20 Best Biography TV Shows on Amazon Prime Video 2026
Discover gripping biography and history series on Prime Video, from Des and Versailles to Theodore Roosevelt, with fresh picks updated regularly.
If you’re hunting for the best biography TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, this list gives you a smart mix of royal drama, true-crime tension, and larger-than-life historical storytelling. You’ll find the bold fantasy-and-history blend of Da Vinci’s Demons, the chilling real-life case behind Des, and the backstage spectacle of Biography: WWE Legends. Fans of period intrigue can dive into Versailles, A Very English Scandal, and Harald og Sonja, while Theodore Roosevelt adds a sweeping political edge. There’s also The Boys of St. Vincent for a harder, more serious watch, so the range feels broad without losing focus.
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01
Des
biography · crime · drama · history · thriller
The story of one of the most infamous cases in UK criminal history, that of serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Told through the prism of three men, the series explores the personal and professional consequences of coming into contact with a man like Nilsen.
Directed by Lewis ArnoldCast David Tennant, Daniel Mays, Jason Watkins, Ron Cook, Barry WardAmazon Prime VideoAMC+Freevee -
02
Da Vinci's Demons
adventure · biography · drama · fantasy · history · mystery · romance
The series follows the "untold" story of Leonardo Da Vinci: the genius during his early years in Renaissance Florence. As a 25-year old artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time as he begins to not only see the future, but invent it.
Directed by Peter Hoar, MJ Bassett, David S. Goyer, Jamie Payne, Paul WilmshurstCast Tom Riley, Gregg Chilingirian, Eros V, Laura Haddock, Blake RitsonAmazon Prime VideoStarzPeacock PremiumFreevee -
03
Biography: WWE Legends
documentary · biography · sport
The stories behind some of the most memorable WWE Superstars of all time.
Directed by Pete McKinny, Joe Lavine, George Roy, Matt Laffey, Ross HockrowCast Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jim Ross, Eric Bischoff, Jimmy HartAmazon Prime VideoHulu -
04
The Boys of St. Vincent
biography · drama
The true story of boys being sexually abused at their orphanage, run by a religious community in Newfoundland.
Directed by John N. SmithCast Henry Czerny, Johnny Morina, Brian Dooley, Philip Dinn, Brian DoddAmazon Prime Video -
05
Versailles
biography · drama · history · romance · war
The story of a young Louis XIV on his journey to become the most powerful monarch in Europe, from his battles with the fronde through his development into the Sun King. Historical and fictional characters guide us in a world of betrayal and political maneuvering, revealing Versailles in all its glory and brutality.
Directed by Christian Langlois, Thomas Vincent, Richard Clark, Daniel Roby, Christoph SchreweCast George Blagden, Alexander Vlahos, Tygh Runyan, Stuart Bowman, Evan WilliamsAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
06
Theodore Roosevelt
documentary · biography · history
The two-part premium miniseries event on Theodore Roosevelt, the first modern President of the United States, will provide a rich, panoramic biography weaving Roosevelt's captivating personal story while revealing little-known truths behind his expansive curiosity, restless spirit and the profound, lasting impact he has had on the country.
Directed by Malcolm VenvilleCast Rufus Jones, Marco Mintaka, Mark Elderkin, Shane John Kruger, Greg KriekNetflixAmazon Prime VideoHulu -
07
Harald og Sonja
biography · drama · history
A lavish royal drama that tells the incredible love story of King Harald and Queen Sonja, and how their love almost plunged Norway into a constitutional crisis.
Directed by Vibeke IdsøeCast Sindre Strand Offerdal, Gina Bernhoft Gørvell, Anders Baasmo, Anneke von der Lippe, Tine Nygård BentsenAmazon Prime Video -
08
A Very English Scandal
biography · comedy · crime · drama · history
It's the late 1960s, homosexuality has only just been legalised and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party, has a secret he's desperate to hide.
Directed by Stephen FrearsCast Hugh Grant, Ben Whishaw, Alex Jennings, Patricia Hodge, Paul HiltonAmazon Prime Video -
09
Washington
documentary · biography · drama · history
The story of how a fatherless young soldier full of personal ambition becomes a leader of men willing to sacrifice all for the common cause. How a once-loyal British subject rises to battle an empire in a liberty-or-death campaign to forge a new nation. And then how, at the zenith of his power, the victorious general voluntarily steps down, becoming what King George III would call “the greatest man in the world.”
Directed by Matthew Ginsburg, Roel ReinéCast Nicholas Rowe, Nia Roberts, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Josh Taylor, James RobinsonNetflixAmazon Prime VideoHulu -
10
Grant
documentary · biography · history
This documentary-series examines Grant's life story using his perspective and experiences to explore a turbulent time in history: the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Directed by Malcolm VenvilleCast Justin Salinger, Carel Nel, Francis Chouler, Gabriel Harry Meltz, Barton A. MyersNetflixAmazon Prime Video -
11
Genius
biography · drama · history
The life stories of history's greatest minds. From their days as young adults to their final years we see their discoveries, loves, relationships, causes, flaws and genius.
