Best movies & TV Shows like Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream

In the made-up country of Alanien, King Alexander I has been overthrown while abroad. Now, he's in Vienna with his daughter, the city of his fondest memories since studying there as a boy. It doesn't take long for the charm of Vienna to work its magic on the former king: he quickly comes to terms with the new situation and is able to enjoy the Austrian capital sans all the ceremony and trappings which would otherwise accompany him on a state visit. The princess is content with preparing herself for a career as a pianist concert, while the former king takes a job as a chauffeur in the embassy of the country he once ruled. The revolutionaries are shocked; and his days in Vienna are numbered.

In 1890, Gus Sascher joins the Austrian Army and romances the impoverished girl Elsa Hofner. Elsa instead marries the wealthier officer Franz von Renner, in an attempt at social climbing.

English Lord Arthur Cavershoot is a passionate Napoleon scholar who badly neglects his wife Josephine for his obsession with the French emperor. When the cranky historian travels to a Napoleon conference in Paris, his smart spouse secretly follows him. Unnoticed by her, the city of love threatens to spark a romance between Arthur and a chorus girl.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri. Resenting Mozart for both his hedonistic lifestyle and his undeniable talent, the highly religious Salieri is gradually consumed by his jealousy and becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall, leading to a devious scheme that has dire consequences for both men.

At the turn of the 20th century, travelling salesman Virgil Smith journeys to Vienna in the hope he can sell a gramophone to Emperor Franz Joseph, whose purchase of the recent American invention could spur its popularity in Austria.

Biopic about Ludwig van Beethoven.

This inventive, exhaustive seven-hour film looks at the rise, reign and demise of Adolf Hitler. German director Hans Jürgen Syberberg, who was a child during World War II, doesn't try to recreate history to the letter. Instead, he places his actors -- many of whom play several roles -- on a stage and has them reenact events based on and inspired by Hitler's life. The action combines traditional narration and historical characters, but also idiosyncratic tweaks, like the use of puppets.

Alma Mahler's affair with the young architect Walter Gropius sets in motion a marital drama that forces her husband Gustav Mahler to seek advice from Sigmund Freud.

Kings should be treated courteously! At least, that's what famous music critic Georg thinks. But he finds himself counting pennies when his chief editor suddenly fires him from the Viennese newspaper for which he has been writing for decades. While keeping his dismissal a secret from his psychotherapist wife Johanna, whose mind is occupied solely by getting pregnant, Georg begins to plot his revenge.

Vienna, 1937, on the eve of the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany. The young and inexperienced Franz Huchel begins to learn about both the joys and hardships of life by working as an apprentice to the mutilated war veteran Otto Trsnjek in a small tobacco shop, where he meets the famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, a regular customer, who will become a valuable friend in times of chaos and uncertainty.

On June 18, 1815, several European armies, commanded by the British Duke of Wellington, faced for the last time the deposed French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in the fields of Belgium. Two hundred years later, thousands of people recreate the epic clash between two titans that history knows as the Battle of Waterloo.

Prague, 1920. Milena's father wants her to follow in his footsteps and be one of the first female doctors in Czechoslovakia, but she is determined to be a writer. She elopes to Vienna with the Jewish music critic Ernst Pollak, and starts a correspondence with Franz Kafka. She leaves Pollak and returns to Prague with her father, where she befriends and translates Kafka. As a journalist, Milena covers the 1923 Ruhr worker's strike and meets the communist architect Jaromir.

A musical based on the life and music of Johann Strauss, Jr.

Composer Johann Strauss risks his marriage over his infatuation with a beautiful singer.

The film takes place in the 18th century Austria and revolves around Prince Christian, commonly known as General Crack. His father had been a respectable member of the nobility but his mother was a gypsy. General Crack, as a soldier of fortune, spent his adult life selling his services to the highest bidder. He espouses the doubtful cause of Leopold II of Austria after demanding the sister of the emperor in marriage as well as half of gold of the Empire. Before he has finished his work, however, he meets a gypsy dancer and weds her. Complications arise when he takes his gypsy wife to the Austrian court and falls desperately in love with the emperor's sister.

