If you've already binged Hollywood [1] on Netflix and are looking for something new, look no further! Ryan Murphy's showbiz drama imagines an alternate history [2] where a group of determined but marginalized creatives [3] managed to make a movie that changed the course of history [4]. Luckily, we don't need an alternate history to find some great movies and TV shows that might appeal to people who loved Hollywood's showbiz glamour [5] or its depictions of marginalized artists and complicated history. While some of these titles include fictional versions of real people, others imagine totally fictional worlds that are equally fascinating. Keep reading for our recommendations, and see which one should be your next must-watch!
The Artist
This Oscar-winning film tackles a period of change in Hollywood too: the shift from silent films to talkies. An established silent film star teams up with a charming newcomer to make a musical in this bittersweet love letter to cinema history.
Watch The Artist on Netflix. [6]
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
If you're dying to learn more about real-life icons of Old Hollywood, look no further than this acclaimed documentary. Hedy Lamarr was one of the most famous screen sirens of the era, but she was much more than that — namely, she was a brilliant inventor who actually invented the predecessor to wi-fi technology!
Watch Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story on Netflix. [7]
Burlesque
For a modern take on the kind of over-the-top musicals mentioned in Hollywood, check out this Christina Aguilera [8]/Cher team-up. Aguilera plays a talented young star, and Cher is the burlesque icon who helps shepherd her new protegé to stardom, albeit with some bumps along the way.
Watch Burlesque on Netflix. [9]
Hail, Caesar!
It's a more satirical take on the foibles of Old Hollywood. The slightly goofy plot revolves around a major star getting kidnapped from a film set, but the movie makes plenty of time for send-ups of iconic movie styles, including a full-scale tap number featuring Channing Tatum [10].
Watch Hail, Caesar! on Netflix. [11]
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Hollywood's fictional characters fight for equality, but in real life, you probably don't know the half of what stars like Nina Simone did. She's famed for her jazz music, but this documentary shows another side of her: the activist.
Watch What Happened, Miss Simone? on Netflix. [12]
Alias Grace
Similar to Hollywood's reimagining of history, this adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel reimagines a famous murder case as something a little more eerie than a run-of-the-mill murder. An Irish immigrant servant is accused of the murder of her boss, but in Atwood's version of events, her mysterious motivations have a strange explanation.
Watch Alias Grace on Netflix. [13]
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Darren Criss won an Emmy for this role, which is a far cry from his heroic Hollywood character. Criss plays Andrew Cunanan, the infamous serial killer responsible for multiple murders, in this dramatized version of the real-life murder of fashion icon Gianni Versace.
Watch The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Netflix. [14]
Cable Girls
For more soapy drama mixed with great fashion and a changing era, check out this Spanish drama (available with subtitles or English dubbing). A woman with a shady past changes her name and gets a job at a brand-new phone company, but she and her three new friends are in more danger than any of them expect as the world changes, and Spain is on the brink of revolution.
Watch Cable Girls on Netflix. [15]
The Crown
Much like Hollywood, this mid-century drama (packed with gorgeous costumes) focuses on the conflict between ambitious individuals and a seemingly immovable institution. Only this time, that institution is the British monarchy, and the individuals are members of the royal family who struggle between duty and independence.
Watch The Crown on Netflix. [16]
The Get Down
This musical drama from Baz Luhrmann chronicles a group of young people in the Bronx during the 1970s. Like the characters in Hollywood, these characters fight to pursue their dreams and upend the industry — in their case, it's the rise of hip-hop that changes the music world forever.
Watch The Get Down on Netflix. [17]
Glee
It's the other Ryan Murphy show that takes showbiz dreams super seriously. A group of high school misfits, many with dreams much bigger than their painfully ordinary Ohio town, form a quirky glee club and strive for showbiz glory while dealing with their own personal dramas.
Watch Glee on Netflix. [18]
GLOW
The dramedy GLOW is a different kind of "behind the curtain" showbiz tale. Loosely based on a real professional wrestling circuit from the 1980s, the series follows a group of misfits trying to revitalize their varied careers by joining the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, but fame never comes easy.
Watch GLOW on Netflix. [19]
Mad Men
One of the most acclaimed TV shows of the 2000s, the 1960s-set drama takes place in a New York ad agency. The era's racial and sexual politics are on display as a group of executives and ambitious upstarts try to claw their way to the top, no matter what the personal and professional obstacles in their way are.
Watch Mad Men on Netflix. [20]
Pose
Set in the world of 1980s drag balls, this series centres on a "house" or chosen family in the drag world, led by a trans woman and a drag emcee. The show has plenty of glitter and glamour, but the heart of the show is the relationships between the characters and their struggles to be accepted and safe in a world that's not changing quite fast enough.
Watch Pose on Netflix. [21]
Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
As the title says, this miniseries is inspired by a real woman: Madam C.J. Walker, a black woman who started out as a laundress and became the first woman to be a self-made millionaire by launching a beauty empire. It's packed with plenty of character drama alongside her history-making professional milestones, casting light on the real struggles faced during that era — and in the modern world too.
Watch Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker on Netflix. [22]