The Best TV Shows on History

Every History Show Ranked From Best To Worst

History’s extensive portfolio includes more than 20 shows, spanning the years from 1993 to 2021. Highlighting History’s quality programming, Modern Marvels and Ice Road Truckers stand out, premiering in 1993 and 2007. Discover the best of History with our list of over 20 series, meticulously updated for January 2026.

  • 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)8.1

    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.

  • Modern Marvels
    Modern Marvels (1993)8.0

    HISTORY’s longest-running series moves to H2. Modern Marvels celebrates the ingenuity, invention and imagination found in the world around us. From commonplace items like ink and coffee to architectural masterpieces and engineering disasters, the hit series goes beyond the basics to provide insight and history into things we wonder about and that impact our lives. This series tells fascinating stories of the doers, the dreamers and sometime-schemers that create everyday items, technological breakthroughs and manmade wonders. The hit series goes deep to explore the leading edge of human inspiration and ambition.

  • 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.

  • American Pickers: Best Of
    American Pickers: Best Of (2017)7.8

    The best of American Pickers....

  • The Bible
    The Bible (2013)7.4

    The story of God's creation of the Earth and the landmark events leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

  • 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.

  • Alone
    Alone (2015)7.2

    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.

  • 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.

  • Ancient Aliens
    Ancient Aliens (2010)7.0

    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.

  • Knightfall
    Knightfall (2017)7.0

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

  • 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.

  • Ice Road Truckers
    Ice Road Truckers (2007)6.7

    Take a trip to Yellowknife, Canada to experience one of the most dangerous careers around. In unfathomably cold conditions, truck drivers haul equipment and supplies to miners in the Canadian tundra in the dead of winter on a 350-mile highway of ice.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • In Search Of
    In Search Of (2018)5.8

    Inspired by the iconic 1970s’ franchise, this series examines unexplained phenomena from all over the world.

  • History's Greatest Escapes with Morgan Freeman
    History's Greatest Escapes with Morgan Freeman (2021)5.6

    Morgan Freeman explores real-life prison breaks that have captured the attention of the public, showcasing an up close and personal view of what the prisoners are faced with in executing their break outs.

  • The True Story
    The True Story (2008)N/A

    The True Story is a documentary series shown on History in the United Kingdom and on the Smithsonian Channel in the US under the name The Real Story.