Watch History TV Shows Online

Thanks to the enthusiasm of history buffs, historical nonfiction has been a staple of cable programming since the explosion of new cable networks in the 1990s. In the late 1990s, historical programming was everywhere - it even had its own network in The History Channel - and you could be sure to find a documentary about World War II or the Civil War somewhere on your TV dial, no matter the time of day or night.

The History Channel debuted back in 1995, and in the beginning the network's programming was made up entirely of historical documentaries. The bulk of the programming focused on U.S. history, and there was an emphasis on military history. After a rebranding in 2008 that shortened the network's name to simply "History," the programming focus changed, as well. Historical documentaries still appear on occasion, but the majority of History's programming is reality-style series, pseudo-documentary paranormal series and other non-history-related nonfiction programs.

Despite History's deviation from its original mission, there's still plenty of historical nonfiction television being produced. Other cable networks such as the National Geographic Channel, History's spin-off Military History and FYI (formerly The Biography Channel) still air historical nonfiction specials, and historical subjects are still popular as specials on PBS and as stand-alone, independently produced features.

    Masters of the Air
    Masters of the Air
    The Chosen
    The Chosen
    Peaky Blinders
    Peaky Blinders
    Dark Side of the Ring
    Dark Side of the Ring
    Finding Your Roots
    Finding Your Roots
    Downton Abbey
    Downton Abbey
    Wu-Tang: An American Saga
    Wu-Tang: An American Saga
    American Experience
    American Experience
    The Civil War: A Film By Ken Burns
    The Civil War: A Film By Ken Burns
    Warrior
    Warrior
    Time Team
    Time Team
    The Long Song
    The Long Song
    John Adams
    John Adams
    The White Queen
    The White Queen
    Air Disasters
    Air Disasters
    Gangsters: America's Most Evil
    Gangsters: America's Most Evil
    The Great
    The Great
    Pearl Harbor
    The Wild West
    The Wild West
    Drunk History
    Drunk History
    Ken Burns: Jazz
    Ken Burns: Jazz
    Roots: The Next Generations
    Roots: The Next Generations
    Jackie Robinson
    Jackie Robinson
    Outback Opal Hunters
    Outback Opal Hunters
    Mysteries at the Museum
    Mysteries at the Museum
    Domina
    Domina
    Wolf Hall
    Wolf Hall
    Mobsters
    Mobsters
    Ken Burns: America
    Ken Burns: America
    The Bible
    The Bible
    History of Christianity
    History of Christianity
    The American Revolution
    The American Revolution
    Elizabeth R
    Elizabeth R
    Ken Burns: Prohibition
    Ken Burns: Prohibition
    Middlemarch
    Middlemarch
    Earth at Night in Color
    Earth at Night in Color
    The World Wars
    The World Wars
    Hemingway
    Hemingway
    Ozzy and Jack's World Detour
    Ozzy and Jack's World Detour
    The Six Wives of Henry VIII
    The Six Wives of Henry VIII
    Found
    Found
    TUT
    TUT
    Sons of Liberty
    Sons of Liberty
    Joseph Smith Papers
    Joseph Smith Papers
    A Small Light
    A Small Light
    The Tesla Files
    The Tesla Files
    Catherine The Great
    Catherine The Great
    RFDS Royal Flying Doctor Service
    RFDS Royal Flying Doctor Service
    Million Dollar American Princesses
    Million Dollar American Princesses
    Les Miserables
    Les Miserables
    The Selection: Special Operations Experiment
    The Selection: Special Operations Experiment
    The Scholar Who Walks the Night
    The Scholar Who Walks the Night
    Hitler: The Rise and Fall
    Hitler: The Rise and Fall
    A Crime to Remember
    A Crime to Remember
    Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
    Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
    The Knights Templar
    The Knights Templar
    Forbidden History
    Forbidden History
    Underground Railroad
    Underground Railroad
    Mr. Selfridge
    Mr. Selfridge
    The Toys That Made Us
    The Toys That Made Us
    Mysteries of the Abandoned
    Mysteries of the Abandoned
    The Roosevelts: An Intimate History
    The Roosevelts: An Intimate History
    Washington
    Washington
    The Men Who Built America
    The Men Who Built America
    Bomb Girls
    Bomb Girls
    Apocalypse: WWI
    Apocalypse: WWI
    Seven Deadly Sins (2009)
    Seven Deadly Sins (2009)
    Walking with Prehistoric Beasts
    Walking with Prehistoric Beasts
    My Classic Car
    My Classic Car
    American Experience: We Shall Remain
    American Experience: We Shall Remain
    The Story of Diana
    The Story of Diana
    Eating History
    Eating History
    Troy: Fall of a City
    Troy: Fall of a City
    Genealogy Roadshow
    Genealogy Roadshow
    I Killed My BFF
    I Killed My BFF
    Weird But True!
    Weird But True!
    Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
    Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
    The Lost World
    The Lost World
    NOVA: Becoming Human
    NOVA: Becoming Human
    The Right Stuff
    The Right Stuff
    Soviet Storm: WWII in the East
    Soviet Storm: WWII in the East
    Lillie
    Lillie
    Land Girls
    Land Girls
    History Specials
    History Specials
    The Making of The Mob
    The Making of The Mob
    Shakespeare Uncovered
    Shakespeare Uncovered
    LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy
    LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy
    Battle of Little Bighorn
    Battle of Little Bighorn
    The Seventies
    The Seventies
    America Unearthed
    America Unearthed
    Angels Among Us
    Angels Among Us
    America in Color
    America in Color
    Home Fires
    Home Fires
    History's Mysteries
    History's Mysteries
    The Red Tent
    The Red Tent
    The Manners of Downton Abbey
    The Manners of Downton Abbey
    History's Greatest Heists With Pierce Brosnan
    History's Greatest Heists With Pierce Brosnan
    History 101
    History 101
    Disasters at Sea
    Disasters at Sea
    After Hitler: The Untold Story
    After Hitler: The Untold Story