The Netflix limited series is both a timely exploration of political disillusionment and a frequently amusing character drama.

Creator Mike Makowsky says he picked up the biography "at the ‘buy one, get one free’ table at Barnes & Noble"

Matthew Macfadyen, Michael Shannon, and showrunner Mike Makowsky discuss shining a light on little-known history.

Death by Lightning proves that a great story deserves an equally unforgettable soundtrack. From Hanni El Khatib’s soulful vocals to Ramin Djawadi’s sweeping score, the music breathes life into history, turning a 19th-century tragedy into something that feels brand new.

In ‘Death by Lightning,’ the audience is transported to the American political landscape of the 1880s, when the Republican Party found an unexpected champion in James Garfield. When the Ohioan congressman attends the party’s National Convention in 1881,

Death by Lightning” sticks to a refreshingly linear timeline, save for a few well-placed flashbacks that actually serve to inform the story.

Nick Offerman tells PEOPLE that he gained about 20 lbs. for his role as former United States Vice President Chester Arthur in the Netflix historical drama 'Death by Lightning.'

Hiram College will host an on-campus screening of the first episode of the series Death by Lightning, a dramatization of President James A. Garfield.