Directed by Kenneth Biller, Anthony Hemingway, Kevin Hooks, Crystle Roberson Dorsey, James HawesCast Samantha Colley, Seth Gabel, Antonio Banderas, Clémence Poésy, T.R. KnightAmazon Prime Video -
12
Abraham Lincoln
documentary · biography · drama · history · war
The true story of America's iconic 16th president as told by weaving together both scripted dramatizations of important moments in his life and commentary by authoritative historians and public figures.
Directed by Malcolm VenvilleCast Graham Sibley, Stefan Adegbola, Jenny Stead, Andre Jacobs, Colin MossNetflixAmazon Prime VideoHulu -
13
Napoléon
adventure · biography · drama · history · romance · war
A masterful soldier, tactician and statesmen, Napoleon Bonaparte's courage and love for his country sees him rise from an unpaid general consumed with ambition to the most powerful man in Europe, then his fall, and exile.
Directed by Yves SimoneauCast Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu, John Malkovich, Anouk AiméeAmazon Prime Video -
14
Medici
biography · drama · history · mystery · romance · thriller
The story of the Medici family of Florence, their ascent from simple merchants to power brokers sparking an economic and cultural revolution. Along the way, they also accrue a long list of powerful enemies.
Directed by Christian Duguay, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Jon Cassar, Jan MicheliniCast Daniel Sharman, Alessandra Mastronardi, Synnove Karlsen, Sebastian De Souza, Pietro RagusaAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
15
Toast
biography · comedy · drama · romance
Young Nigel Slater has big culinary aspirations, even though all his mother knows how to make is toast. When his mother dies, relations grow strained between Nigel and his father, especially when he remarries a woman who wins his heart with a lemon meringue pie. Nigel enters culinary school, starts working in a pub, and finds himself competing with his stepmother - both in the kitchen and for his father's attention.
Directed by S.J. ClarksonCast Oscar Kennedy, Victoria Hamilton, Colin Prockter, Ken Stott, Matthew McNultyAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
16
Myth Hunters
documentary · biography · history
Myth Hunters reveals true stories of quests seeking legendary objects – hordes of lost Spanish gold, the Temple of Solomon, the body of King Arthur, the relics of Joan of Arc; objects that offer their finder either unlimited power or wealth - or both
Directed by Gerry Pomeroy, Elliot McCaffrey, Jo Locke, Nick Davidson, Ned ParkerCast Chris Wilson, Laura Frances-Martin, Klemens Koehring, Ross Owen Williams, Jozef AokiAmazon Prime Video -
17
A Small Light
biography · drama · history · war
Twentysomething Miep Gies didn't hesitate when her boss Otto Frank came to her and asked her to hide his family from the Nazis during World War II. For the next two years, Miep, her husband Jan, and the other helpers watched over the eight souls in hiding in the Secret Annex. And it was Miep who found Anne’s Diary and kept it safe so Otto, the only one of the eight who survived, could later share it with the world as one of the most powerful accounts of the Holocaust.
Directed by Susanna Fogel, Tony Phelan, Leslie HopeCast Bel Powley, Joe Cole, Amira Casar, Billie Boullet, Ashley BrookeAmazon Prime Video -
18
The F.B.I. Files
documentary · biography · crime · drama · history · mystery · thriller
Witness the crime busting techniques and forensic science used by the FBI to break the most baffling cases. From crime scene analysis to the most up-to-date laboratories, FBI agents relentlessly comb through mountains of evidence to narrow their search, ultimately prevailing over the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Directed by Joe Wiecha, Stuart Taylor, David Haycox, Jeffrey Fine, Bertrand MorinCast Bob Featherer, Boe Bostjancic, Paul Fleetwood, Nick Pizzillo, Mark SoleskyAmazon Prime VideoHuluPeacock Premium -
19
Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix
biography
Now she's ready to tell her side of the story...
Directed by Clare BradburyCast Jesy NelsonAmazon Prime Video -
20
Gangsters: America's Most Evil
documentary · biography · crime
A cinematic documentary series that explores the rise and fall of some of the most nefarious and notorious criminals brought to justice by the United States government. From thugs to lethal beauties, outlaws to kingpins, each episode profiles these gangsters and reveals their sinister motives, transgressions and the circumstances that eventually led to their downfall.
Directed by Sapna ChhabraCast I. Elijah Baughman, Mandell Frazier, Armar Gonsalves, Vince Romo, Sean CazadesAmazon Prime VideoHuluPeacock Premium
Wrapping Up
What makes this collection worth bookmarking is the range: it covers rulers, rebels, entertainers, and real events that still feel relevant years later. Whether you want a tense investigation, a lavish court drama, or a character study rooted in history, these picks make it easy to find something that fits your mood. The page is updated regularly, so it’s worth coming back as the Prime Video catalog changes. If you’re building a watchlist, this is a reliable place to start and return to.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
Do I need a Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Amazon Prime Video. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
How are these biography shows ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the biography titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.
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Last updated: September 11, 2026