Right now you can watch Rise of Empires: Ottoman in Australia on Netflix and The Great Courses Signature Collection Amazon Channel, and in the US on Netflix and The Great Courses Amazon Channel — and it earns the access it was given. Across 2 seasons, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. 346 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. The access the production secured is remarkable, and it does justice to it. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Rise of Empires: Ottoman arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. What makes Rise of Empires: Ottoman work is a willingness to sit with complexity instead of resolving it neatly. Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II wages an epic campaign to take the Byzantine capital of Constantinople and shapes the course of history for centuries. Featuring Charles Dance and Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, it gets access that is hard to secure twice. The series ran for 2 seasons (2020–2022), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. Documentary work at this level requires access that is hard to get and storytelling that does justice to it — Rise of Empires: Ottoman has both. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Anyone after documentary work that genuinely informs rather than confirms will value Rise of Empires: Ottoman. The tonal similarities to Greatest Events of World War II in Colour are real, though Rise of Empires: Ottoman carves out its own identity quickly. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch if your schedule allows. The access the production gets is remarkable, and the storytelling does full justice to it. Worth watching in order, from the beginning.

Rise of Empires: Ottoman wrapped up in 2022 — and 2 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.