A miniseries centering on the complicated history leading up to and during the American Civil War is likely not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Patrick Swayze. And yet, North and South is considered one of the best historical epics ever produced for television, and is the seventh highest-rated miniseries of all time, according to the Tribune-Star. Swayze stars as southerner Orry Main opposite James Read‘s northern counterpart, George Hazzard. The pair quickly become close friends while at West Point together in the 1840s, but tensions rise as history continues. If you’re in the mood for an epic exploration of the social and political moves that led to one of America’s bloodiest conflicts, then North and South is for you.