Last week, history buffs got a hotly anticipated miniseries in the form of Netflix’s latest drop, “Death by Lightning,” an electric four-part drama starring Michael Shannon as America’s 20th president James Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as Charles Guiteau, the man who would go on to assassinate him.
The Mike Makowsky-created series is packed with all of the hallmarks of a good historical drama: period-perfect production design, a star-studded ensemble (Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin and Bradley Whitford are also featured) and, most important of all, a drawn-from-the-history-books story that would seem preposterous if it weren’t real life.
‘John Adams’
Emmy winner Paul Giamatti is the titular president (America’s second) in this 2008 HBO miniseries, which chronicles John Adams’ vital role as one of the founding fathers of the United States, played out across seven hourlong installments.
Based on the 2001 biography by David McCullough and adapted by screenwriter Kirk Ellis and director Tom Hooper, the acclaimed TV biopic delves into important moments in the life of not only Adams but America itself, from the Boston Massacre of 1770 to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to his service as the first Vice President and second President of the United States.
The series — which also starred Laura Linney as Abigail Adams, Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson, David Morse as George Washington, Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin and Rufus Sewell as Alexander Hamilton — was an awards juggernaut during its run, winning 13 Emmys, four Golden Globes and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, with particular praise given to Giamatti and Linney’s lead performances.
Watch “John Adams” on HBO Max now
‘The Kennedys’
Jumping to a much more recent era in American history is “The Kennedys,” the eight-part 2011 miniseries detailing the triumphs and tragedies of one of the most powerful and popular dynasties on Earth.
The lives, loves and devastating losses — it is called the “Kennedy Curse,” after all — of John F. Kennedy (played by Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear), Robert Kennedy (Barry Pepper, who received an Emmy for his performance here), Jacqueline Kennedy (Katie Holmes) and the like are relayed via the narrations of Joseph Kennedy Sr. (Tom Wilkinson), the ambitious patriarch of the famed Kennedy clan.
Earning 10 Emmy nominations and winning four overall, the drama was praised by the Boston Herald’s Mark A. Perigard as “an absorbing, addictive drama, with some authentic performances,” though some critics knocked the show for the fast-and-loose way it played with history. A four-part sequel, “The Kennedys: After Camelot,” was released in 2017.
Watch “The Kennedys” on Amazon Prime Video now
‘Manhunt’
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Like “Death by Lightning,” Apple TV’s “Manhunt” explores a shocking presidential assassination, albeit one far more infamous than the shooting of James A. Garfield. Adapted from James L. Swanson’s book “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer,” the seven-episode limited series follows Secretary of War Edwin Stanton’s high-stakes search for John Wilkes Booth and his collaborators in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Along with Emmy winner Tobias Menzies as Stanton, the “Manhunt” cast includes Hamish Linklater as the late Lincoln, Anthony Boyle as Booth, Lovie Simone as Mary Simms, Patton Oswalt as Lafayette C. Baker and Matt Walsh as Samuel Mudd, among others. The historical thriller has a solid 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the site’s critical consensus reads: “Dramatizing a flashpoint in American history with hot-blooded performances and contemporary resonance, ‘Manhunt’ transcends the trappings of wax museum recreation to deliver addicting entertainment.”
Watch “Manhunt” on Apple TV+ now