TV's historical dramas
Historical dramas are heating up TV all year long, especially with the return of popular series "Mad Men." The corporate advertising world of 1960s New York has never looked so sleek, sexy or ruthless. Season 7 will be the last chapter for Don Draper (Jon Hamm), premiering on AMC April 13. Click through our gallery to see other favorite historical shows. 
Although the realms of Westeros are based only on the reality of author George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, some aspects of the "Game of Thrones" storyline borrow from a range of historical inspiration found in medieval Europe. Season 4 is currently airing on HBO. 
"Turn" reveals the untold story of America's first spy ring during the Revolutionary War. Jamie Bell, right, stars as Abe Woodhull, a farmer who helps to form a team of secret agents aiding George Washington. The first season is currently airing on AMC. 
"Reign" takes viewers inside the story of teenager Mary Stuart (played by Adelaide Kane), the woman who will become Mary, Queen of Scots. The seductive show is enjoying a successful first season on the CW. 
Set in Reagan-era America, FX drama "The Americans" follows KGB spies, played by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, posing as an American couple in suburban Washington. Season 2, currently airing, adds characters on both sides of the fight to the regular cast. 
Jeremy Piven brings the titlular American retail tycoon to life in ITV's "Mr. Selfridge" series, set in London in 1909. At the center of the show is the man and his department store, Selfridges. Overlapping ambition, flamboyance and affairs ensue. The second season is currently airing on PBS. 
BBC's series "Call the Midwife" delves inside the sometimes funny and moving world of midwifery alongside families in London's East End in the 1950s. The legendary Vanessa Redgrave narrates the series about young midwives played by Jessica Raine and Miranda Hart. Season 3 is currently airing on PBS. 
It's Leonardo da Vinci (Tom Riley) as you've never seen him. This fictional look at his early life is uniquely dark and fantastical. Season 2 is currently airing on Starz. 
Science is sexy on "Masters of Sex." Based on a true story, Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson's (Lizzy Caplan) research sets off the sexual revolution of the 1960s as they delve into the science behind human sexuality. Season 2 returns in July on Showtime. 
The rules were made to be broken in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire." In Atlantic City, prohibited alcohol is flowing and the Twenties are roaring. "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi) sees all from his throne built on political fixing and illegal dealing. It all comes to an end with season 5 this year. 
It's like "Pirates of the Caribbean" but darker. This new Starz drama takes place 20 years before "Treasure Island," following Captain Flint and his men as they come across thieves, prostitutes and other pirate gangs. Season 1 just wrapped, and it's been renewed for a second season. 
Don't want to be confined by time -- or space, for that matter? Hop on board BBC mainstay Doctor Who's time-traveling police box, the TARDIS. The Doctor regularly visits different periods in history and meets historical figures along the way. Vincent van Gogh, anyone? Season 8 returns with a new doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, in late 2014. Emile Zola's classic novel comes to life in this Victorian-era drama from BBC. "The Paradise" takes place in a dazzling department store that becomes the setting for romance and intrigue. Season 2 will air on PBS in the fall. 
Viewers are eager to see what happens next on beloved historical drama "Downton Abbey," but the Jazz Age-fueled season 5 won't bow in the States until January. 
Just after the Jack the Ripper murders in London's East End circa 1889, chaos and crime were rampant partners. Inspector Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) works to control it, through the brothels and filth-ridden streets of Whitechapel. "Ripper Street" was canceled by the BBC after two seasons, but Amazon has rescued the show and commissioned a third. 
Treachery and intrigue are rampant in the Five Points slums and Fifth Avenue brownstones of 1865 New York. Detective Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones) traverses both worlds. Unfortunately, BBC America's first original scripted series was canceled after two seasons, but producers are considering a movie version. 
Showtime series "The Borgias," led by Oscar winner Jeremy Irons, came to an end after three seasons. The most powerful and scheming family in Renaissance-era Italy quests for the papacy, wealth and power, using murder and deceit as stepping stones. 
We barely knew them for two seasons, but canceled 1950s BBC newsroom drama "The Hour" had star power with Ben Whishaw ("Skyfall"), Romola Garai ("Emma") and Dominic West ("The Wire"). If you can't get enough of "Mad Men," catch this one on DVD. 
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