Billed as “an occasionally true story,” Hulu’s The Great loosely follows the rise of Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning) as she marries the depraved Russian emperor Peter (Nicholas Hoult) and soon plots her inevitable coup of the ruler. Although the series takes place in 1761, it gives a contemporary look at Catherine’s story, especially as her progressive ideals clash with the Russian royal class. Considering other past attempts to depict historical figures through TV shows, this is obviously where things go wrong.