The British Actor Studded 'Death by Lightning' Will Strike Netflix in November

It's a truth universally acknowledged that there aren't enough American period dramas. Sure, U.S. audiences enjoy watching historical shows — Downton Abbey was a massive hit here, and the steadily growing success of The Gilded Age is nothing so much as a sign that we should be making more shows like it. But outside of a few rare exceptions (Manhunt, Deadwood, Turn: Washington's Spies), we just... don't. It's a significant part of the reason Netflix's forthcoming limited series, Death by Lightning, feels so exciting. A prestige series with an all-star cast telling the story of one of the most dramatic moments in U.S. presidential history? Yes, we should have more of this, thank you. 

The four-part series will arrive this November and aims to dramatize the assassination of James Garfield, the 20th U.S. president who is, unfortunately, more remembered for the manner of his death than for anything related to his life or politics. A Civil War general and former member of Congress, he was shot at a Washington, D.C. railroad station less than four months into his term, on July 2, 1881, by a man named Charles J. Guiteau. Though his wounds were not initially fatal, he suffered from sepsis and infection due to a bullet that remained lodged in his abdomen, and he died two months later in New Jersey on September 19, 1881. 

What makes this story even more bizarre, however, is that Guiteau was once one of Garfield's most ardent supporters, who essentially turned stalker after months of attempting to get the administration to give him the diplomatic post he felt he had earned during the campaign. (Spoiler alert: What he did during the campaign was basically pass out some pamphlets, so you can see why Garfield might not have viewed him but so favorably.)

Here's the series synopsis. 

Death by Lightning is a drama series that brings to life the epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield, reluctant 20th president of the United States, and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau — the man who would come to kill him.

Michael Shannon (Nine Perfect Strangers) will play President Garfield, opposite Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) as Guiteau. The series's star-studded cast also features Betty Gilpin (Elementary) as First Lady Crete Garfield, Nick Offerman (The Last of Us) as Vice President Chester Arthur, and Bradley Whitford (The Diplomat) as Secretary of State James Blaine. 

Other members of the sprawling ensemble include U.K. actors Tuppence Middleton (The Forsytes), Ben Miles (Douglas Is Cancelled), Laura Marcus (The Great Escaper), Alistair Petrie (Funny Woman), Paula Malcomson (Redemption), Archie Fisher (Boarders), Shaun Parkes (The Suspect), plus Slovian actor Željko Ivanek (The Last Duel), and American actors Kyle Soller (Poldark), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Romeo + Juliet), Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire), and Barry Shabaka Henley (Bob Hearts Abishola).

Mike Makowsky (Bad Education) adapted the four part series from Candice Millard’s 2011 non-fiction book, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. Director Matt Ross (Silicon Valley) is listed as directing installments. The series hails from executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) as part of their overall deal with Netflix. Bernie Caulfield is also an executive producer.

All episodes of Death by Lightning will premiere on Netflix on November 6, 2025.