10 TV Shows Like East of Eden That You Should Watch in the Future.
It turns out kids absolutely adore John Steinbeck. The film adaptation of his novel , East of Eden, starring Florence Pugh and written by Zoe Kazan, was a huge hit on Netflix. This epic story spans decades in the lives of two California families on the eve of World War I. And why not? It features grand family drama and plenty of sex, set against a sweeping historical backdrop and brimming with biblical allusions, making it less of a guilty pleasure. If you’re into it, here are some more similar series to watch after you finish your marathon.
House of Spirits (2026)
One generation inevitably influences the next, for good and ill—sin and virtue alike—as perhaps most succinctly illustrated in Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Isabel Allende’s iconic novel, the film adaptations of which are featured here (remarkably, both books are among the most frequently contested in the United States). Told from the perspective of Alba (Rocha Hernández), The House of the Spirits begins in the 1970s and moves backwards as Alba explores the history of four generations of her family through the diaries of her grandmother, Clara (Dolores Fonzi). Although the country they live in is not mentioned, Allende bases everything on the real history of Chile during those decades of political violence and upheaval, as well as the triumphs and tragedies of her own family in the aftermath. Watch The House of the Spirits on Prime Video.
War and Peace (2016)
The most recent film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s epic poem, and quite a successful one. The action begins in 1805, at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, with the introduction of Pierre (Paul Danot), the idealistic illegitimate son of an oligarch; the romantic and impulsive dancer Natasha (Lily James); and the thoughtful, noble Andrei (James Norton), destined to become a soldier. Over the ensuing war years, these three and their families drift in and out of each other’s lives, and tragedy alternately unites and separates them. Watch War and Peace on Peacock and Prime Video .
Pachinko (2022 – )
Beginning in 1915, this multigenerational saga tells the story of one woman (played at various points by Youn Yu-jung and Kim Min-ha) and her family, spanning the Japanese occupation of Korea and decades of the Korean diaspora. Disabled, Soon-ji leaves her home and family in Busan to begin a new life in Japan, despite wartime racism and anti-immigrant sentiment. In a parallel narrative beginning in 1989, we see what has changed and what has remained the same for Soon-ji and her family. This journey is both personal and epic, with better location photography than most films. Watch Pachinko on Apple TV .
The Forsyte Saga (2002–2003)
I wasn’t a huge fan of the new adaptation of John Galsworthy’s novels—thoughThe Forsyte Saga has already been renewed for two more seasons, so I guess I’m in the minority. However, I’ll remind you of the 2002 miniseries starring Damian Lewis. It begins in 1884, when the mildly scandalous engagement of one of the wealthy newly minted Forsytes is overshadowed by the revelation of an affair between his cousin Joylon (Rupert Graves) and a governess, setting off an incredibly complex chain of events that haunts the family for decades. Author Galsworthy was inspired to write the series by his own extramarital affair, so drama is ingrained in the show’s DNA.Watch The Forsyte Saga on Netflix.
When Life Throws You Tangerines (2025)
An epic love story that won multiple awards at the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards (South Korea’s most prestigious entertainment awards ceremony), “When Life Throws You Tangerines ” tells the story of Oh Ae-soon (and Geum-myung, Ae-soon’s daughter and the series’ narrator), a young woman born in the 1960s on rural Jeju Island, narrated by IU. The series spans decades of her life with her friend and later lover, Yang Gwang-sik (Park Bo-gum), against the backdrop of changes in South Korea. The focus is more on Ae-soon’s own love story than some of these larger plotlines, but the scope is still immense.Watch “When Life Throws You Tangerines” on Netflix.
North and South (2004)
Not to be confused with the 1980s American Civil War miniseries North and South , this series is an adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1851 novel, following Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) and her family, who are forced to leave their Hampshire home for the industrial north of England to escape a religious scandal involving her minister father. Poor but educated, Margaret clashes with wealthy local mill owner John Thornton (Richard Armitage), whose family views her as arrogant despite her position; at the same time, her family views John and his coworkers as rude and inhumane to their workers. Despite their starkly opposed views, you won’t be surprised to see Margaret and John grow closer in the years that follow, even as their families remain separated. Watch North and South on Prime Video and Tubi .
Guinness House (2025 – )
This series, based on true events, is full of aristocratic family drama, but created by Steven Knight ( Peaky Blinders ), expect bloody fights, too. The first episode begins shortly after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, who became the richest man in Ireland by expanding the Guinness trade throughout the British Empire. Cracks begin to appear on the way to the funeral: religious leaders condemn the widespread beer drinking, while Irish republicans want to destroy the company for colluding with the Empire. Sir Benjamin’s four heirs have wildly different goals and/or hate each other, so you get the idea—lots of drama and lots of beer. The series has been renewed for a second season, so season two is on the horizon.Watch “Guinness House” on Netflix .
Roots (2016)
Alex Haley’s novel Roots is subtitled “The Saga of an American Family,” and in any of its incarnations, it’s hard to beat as an epic, historically grounded family drama. Absolutely nothing can match the cultural significance of the equally easy-to-recommend 1977 miniseries, which centers on the decades-long story of a Black family at a time when such narratives were rare on television. The 2016 version might not have had the same impact, but it works just as well, with impressive performances and a modern polish that doesn’t detract from the story’s power. While covering much of the same ground, the new version goes further, focusing on the American family at the center of the plot, spending less time introducing white viewers to the story, which begins with Kunta Kinte (Malakai Kirby), captured in Gambia and sold into slavery. There’s a legitimate debate about the prevalence of slavery stories in film and television and the purpose they serve for white audiences; while both versions of Roots are uncompromising in this regard, they also go further, addressing what came before and after. Watch Roots on Prime Video and Tubi .
The Plot Against America (2020)
A dark twist on an alternate American history, The Plot Against America asks: What if Charles Lindbergh had succeeded in his quest for political power in the 1930s, realizing his vision of an America that would follow in the footsteps of Nazi Germany by stopping the “infiltration of inferior blood” (by which he meant, primarily, Jews)? Based on the book by Philip Roth, the series weaves imagination with real history, depicting Lindbergh’s successful campaign for the U.S. presidency against Franklin D. Roosevelt, which ultimately kept the United States out of World War II—and which led to the domestic situation becoming increasingly dangerous for the Jewish family at the center of the story, which is divided between members advocating resistance, acquiescence, or active participation. Starring Morgan Spector, Zoe Kazan, Winona Ryder, and John Turturro. Watch The Plot Against America on HBO Max .
The Thorn Birds (1983)
Rarely has a flock of sheep generated so much drama, but here we have this blockbuster miniseries, adapted from Colleen McCullough’s novel in suitably grand style. Set on a sheep farm in the Australian outback, the story spans several decades of the 20th century. Rachel Ward plays Maggie Cleary, a strong but damaged young woman who becomes the de facto head of the family after her father moves from New Zealand to New South Wales to live and work on the ranch owned by her wealthy, widowed aunt, Mary (the legendary Barbara Stanwyck, whose performance still lives on in GIFs featuring the phrase “Kiss me on the lips!”). Both Mary and Maggie are in love with the same man, Ralph de Bricassart (Richard Chamberlain), who, coincidentally, is a priest. This is expensive, star-studded melodrama at its best. Buy The Thorn Birds on Prime Video.