5 Best Alternate History TV Shows You Can Stream Right Now

Alternate history TV shows are a unique blend of imagination and humanity's past. They invite you to explore what might have been. At the core of alternate history is a simple question: what if a key moment in history had gone differently? A single change in our past could have altered so much, from technology, politics, and culture to the simple daily lives of ordinary people. This creative twist on real events lets you step into a world that feels and looks familiar, yet profoundly different.

If you're ready to step sideways into timelines where history took a daring turn, you're in the right place. Below, you can read about five of the most compelling alternate history TV shows you can stream right now. Discover stories where the moon landing happened differently, empires rise again, and certain battles reshape the world in both thrilling and unsettling ways. Each of the listed TV series offers a different turn on the "what if" question. Some of our picks are criminally underrated series that you must watch.

The must-watch sci-fi series "For All Mankind" reimagines history from a single, bold divergence: what if the Soviet Union landed on the Moon first in 1969? That would be a moment that started a radically different timeline. The creators of this show imagined a world where the space race never ended. The U.S. doubled down on space exploration, with NASA, its astronauts, and engineers racing alongside ever-rising political and social stakes. The series unfolds across decades, allowing us to follow not only the astronauts but also their families, as we understand the toll that a never-ending space race would take on humanity.

From the very first season, For All Mankind struck a chord with the audience. Although the first season generated solid reviews, the third and fourth seasons earned almost perfect scores on different review aggregator websites. Both critics and viewers love the show for its ambitious premise, but also for the excellent portrayal of human identity and resilience. In this series, space is not a destination, but a mirror that reflects humanity's fears, hopes, and what might have been. Needless to say, this is one of the most successful alternate history series yet, with the fifth season and a spinoff around the corner.

The 2024 series Shogun is the new Game of Thrones. It reimagines the political intrigue, cultural collision, and personal survival in early 17th-century Japan. Based on the book of the same name, written in 1975 by James Clavell, this show centers around three figures whose destinies collide. The story follows a powerful warlord, a shipwrecked English sailor, and a noblewoman who's also a translator. All these characters are caught between loyalty, faith, and the world in which they have trouble fitting in.

Although it started as a "limited series," Shogun had immediate and broad success, which secured approval for additional seasons. Both critics and viewers seemingly loved the show equally. They hail its visual richness, immersive world-building, and cultural respect, calling Shogun an "epic adaptation" that surpasses the earlier, 1980 version of the series. Viewers especially appreciate that the 2024 series offers a Japanese viewpoint on the events, which enhances the cultural and world-building experience. This series stands as one of those that emotionally resonates with the audience.

The Man in the High Castle is an underrated resistance drama that tells a grim and dark story of what would happen if the Axis powers won World War II. Set in 1962, the United States has been carved into zones controlled by victorious Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Into this oppressive world comes a shocking hope in the form of underground films that show an alternate reality, one where the Allies won. Our hero, Juliana Crain, and her companions become entangled in a dangerous quest to find the source of the films. They risk everything to find out the truth, and perhaps a path to freedom.

This series is loosely based on the novel with the same title, written by the famous author Philip K. Dick. After the initial seasons, the series diverges from the novel, and starts introducing new characters, storylines, and geopolitical threats far beyond the novel's scope. Some elements of the original philosophical subtlety give way to a sprawling, character-driven dystopian saga. Both critics and the audience responded strongly to the Man in the High Castle series. The show was lauded for its immersive world-building, chilling vision of dystopian America, dramatic tension, and moral complexity.

SS-GB is a tense, moody alternate history that plunges us into yet another chilling "what if the Nazis won" scenario. While in the real world Hitler failed to assassinate Churchill, this time, the Germans won the Battle of Britain, invaded the UK, occupied London, and executed Churchill. This series is also an adaptation of a novel written by Len Deighton in which swastikas adorn the London buildings, while roadblocks and SS patrols are part of everyday life. But this is only a backdrop for a story in which a Scotland Yard detective, Douglas Archer, investigates a seemingly simple murder. Yet he finds himself in a world of political intrigue, resistance activity, and moral compromise.

Many viewers responded positively to the show, and they praised it for the atmospheric recreation of Nazi-occupied London, noir-style tension, and moral complexity at the heart of Archer's story. However, some viewers mind the slow pacing and the quiet dialogue. But SS-GB isn't just a speculative thriller that uses alternate history as a spectacle. Instead, it explores possible collaborations, resistance, and the price of survival under tyranny.

The Plot Against America is an HBO miniseries you can binge on Max. In only six episodes, it manages to grip the audience in a thrilling drama that reimagines the United States on the brink of fascism during World War II. Set in 1940, the plot follows the aftermath of presidential elections in which a famed aviator, Charles Lindbergh, defeated Franklin D. Roosevelt. Once in power, Lindbergh leads the country toward authoritarianism and bigotry. The society is being reshaped, and the Jewish family of the Levin brothers, whose story the audience follows intimately, experiences this transformation firsthand.

The Plot Against America follows the general narrative of Philip Roth's 2004 novel of the same title, but creates its own premise, plot choices, and pacing. These alterations to the source material were deliberate in order to create a more engaging and enriched storyline. Critics loved the rich period details, emotional resonance, and the relevance of this miniseries, enough to score it 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The show didn't leave the viewers indifferent either. They were reminded how fragile democratic norms can be when confronted with charismatic demagogues and rising intolerance.