This movie takes place during the premiere of Mozart's Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute). Not really depicting his entire life and loves, much of this is fictionalized scatology. Although not without basis in fact, Mozart has attained a somewhat colorful reputation and this is really just more of the same. The music is a joy, but the movie bogs down in titillation. Mozart's last days were lived in poverty and disgrace--stemming chiefly from his embracing of the Freemason stance, which was essentially a heresy in Austria and the rest of Europe at that time. None of this is depicted and even a satyr could not sustain the lifestyle Mozart has been portrayed as having here. Still, this is an interesting movie and worth a listen to.

Biographical film about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Franz is by far the smallest in the class, has blond ringlets and gets a high-pitched squeaky voice when he gets upset. Luckily, two best friends help: Gabi and Eberhard. When Franz discovers Hank Haberer's "10 rules for a real man" for himself one day, turbulence is inevitable and the friendship of the three gets into trouble.

Vienna glove-sales-lady Christel falls in love with Russian Czar Alexander. Austrian Prince Metternich tries to use this and other pleasant diversions to keep him out of the negotiation conferences of the 1815 Vienna Congress.

Russia, 1917. After the abdication of Czar Nicholas II Romanov, the struggle for power confronts allies, enemies, factions and ideas; a ruthless battle between democracy and authoritarianism that will end with the takeover of the government by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

An outlook on Wilhelm von Habsburg, an aristocrat who wanted to become the King of Ukraine and thus became an early fighter for the independence of Ukraine after World War 1.

Vienna, the 1950s. A childhood captured on 8mm film, documented by thirteen-year-old Johanna.

Glyndebourne's pulsating new production of the Waltz King's much-loved comic operetta. Its story centers on a magnificent masked ball, given by a Russian prince, that brings together all the main characters in various disguises. The three-act journey from boudoir to ballroom to jail provides ample opportunities for farce and humor, but also for genuine human emotion and a surprisingly realistic view of urban life.

German director Claus Guth´s Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy was concluded at the 2009 Salzburg Festival with Cosí fan tutte featuring a starry cast including Miah Persson, Bo Skovhus, Isabel Leonard as well as Patricia Petibon. Adam Fischer conducts the Vienna Philharmonics. Those familiar with Claus Guth´s previous work such as the psychoanalytic Nozze di Figaro, the Don Giovanni set amongst junkies in a wood in the middle of the night, the Ariadne who commits suicide on Naxos, Richard Wagners Tristan in love with Mathilde Wesendonck and a Walküre set in a miniature dolls house will know better than to expect a bubbly Mozartian comedy.

Herbert Wernicke's production of Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier", filmed live at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden on 31 January 2009. Renée Fleming is the Marschallin, Diana Damrau is Sophie, Sophie Koch is Octavian, Franz Hawlata is Baron Ochs, Franz Grundheber is Faninal, Jane Henschel is Annina, and Jonas Kaufmann is the Italian singer. Christian Thielemann conducts the Münchner Philharmoniker.

A production of Strauss' opera 'Der Rosenkavalier' performed at the Saltzburg Festival in 1984. Includes the Vienna State Opera Choir, the Philharmonic Orchestra with singers Wilma Lipp, Anna Tomowa-Sintow and Agnes Baltsa. Conducted by Herbert Von Karaja

Young Stanzi who is visiting Vienna helps a young corporal and musician to become famous for his marching song "Die Deutschmeister".

A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.

After his handler is killed, police dog Rex teams up with recently-divorced inspector Richard Moser to investigate crimes and solve mysteries on the streets of Vienna. And they sometimes get help from their two-legged friend, Inspector Stockinger.

Kottan ermittelt is an Austrian television series that was aired by Austrian television ORF between 1976 and 1984. The satirical 19-episode series about a policeman from Vienna now sports cult status. Police major Adolf Kottan was played by three actors who each gave the character a distinct 'flavor'.

