The history of the human race is a complex and bloody one, riddled with heartbreak, conflict and mystery. As a result, it’s not surprising to see that historical dramas are becoming more prevalent in modern media, especially television.
Generally speaking, it does not matter to the audience whether a show is depicting fictionalized events or not. On television, the line between fact and fiction has become increasingly blurred, sometimes dramatizing real events to the point of fabrication for the sake of plot twists and narrative drivers, like in Downton Abbey. Whether or not a show succeeds depends simply on how well it’s telling its story.
The incorporation of real historic events also adds to these shows’ popularity due to the inherent intrigue that history presents. History buffs are delighted to see their favorite moments from history reenacted with stunning detail and even those interested in learning more about history simply need to turn on their TV for a stylized educational lesson.
Shows like Band of Brothers or Boardwalk Empire succeed because they maintain a good balance of all of these factors: remaining true to the real story, while embellishing enough to appeal to general audiences in want of a good drama.
Even religious works like the Bible have been transformed into epic televised dramas, watched by many outside the realm of each respective religion simply due to the fact that an interesting story is being told.
Intriguingly, since these stories are rooted in reality, many viewers know exactly how the show will end. Yet they choose to watch due to the large focus on characters that the audience can care about in the story. The audience watches to see how the events of the shows affect the characters, not to see the events themselves.