expert at building instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance.

IMDb score: 7.5

It’s World War II, and the mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb is the main mission of America as the war rages on across the ocean and land. Manhattan follows the project’s brilliant but flawed scientists and their families living in New Mexico as they try to live in a world where secrets and lies seep into every aspect of their lives.

IMDb score: 7.7

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One of the better-known best war shows is Hogan’s Heroes, with its fictional hilarity in a Nazi P.O.W. prison camp. Focusing on Stalag 13, a camp set aside for U.S. resistance fighters that is overseen by the bumbling Colonel Klink, the prisoners may have an abnormal number of perks at the camp, they are constantly trying to mess with the Germans while simultaneously trying to help the Allies from within.

IMDb score: 7.8

This is probably one of my favorite war shows on this list, and my dad and I love to watch this show together. SEAL Team is about the Navy SEALs, focusing on one specific unit and how the pressures of the job can take a toll on the special operations forces’ most elite unit. The unit trains, plans, and executes some of the most dangerous missions around the globe, putting a strain on both the unit and the families they leave at home.

IMDb score: 7.8

If you enjoy a touch of historical perspective while watching your shows, you should check out Rise of Empires: Ottoman. The series follows Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II as he wages an epic campaign to take the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, shaping the course of history for centuries and creating one of the first sprawling empires in the world.

IMDb score: 7.9

Staying in the past, our next best war show is The Pillars of the Earth, set in 12th-century England when a mysterious secret disrupts the succession to the English throne and an unlikely member of King Henry’s family assumes power. The war aspect comes within the family, as battles are waged for the rightful heir and we learn more about the people surrounding the royal family and how the long-hidden secret is revealed.

IMDb score: 8

The Unit is similar to the SEAL Team in that the men are part of a covert team of Special Forces operatives that must complete dangerous undercover missions around the globe, leaving their families at home to maintain their other lives. Part of the show tries to focus on how the group’s mission affects those left at home.

IMDb score: 8.1

Based on the novel by former British SAS officer Chris Ryan, Strike Back follows the exploits of two ex-military men in the present day, who are bound by a tragedy from their pasts. John Porter, a former SAS sergeant, and Hugh Collinson, an ex-M16 agent must come together when called upon to right wrongs around the world, years after their tragic memory occurred.

IMDb score: 8.1

Dive deep into the world of King Henry VIII’s life during the early years of his nearly 40-year reign from 1509 to 1547 in The Tudors. The series not only looks at Henry’s famous female companions such as Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn, but also delves into his relationships with figures like Sir Thomas More, Cardinal Wolsey, and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

IMDb score: 8.1

Based on true events, Rogue Heroes is set during World War II when eccentric young officer David Stirling is hospitalized in Cairo after a training accident. Instead of jumping back into a routine, he fights for permission to recruit the toughest, boldest, and brightest soldiers for a small undercover mission that will create mayhem behind enemy lines. Even though the team is flawed and complicated, there is one thing that stands true — they are astonishingly brave and heroic.

IMDb score: 8.1

Based on the novel by Alexander Rose, TURN: Washington’s Spies is a Revolutionary War drama that goes beyond the battlefront to delve into the world of normal men and women and the double agents, covert operations, and code-breaking that are happening behind closed doors. Abe Woodhull, a young farmer who is torn about his Tory background, ends up creating the Culper Ring with his friends; a spy network that sniffs out British military strategy for General Washington himself.

IMDb score: 8.1

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A brilliant adaptation of Shakespeare’s tetralogy of history plays (King Richard II, King Henry IV: Part 1, King Henry: Part 2, and King Henry V) appears in The Hollow Crown, which chronicles a continuous period in British history from the end of the 14th century to the aftermath of the Battle in Agincourt in 1415. Watch as themes of power struggles, family conflict, betrayal, and redemption appear several times throughout the series.

IMDb score: 8.2

A 10-part miniseries, The Pacific is based upon the accounts of Marines in World War II, following the intertwined journeys of three U.S. Marines — Pfcs. Robert Leckie and Eugene B. Sledge, and Sgt. John Basilone. Join the three for their first battle against Japan on Guadalcanal, then across the sands of Iwo Jima and the horror of Okinawa, and finally their triumphant return after V-J Day.

IMDb score: 8.3

Delve into the microhistory of Anne Frank in A Small Light, which tells the inspiring real-life story of Miep Gies, who played a critical role in hiding Anne Frank and her family during the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is one of the best war shows if you want a better insight into one of the deadliest wars in history.

IMDb score: 8.4

This seven-part miniseries follows the nonfiction book by Evan Wright as highly trained young Marines of the First Reconnaissance Battalion struggle with inadequate supplies, bureaucratic tape, and poor communication as they delve into Baghdad during the first weeks of the war in Iraq.

IMDb score: 8.5

Another well-known best war show is M*A*S*H*, where members of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital care for the injured during the Korean War, using humor to escape both the horror and depression of the current situation. Meet several characters that work within the hospital, along with the revolving door of soldiers that need fixing.

IMDb score: 8.5

Dive into the old world with Vikings, one of the best war shows. The story follows Viking Ragnar Lothbrok who becomes increasingly frustrated with his local chieftain and decides to take matters into his own hands by creating a faster boat to make it to the Western world, to plunder and get rich. Meet other characters of the tribe, along with the things that make the Vikings so unique to history.

IMDb score: 8.5

With World War II in the background, Foyle’s War focuses on the trouble right outside Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle’s door. Battling the black market, profiteering, and murder, he is dogged in his pursuit of justice and continues to do so after the war, especially focusing on the world of espionage.

IMDb score: 8.6

Surround yourself in the world of Rome, a series focused on two Roman soldiers who are caught up in the historical events of an era that included the death of a republic and the birth of an empire well all know. They must encounter war, political intrigue, assassinations, family tragedies, and of course famous historical figures such as Gaius Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, Gaius Octavian, and Cleopatra.

IMDb score: 8.7

The Vietnam War is a ten-part documentary series that provides firsthand accounts of the Vietnam War from nearly eighty witnesses, including Americans who fought in the war, some who opposed it, Vietnamese combatants, and civilians from both sides. It allows viewers to see all sides of the conflict, and learn a little more about such a controversial war.

IMDb score: 9.1

Another documentary series about a war is The World at War, which gives a historical account of the events of World War II from its roots in the 1920s to the aftermath and the lives it profoundly influenced. The series spans over twenty-six parts, so you’ll be able to get a deep understanding of WWII.

IMDb score: 9.2

The number one best war show is Band of Brothers, originally broadcast on HBO, which tells the story of the Easy Company, 605th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. The series chronicles the experiences of these young men who achieved extraordinary bravery and fear, all taken from interviews with the survivors as well as soldiers’ journals and letters.

IMDb score: 9.4

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