The Best TV Shows on History

Every History Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Boasting a rich catalog, History features more than 20 shows, with broadcasting dates ranging from 2007 to 2021. The Universe and Gangland represent the pinnacle of History’s programming, launching in 2007 and 2007. Peruse our comprehensive roster of History’s top shows, encompassing over 20 distinct series as of August 2025.

  • Swamp People
    Swamp People (2010)8.1

    In the farthest corner of Louisiana lies the nation's largest swamp - a hidden world where nature rules... and man fights back. The Cajuns that live in this forbidding environment follow a tradition dating back three hundred years - the thirty day alligator hunting season.

  • Project Blue Book
    Project Blue Book (2019)8.1

    A chronicle of the true top secret U.S. Air Force-sponsored investigations into UFO-related phenomena in the 1950s and ’60s, known as “Project Blue Book”.

  • The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch
    The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch (2020)8.0

    The investigation of the world’s most mysterious hot spot for UFO and “High Strangeness” phenomena with astrophysicist Dr. Travis Taylor who joins real estate tycoon Brandon Fugal, along with his team of scientists and researchers on Utah’s notorious Skinwalker Ranch. The team utilizes cutting edge technology to investigate the 512-acre property to uncover the possibly “otherworldly” perpetrators behind it all. With everything from mysterious animal deaths to hidden underground workings and possible gateways that open to other dimensions, witness the close encounters that go beyond conventional explanation, as the team risks everything to finally reveal the ultimate secret of Skinwalker Ranch.

  • The Universe
    The Universe (2007)7.9

    From the planets to the stars and out to the edge of the unknown, history and science collide in a wondrous yet deadly adventure through space and time.

  • Forged in Fire
    Forged in Fire (2015)7.8

    Competitors re-create weapons from historical periods ranging from Japanese katanas to medieval broadswords to ancient throwing blades. Each entry is judged on its artistry as well as its functionality and accuracy.

  • History's Greatest Mysteries
    History's Greatest Mysteries (2020)7.7

    Investigates a wide range of historically compelling topics and the mysteries surrounding each including the Titanic, D.B. Cooper, Roswell, John Wilkes Booth, and more. Fresh, new evidence and perspectives will be showcased, such as never-before-released documents, personal diaries and DNA evidence.

  • The Curse of Oak Island
    The Curse of Oak Island (2014)7.3

    Follow brothers Marty and Rick Lagina through their effort to find the speculated - and as of yet undiscovered - buried treasure believed to have been concealed through extraordinary means on Oak Island.

  • SIX
    SIX (2017)7.3

    Action drama series inspired by the real missions of Navy SEAL Team Six.

  • Pawn Stars
    Pawn Stars (2009)7.1

    Go inside the colorful world of the pawn business. At the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on the outskirts of Las Vegas, generations of the Harrison family run the family business, and there’s clashing and camaraderie every step of the way.

  • Alone
    Alone (2015)7.1

    Hardcore survivalists are put by themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness, without camera crews, teams, or producers – on a single mission to stay alive for as long as possible.

  • Houdini
    Houdini (2014)7.0

    Harry Houdini emerges as America's first bonafide world-renowned superstar.

  • Knightfall
    Knightfall (2017)7.0

    Go deep into the clandestine world of the legendary brotherhood of warrior monks known as The Knights Templar.

  • Ancient Aliens
    Ancient Aliens (2010)6.9

    Did intelligent beings from outer space visit Earth thousands of years ago? From the age of the dinosaurs to ancient Egypt, from early cave drawings to continued mass sightings in the US, each episode gives historic depth to the questions, speculations, provocative controversies, first-hand accounts and grounded theories surrounding this age old debate.

  • American Pickers
    American Pickers (2010)6.9

    Pickers like Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are on a mission to recycle America, even if it means diving into countless piles of grimy junk or getting chased off a gun-wielding homeowner’s land. Hitting back roads from coast to coast, the two men earn a living by restoring forgotten relics to their former glory, transforming one person’s trash into another’s treasure.

  • The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek
    The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (2021)6.9

    In honor of the sci-fi franchise’s 55th anniversary this year and produced by The Nacelle Company, the project will feature interviews with cast, crew and experts as it explores pivotal moments in the franchise’s history, from its inception at Lucille Ball’s production company Desilu to recent film and television adaptations.

  • The UnXplained
    The UnXplained (2019)6.7

    Explore the world’s most fascinating, strange and inexplicable mysteries. Each episode features compelling contributions from scientists, historians, witnesses and experiencers—each seeking to shed light on how the seemingly impossible actually can happen.

  • American Restoration
    American Restoration (2010)6.5

    American Restoration is an American reality television series airing on the History channel. Produced by Leftfield Pictures, the series is recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at Rick's Restorations, an antique restoration shop, with its owner Rick Dale, his staff, and teenage son, as they restore various vintage items to their original condition.

  • Mountain Men
    Mountain Men (2012)6.5

    Profiles of some of the men who choose to live off the grid in the unspoiled wilderness, where dangers like mudslides, falling trees and bears are all part of everyday life.

  • Counting Cars
    Counting Cars (2012)6.5

    Danny “The Count” Koker and his team restore, customize and sell cars in a hurry, scrambling to keep their Las Vegas shop in the black. From classics to exotics, from hotrods to choppers, Danny and the crew of Count’s Kustoms will stop at nothing to find and flip the greatest rides of all time.

  • Gangland
    Gangland (2007)6.2

    Gangland was a television series that aired on The History Channel. It usually aired on Thursday evenings although it has been known to arbitrarily change days every so often. Gangland explored the history of some of America's more notorious gangs. It premiered on November 1, 2007 with a special episode about the Aryan Brotherhood. The theme song was performed by Buckshot of the Boot Camp Clik. Reruns currently air on the cable channel Spike.