The Best Historical Dramas to Watch on Netflix Right Now


In 1667, 28-year-old all-powerful king of France, Louis XIV, decides to build the greatest palace in the world - Versailles. But drained budget, affairs and political intrigues complicate things.
In 1667, 28-year-old all-powerful king of France, Louis XIV, decides to build the greatest palace in the world - Versailles. But drained budget, affairs and political intrigues complicate things.
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Episode 1
53 mins
Philippe returns to Versailles with his prisoner, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold, who resumes his secret affair with the queen. A truce is called and a lavish banquet is held for him but Madame de Montespan is excluded and takes her revenge by discrediting the king's pious companion, Françoise de Maintenon. To win over the suffering populace, Louis installs street lighting and sewerage, bringing on side ex-soldier Guillaume as shoemaker to the court. However, Guillaume is unhappy when his brother is amongst those selected by Philippe, now appointed to the king's council, to colonize the Americas, along with a mysterious duke, of whose existence no record exists.

Judah Ben Hur and Messala are best friends, growing up together in Roman-occupied Jerusalem. Messala is torn from the Hur family by his estranged father and taken to Rome for military training but returns to Jerusalem years later in charge of the Roman garrison. When Ben Hur's family is blamed for an uprising during Pontius Pilate's arrival, Messala makes an example of them, sending Ben Hur to the galleys and his sister and mother to prison. After three years in the torturous galleys as a slave rower, his desire for revenge growing by the day, Ben Hur returns to Jerusalem to settle the score between him and Messala in a tense and exhilarating chariot race that tests their characters to the maximum.

Comedian Joe Lycett and a celebrity guest spend 48 hours in a popular city around the world.


Big Ballet follows a troupe of plus-size amateur dancers as they attempt to realise their dream of dancing Swan Lake. Rebellious dance legend Wayne Sleep was the shortest dancer ever to make his debut on the Royal Ballet stage and now he wants to unlock the world of ballet for a wider audience and break one of the biggest taboos in ballet: size. Under the watchful eye of Wayne and prima ballerina Monica Loughman, the dancers attempt to do what some experts say is impossible.

Chasing the Sun follows adventure-seeker, former Pro surfer, and international model Stephen Jake Friedman (The Blueprint, Fox Networks) as he travels the world. The series tells stories through the locals Stephen meets.