Television series
Borgia
A richly costumed drama about the Borgia family's rise to power in Renaissance Vatican. Political intrigue, poisoning, incest allegations, and brutal ambition wrapped in elaborate sets and period detail. For anyone who loves scheming nobles, moral compromise, and watching powerful people destroy each other over territory and faith.
If you liked this
The Borgias2011
Showtime's competing version with Neil Jordan's cinematic direction, Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI, and a grander sense of tragedy. If you want the same story told with more American polish and emotional weight.
But It was cancelled after three seasons, so you'll hit a narrative cliff. Also slower-paced and more brooding than propulsive.
Game of Thrones2011
The same DNA: dynastic warfare, betrayal within families, poison and politics, elaborate schemes with unexpected consequences. Vast cast, multiple factions, nobody's safe, everyone's compromised. It's essentially the Borgias with dragons.
But Vastly longer commitment. Later seasons divide opinion sharply. The fantasy element demands more suspension of disbelief.
Wolf Hall2015
Another period drama about power, faith, and survival in a corrupt court. Thomas Cromwell navigating Henry VIII's paranoia with cunning and moral flexibility. Exceptional writing and performances that make historical intrigue feel urgent and intimate.
But Densely packed with minor characters and Tudor politics. If you're not already interested in Henry VIII's reign, the detail can feel airless rather than absorbing.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Borgia
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Titus1999
Both are about the utter corruption of power and family loyalty turning into weapons. Both treat violence not as entertainment but as the brutal cost of dynastic ambition. The visual register is completely different but the moral inquiry is identical.
Julie Taymor's operatic adaptation of Shakespeare's goriest play: a Roman general's family destroyed by treachery, mutilation, and revenge. Same machinery as Borgia—power, blood, family ruin—but in stylised, almost abstract form that makes the atrocity poetic.
But Violently graphic and deeply disturbing. Deliberately artificial staging means it doesn't play as naturalistic drama. Some find it too theatrical to engage with seriously.
More like this (7)
The Tudors2007
Pulp historical drama that doesn't pretend to be anything but entertaining. Henry VIII's marriages, politics, and absolute power told with sex, violence, and genuine narrative momentum. More fun than prestige, which is exactly right.
But Historically loose and frequently ridiculous. Treats women poorly and bends facts for drama. If you need accuracy, look elsewhere.
The Crown2016
Political intrigue behind closed doors, though the throne is modern and the stakes feel more personal. Exceptional acting, meticulous production, characters trapped by duty and legacy. Same appeal as Borgia: power, family, sacrifice.
But Thirteen hours per season. Slow and contemplative rather than dramatically propulsive. Requires patience with ceremony and restraint.
Knightfall2017
Knights Templar navigating religious authority, political pressure, and their own corruption. Medieval world-building, action sequences, and the same sense of institutions crumbling from within. Pulpier than Borgia but with similar DNA.
But Cancelled mid-narrative. Tonal shifts are jarring. Quality dips noticeably in later episodes.
The Name of the Rose1986
Medieval monastery mystery that captures the intellectual and political stakes of religious authority. Umberto Eco's layered plotting, Sean Connery's presence, a world where ideas and faith are weapons. Sophisticated without being cold.
But Nearly three hours. Deliberately paced and cerebral. 1986 film stock and subtitles if you watch the original cut. Not for anyone wanting constant action.
Versailles2015
Louis XIV building absolute power through spectacle, manipulation, and strategic brilliance. Gorgeous production, strong ensemble, court politics every bit as vicious as the Vatican. French-Belgian co-production with continental sensibility.
But First season is ropey. Improves significantly after episode three. Requires you to push through a rocky start before it clicks.
A Serious Man2009
Both examine how institutional power (Vatican/suburban America) grinds individuals into moral compromise. Both ask whether virtue matters when the system is fundamentally corrupt. Both suggest the answer is probably not, and find dark comedy in that realization.
Coen Brothers' dark comedy about a man whose life collapses through forces he can't control or understand. No swords or palaces, but the same sense of inevitable moral decay, helplessness in systems rigged against you, and dark humour as the only sane response.
But Bleak and deliberately frustrating. Nothing is resolved. If you need narrative satisfaction or clear answers, you'll leave angry. Jewish identity and references may alienate viewers unfamiliar with them.
Marco Polo2014
Both are about outsiders navigating corrupt courts where your life depends on reading power correctly and your allies shift daily. Both are about serving absolute authority while maintaining your soul—and both suggest that last part might be impossible.
Netflix's expensive, cancelled-too-soon epic about power struggles in Kublai Khan's court. Gorgeous cinematography, complex political manoeuvring between empires, characters caught between loyalty and survival. Operates at a scale Borgia couldn't quite reach.
But Two seasons only. Cancelled on a cliffhanger. Takes its time in ways some find tedious. Less focused on character psychology than on pageantry and spectacle.
