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[Cornballer]

The Last Kingdom premieres on Saturday, October 10th at 10pm ET on BBC America. Based on Bernard Cornwell's best-selling series of books "The Saxon Stories", The Last Kingdom is a historical fiction tale covering the rise of King Alfred the Great in 9th century England. Yes, there is too much television on these days, but the early reviews have been good, and BBC spent a lot of money putting this together. The first season consists of 8 episodes and could be a lot of fun. Anyone else going to check this out?

- Full trailer (Rehost)
- "I Have Sworn an Oath" trailer
- BBC America TLK homepage (includes lots of videos)

The Last Kingdom premieres Saturday, October 10 at 10/9c. It is a contemporary story of redemption, vengeance and self-discovery set against the birth of England. This historical drama comes from BBC America, BBC Two and the Golden Globe® and Emmy® award-winning producers of Downton Abbey, Carnival Films.

Adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling series of books “The Saxon Stories,” by BAFTA nominated and RTS award-winning writer Stephen Butchard, The Last Kingdom combines real historical figures and events with fiction, re-telling the history of King Alfred the Great and his desire to unite the many separate kingdoms into what would become England.

Alexander Dreymon (American Horror Story) heads up the international cast from eleven different countries. Emily Cox (The Silent Mountain) stars as Brida, David Dawson (Peaky Blinders) as King Alfred, Rune Temte (Eddie the Eagle) as Ubba, Matthew Macfadyen (Ripper Street) as Lord Uhtred, Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) as Ravn, Ian Hart (Boardwalk Empire) as Beocca, Tobias Santelmann (Point Break) as Ragnar the Younger, Peter Gantzler (Italian For Beginners) as Earl Ragnar, Adrian Bower (Mount Pleasant) as Leofric, Joseph Millson (Penny Dreadful) as Aelfric and Henning Valin Jakobsen (The Bridge) as Storri.

Set in the 9th century AD, many of the separate kingdoms of what we now know as England have fallen to the invading Vikings, only the great Kingdom of Wessex stands defiant under its visionary King Alfred the Great (Dawson). It is the last kingdom.

Against this turbulent backdrop lives Uhtred (Dreymon). Born the son of a Saxon nobleman, he is orphaned by the Vikings and then kidnapped and raised as one of their own. Forced to choose between the country of his birth and the people of his upbringing, his loyalties are ever tested. What is he — Saxon or Viking? On a quest to claim his birthright, Uhtred must tread a dangerous path between both sides if he is to play his part in the birth of a new nation and, ultimately, recapture his ancestral lands.

The Last Kingdom is a show of heroic deeds and epic battles but with a thematic depth that embraces politics, religion, warfare, courage, love, loyalty and our universal search for identity. Combining real historical figures and events with fictional characters, it is the story of how a people combined their strength under one of the most iconic kings of history in order to reclaim their land for themselves and build a place they call home.

Characters:

Lord Uhtred - Uhtred’s father, Lord Uhtred, is a formidable fighter and leader of men, and ruler of the kingdom of Bebbanburg in Northumbria.

Uhtred - A natural warrior, Uhtred is a leader of men — fearless, instinctive, and driven by a deep-seated need to reclaim his homeland.

Alfred - As the King who dreamt of uniting the separate kingdoms of England, Alfred has integrity and true gravitas.

Brida - Fearless, gutsy, outspoken, and a born fighter, Brida feels at home in the boisterous world of the Danes.

Ubba - The most senior ranking Dane, Ubba is loud, brash, violent, playful and a little unhinged.

Earl Ragnar - A formidable and infamous Danish warlord, Earl Ragnar is fearless, charming, and a natural leader, and doesn’t hesitate to take Uhtred under his wing.

Ragnar the Younger - Uhtred’s Danish brother Ragnar the Younger, embodies the Viking way of life — freedom, passion, challenge and adventure.

Ravn - The elderly Ravn is a Viking poet and wise man who is philosophical about the struggles of the Danes.

Beocca - Uhtred’s Saxon father’s priest, Beocca, goes on to become Alfred’s most trusted advisor.

Aelfric - Aelfric is Uhtred’s uncle and usurper of the throne of Bebbanburg.

Promo pictures:

Early Reviews

Once viewers get over that hump, “The Last Kingdom” stands quite nicely on its own, thanks to its different perspective as a story about the birth of England under King Alfred the Great, based on Bernard Cornwell’s acclaimed historical novels. “The Last Kingdom” is a nicely told and suitably adventurous story of revenge. Uhtred and Brida — equipped with viking fighting techniques and a certain Danish swagger — must now figure out a way for Uhtred to rightfully claim his kingdom. All this, with the usual guts, gore and grog.

This eight-episode series is fall television’s other offering set hundreds of years ago in what’s now the United Kingdom but was then only loosely held together. And The Last Kingdom is also muddy and violent, but unlike The Bastard Executioner, the main goal of that violence isn’t to appall you. The plot is based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories, which have a loyal following. Alexander Dreymon plays Uhtred, a highborn Saxon kid during the ninth century who is adopted by Danes, until — well, that doesn’t work out, and he has to figure out where his loyalties lie. Dreymon is a star to watch (he’s appeared in American Horror Story), and for once in a show like this, the character is not dour, and even looks like he’s having fun. (It helps that Emily Cox plays his friend and love interest, Brida, and they find time to mock each other even as they cross the countryside fearing for their lives.) The cinematography, by the way, is also beautiful, the battle scenes are impressive, and the series’ music is propulsive. One more thing I really like about the four episodes of The Last Kingdom that I watched? All the men don’t look alike. Someone actually made an effort in one of these settings to make sure that the faces and hair of the mostly male characters were distinct enough that I didn’t spend the first hour or two completely confused. Thank you!

 

[frontovik]

I loved the books, and am looking forward to this TV adaptation; hopefully it'll be faithful to the original story. It's also exciting that Warriors of the Storm, the next installment in Uthred's saga, will be coming out next week as well!

If Last Kingdom does well, perhaps there will also be a TV adaptation of Cornwell's Grail Quest books.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Oh, shit. Didn't know this was based on Cornwell. This just shot up my must watch list. Thanks!

 

[The Illiterati]

I'll have to give this a look sometime(probably binge watch it after it ends) but man is it a weird feeling seeing a cast list full of characters from Vikings played by different people. I'm not well enough versed in history to know when EITHER of these shows is taking greater liberties and I wonder if it's going to be a bit confusing.

Like, does this show serve as a spoiler(I understand a lot of it is legend anyway) for Vikings or will one of them diverge completely. It's an interesting conundrum.

 

[Narag]

Loved the first book, very interested.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I love Uhtred, he's a super douche.

Will be interesting to see how much of his utter hatred and contempt for Christianity the series retains.

 

[grandwizard]

Wow this came a lot sooner than I thought! I'm still on the third book and will check this out.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

I'm not familiar with the source material but I'll certainly give it a shot.

 

[Qvoth]

Damn this seems super right up my alley

 

[Kabouter]

Could be good, I'll probably give this a shot. It'll be nice to see a historical show about England before they were trouble

 

[Herla]

I'll have to give this a look sometime(probably binge watch it after it ends) but man is it a weird feeling seeing a cast list full of characters from Vikings played by different people. I'm not well enough versed in history to know when EITHER of these shows is taking greater liberties and I wonder if it's going to be a bit confusing.

Like, does this show serve as a spoiler(I understand a lot of it is legend anyway) for Vikings or will one of them diverge completely. It's an interesting conundrum.

You might consider it a timeskip, as the only characters from both shows are some of Ragnar's sons (and, technically, Alfred). In the book they call them the "sons of Lothbrok".

 

[obin_gam]

The Ragnar here is the same historical character as Best Ragnar yes? Or are they just sharing the same name?

 

[Tugatrix]

I liked the book so count me in

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

VIKINGS!

 

[TheOddOne]

Subbed. Great OP as always, Baller.

 

[Beefy]

Shame this is on BBC2 in the UK (no showing date yet), it should be on BBC1. But I guess Strictly or something gets bigger views.

 

[Fitz]

Great series to adapt to TV imo, interesting/fun characters, tight story, not too much plot to cover each book for a single season. Trying to keep my expectations low, but it could be really good.

 

[Arabesque]

I had just started the book recently funnily enough, so I'll definitely check out the show as well. I ended up checking it out after finishing Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, in part because it scratched that itch for historical semi-fantasy I've been having, but also because I needed to see how things turn out centuries later after that ending.

That said, "England is Born" just fills me with this bittersweet felling.

 

[jorma]

Yeah, will watch this for sure. I really liked the books.

Isn't it a bit weird that a BBC produced show will air first in america? Or did it already air in the UK? I don't really get how that works..

 

[demonkaze]

Shame this is on BBC2 in the UK (no showing date yet), it should be on BBC1. But I guess Strictly or something gets bigger views.

BBC2 can get away with a lot more than BBC1, like nudity violence etc.

 

[Night Hunter]

Shame this is on BBC2 in the UK (no showing date yet), it should be on BBC1. But I guess Strictly or something gets bigger views.

Well, considering that the absolutely best BBC show on air right now, Peaky Blinders, is a BBC2 production I really have absolutely no problem with that.

I will definitely give this a try btw.

 

[frontovik]

The Ragnar here is the same historical character as Best Ragnar yes? Or are they just sharing the same name?

They just share the same name. He's definitely a formidable and charming warrior though!

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Looking forward to this! I'm very curious to see how it compares to Vikings.

 

[Blue Lou]

There was a trailer on BBC earlier, there was no date specified. It just said "Coming soon".

 

[Jag]

Read almost every Cornwall book (there are alot!), so I'm for this.

 

[TripOpt55]

Looks pretty cool. I like these sort of older period shows. Looking forward to giving this a try.

 

[H.Cornerstone]

Loved the books, how is BBC with watching things online the next day?

 

[RatskyWatsky]

More reviews:

After an hour or two, the series has taken on a life of its own, offering a reminder that there’s always room, at least on a niche basis, for another good one.

This is smart, satisfying entertainment that brings new life to ancient history.

Writer Stephen Butchard has done a superb job distilling the nuance and complexity of Cornwell’s story, which avoids simplistic good guys vs. bad guys plotting.

 

[cjp]

Airs 22nd October on BBC Two in the UK.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Series premiere tonight!

Episode 1

Spoiler

In the series premiere, Uhtred's father dies in battle and his inheritance and lands are seized by Uhtred's uncle Aelfric, a puppet-lord for the Danes. Later: Uhtred is captured and brought to Danish warlord Ragnar.

 

[ironcreed]

I'm all over this. Looks like a great supplement to Vikings. It might even turn out to be just as good.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I'm all over this. Looks like a great supplement to Vikings. It might even turn out to be just as good.

If it follows the book well it will be better.

 

[Walpurgis]

Damn, Ravn looks like a badass.

One more thing I really like about the four episodes of The Last Kingdom that I watched? All the men don’t look alike. Someone actually made an effort in one of these settings to make sure that the faces and hair of the mostly male characters were distinct enough that I didn’t spend the first hour or two completely confused. Thank you!

Thank you, BBC. Thank you.

 

[Crabernacle]

I completely forgot about this! I'm a big fan of the books, though I haven't read the latest one. I'm cautiously optimistic, mostly because I really want to see this show succeed.

 

[Cornballer]

Onion A|V Club on the premiere

 

[QuicheFontaine]

Shame this is on BBC2 in the UK (no showing date yet), it should be on BBC1. But I guess Strictly or something gets bigger views.

BBC 2 was always better than BBC 1

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I really liked it! You can definitely tell this is based on a book series because the characters are already richly drawn and full of personality. The cast is very strong - each stood out from the rest and all gave winning performances, even young Uhtred, who is one of the few child actors who can actually carry a scene. I really am bummed that some of them won't be appearing in the rest of the series (unless they appear in flashbacks).

Other thoughts:

This show is the exact opposite of The Bastard Executioner - they packed so much stuff into the just-under-one-hour premiere and yet it didn't feel overstuffed at all. Take notes, Kurt Sutter, because this is how you start a series.

The action scenes were very well done - the scene with the shield wall was well staged.

The ending gave me chills. What a fantastic way for the story to come full circle. Is it next Saturday yet?

Where were/are the Shieldmaidens?

 

[TheOddOne]

- Variety: ‘Last Kingdom’ Star Alexander Dreymon on Creating a New Style of Historical Epics.

What do you think of the fact that there are a lot of historical epics right now, such as FX’s “The Bastard Executioner” and History’s “Vikings”?

It’s normal when there’s a new show on the air to say this is the new “Game of Thrones” or this is the new “Vikings” because we need to put things in boxes. But there’s only so many stories in the world. You can tell these stories in the 20th century or in the ninth century and I think with the ninth century, there’s a lot of opportunity for gore like “The Bastard Executioner” and there’s the opportunity for fantasy like “Game of Thrones.” With “Vikings,” what’s interesting about that is there sort of combines the gore and brutality with incredible attention to detail and I’ve always loved that.

I think we’ll create our own genre because I don’t think we’ve had a period drama shot in the documentary style. Hopefully it will become a new thing on its own.

 

[Nakho]

I really liked it! You can definitely tell this is based on a book series because the characters are already richly drawn and full of personality. The cast is very strong - each stood out from the rest and all gave winning performances, even young Uhtred, who is one of the few child actors who can actually carry a scene. I really am bummed that some of them won't be appearing in the rest of the series (unless they appear in flashbacks).

Other thoughts:

This show is the exact opposite of The Bastard Executioner - they packed so much stuff into the just-under-one-hour premiere and yet it didn't feel overstuffed at all. Take notes, Kurt Sutter, because this is how you start a series.

The action scenes were very well done - the scene with the shield wall was well staged.

The ending gave me chills. What a fantastic way for the story to come full circle. Is it next Saturday yet?

Where were/are the Shieldmaidens?

I don't believe there any in the first book of the series (it was the only one I read), so I guess there won't be any?

 

[Herla]

This was way better than I expected. They covered, like, half a book in one episode but they did in exceptionally well.
There are a couple things they changed that may seem a bit weird (like Brida's introduction, but establishing the relationship early worked really well), but they covered everything that was needed and with surprising accuracy (I never thought they would keep that scene with Sven). I feel like they put some of Ragnar's traits into Ubba, but what we got was great.

One negative: no Ivar. I guess I'll have to wait for the crippled version in Vikings...

Episode 2 thoughts:

Spoiler

Uhtred is perfect. I was afraid they'd "whitewash" him to make him more like a hero, but he's an asshole and it's great. I love how obsessed with humping he is.
He needs to name his sword though, dammit!

Brida is also pretty damn great, they're clearly making up for the rushed childhood. Great banter and great humor.

 

[ironcreed]

Yeah, this one is going to be great. Far better than The Bastard Executioner.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Didn't realize this had started. Read two or three of the books years ago. I'll have to see if I can catch up.

 

[Ruruja]

Really enjoyed the first episode, the battle was pretty cool too. Also as somebody else said, BBC2 is better for shows like this, BBC1 doesn't really have gore and serious shows, shows like Rome were on BBC2 as well.

 

[Qvoth]

just watched the 1st episode, holy shit it's so good!

 

[RPGCrazied]

Its decent, but its only one episode. Lets see how the rest are before I judge.

But yeah, I'm already liking it more than Bastard Executioner.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

I've watched both episodes.

I enjoyed them, but Vikings it ain't.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I don't believe there any in the first book of the series (it was the only one I read), so I guess there won't be any?

Oh

I enjoyed them, but Vikings it ain't.

Elaborate?

 

[Business]

Just watched episode 1. A lot of fine detail is lost from to the books but that's what you'd expect. All in all I quite liked it.

I also liked the visuals, both the locations and the characters, more natural, less make up and less picture perfect than Vikings. It's great to have these two running.

edit: The kid playing young Uhtred was splendid.

 

[Milabrega]

Really liked the first episode. Hope the rest of the series is as good.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

Oh



Elaborate?

It isn't a judgement on the quality on the show. I just think if you're coming into it off the back of Vikings then you should expect something different. It certainly doesn't have the same blend of history and myth as that show.