Is there another show that can rival HBO's juggernaut that is Game Of Thrones? Well, the BBC are hoping to do just that by introducing a new drama, called The Last Kingdom.
Sounds intriguing doesn't it?
So, here's what we know, the drama will be shown on BBC Two and will be an adaptation of the best selling books, The Saxon Stories, by Bernard Cornwell. However, we're going to have to wait a while before The Last Kingdom comes to our screens as production won't start until later this year.
The drama which is being co-produced by Carnival Film and BBC America, will run for eight episodes, lasting 60 minutes each.
Will The Last Kingdom be able to match up to the great Game Of Thrones? (Sky / HBO)
The Lost Kingdom will be set in 872 and will show Wessex standing alone and defiant against the Viking invasion, with King Alfred the Great at the helm. And amongst all the unrest, viewers will be introduced to Uhtred who will have to make a choice about whose side he's on - Saxon or Viking- after being born a Saxon but raised as a Viking after being kidnapped by them.
Heartache, decisions, and more, we can't wait!
Speaking of the new drama, executive producer Gareth Neame (yes, he's also on the team for Downton Abbey) said:
"Cornwell's Saxon novels combine historical figures and events with fiction in an utterly compelling way.
"In the hands of Stephen Butchard we believe it will make original and engrossing television drama. In part the epic quest of our hero Uhtred, it is also a fascinating re-telling of the tale of King Alfred the Great and how he united the many separate kingdoms on this island into what would become England."
Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, added: "I hope The Last Kingdom will expand BBC Two's distinctive portfolio of drama. It's an epic narrative with an extraordinary creative team. It will feel like nothing else on television, with all of the scale and intrigue of the best fantasy stories but the reality of fact."
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