Archaeologist and historian Richard Miles traces the development of Western civilization, from the first cities in Mesopotamia to the fall of the Roman Empire. In this six-part series, Miles travels through the Middle East, Egypt, Pakistan and the Mediterranean to discover how the challenges of society -- religion and politics, art and culture, war and diplomacy, technology and trade -- were dealt with and fought over in order to maintain a functioning civilization. Stories are told of disappeared, ruined and modern cities, from ancient Iraq to modern Damascus, to reveal how successes and failures of the ancients shaped the world today.

Angelika Schnell is the head of homicide and living proof that chaos is just another form of order. Nevertheless, she is a brilliant investigator - even if her methods are sometimes quite unconventional: In addition to hard facts, she also allows her distinctive inner voice to apply, which often leads to incomprehensible but very important conclusions...

Kaisermühlen Blues is an Austrian television series.

The Germanic, Britannic and other barbarian tribal wars with Rome ultimately led to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. This series is centered on the campaigns and battles with the barbarian tribes and extensive examinations of the reigns of little known Roman emperors and generals.

It was the world's last Islamic empire - a super-power of a million square miles. From its capital in Istanbul it matched the glories of Ancient Rome. And after six centuries in power it collapsed less than a hundred years ago. Rageh Omaar, who has reported from across this former empire, sets out to discover why the Ottomans have vanished from our understanding of the history of Europe. Why so few realise the importance of Ottoman history in today's Middle East. And why you have to know the Ottoman story to understand the roots of many of today's trouble spots from Palestine, Iraq and Israel to Libya, Syria, Egypt, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Simon Sebag Montefiore uncovers the three identities of the city some call the Centre of the World: Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul. This one metropolis has been the capital city of three empires - Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. Each brought its own faiths, Gods and traditions, and each left its mark on the city in its architecture, traditions and in the living faith-communities who still populate this vast modern metropolis of 14 million people.

Historian Andrew Roberts journeys through the history and geography of Europe to bring the story of Napoleon vividly to life as he retraces the footsteps of the legendary leader himself.

Lost treasure is the foundation of legends and lore, and the greatest lost treasure of all belonged to the Knights Templar. Now, from the medieval fortified cities of Europe to the holy lands of the Middle East and from a secret pirate island in the Indian ocean to America’s first great cities, renowned underwater explorer Barry Clifford and historian Scott Wolter are unearthing new evidence in an attempt to find hidden links between two of history’s most legendary sects, separated by 500 years: the medieval Knights Templar and 17th century pirates. What they learn may very well alter the course of history and lead them to treasure that’s been buried for centuries.

Simon Sebag Montefiore embarks on a fascinating journey to unlock 2,000 years of Spain's history.

Drama about the last ten years of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria.

The young Maria Theresia sees her life clearly in front of her: she will marry Franz Stephan of Lorraine and start a family of many with him. Even if Franz Stephan is not quite sure of his luck and her father, Emperor Charles VI, and his powerful advisor Prince Eugene of Savoy forge quite different plans for them. It looks quite as if the young archduchess must sacrifice her happiness to the cause of the state

Known as The Last Knight for his bravery and battle skills, the great European emperor Maximilian and his story is as spectacular as it is familiar: It is the story of a prince who must learn to be king. But above all, it is the struggle of a son who steps out of his father's shadow with the help of a most unexpected ally: Marie de Bourgogne.

Winter in Vienna. Children disappear. For now without a trace, then their bodies are found. A gift for the tabloid press. For the police a series of defeats. Politically a problem. And at the same time the long-awaited opportunity for the ambitious interior minister. The organized crime is in trouble. The child murderer must be found so that all other dirty jobs can go on.

How did 20th Century Europe's most liberal democracy fall into the hands of fascists? From Hitler's political scheming that turned Germany's parliament into a House of Cards, his War on Truth leading to book burning, and his scapegoating of minorities, this series explores in extraordinary detail the events leading up to the outbreak of World War II.

Max Liebermann, a student of Sigmund Freud, helps Detective Rheinhardt in the investigation of a series of disturbing murders around the grand cafes and opera houses of 1900s Vienna.

Eager to make his name in 19th-century Vienna, a hungry young Sigmund Freud joins a psychic and an inspector to solve a string of bloody mysteries.

This seven-hour miniseries explores the foundations of the greatest empires of all time and the incredible stories of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra.