Bit surprised to see there isn’t a thread about this yet. For our UK readers, they’re showing the first series here right now; not sure if you’re a year ahead of us or getting it at the same time.
It’s fantastic. Brutal, yet mostly quite realistic. The Uhtred Ragnarson/Uhtred of Bebbanburg duality is a great way of representing the duality between England’s Saxon and Danish past, IMHO.
I haven’t read the Saxon Stories novels, so I don’t know how true to them the show is.
Anyone else watching?
I plan to watch this at some stage, but haven’t seen it on TV here in NZ.
I’ve read most of the novels, they’re excellent and if the series is half as good it’ll be worth watching.
I kind of wish they’d opted to do Cornwell’s Arthur novels though, as they’re even better books.
The UK is two episodes behind! It’s a BBC2 and BBC America co-production and the US network is showing it first.
Yes, loved the first episode. I know nothing about the books, and little of the depicted period, but it’s super fun. It’s a cracking cast do far too - I thought Ravn looked familiar, but couldn’t place the actor under all that grime and tattoos. Rutger Hauer!
I agree… although maybe more suited to a more classic TV miniseries format (like 4-5 nights of 2 hours each), since there are 3 of them with a LOT of meat in each book, while the Saxon Stories are a bit less filling individually.
My only gripes with “The Last Kingdom” is that (IIRC- it’s been a while) book-Uhtred was big and blond, while Alexander Dreymon is a bit smaller and slighter than I ever imagined Uhtred to be. That, and TV Uhtred hasn’t named his sword and seax yet. Not sure how they’d do it on TV, but that was an entertaining bit of trivia from the books.
The show seems reasonably true to the story so far; I’ve been trying to figure by the cast where the first season/series leaves off, and as best as I can tell, it covers the first book “The Last Kingdom” pretty closely.
Really enjoying it so far (3 episodes in). I am a big fan of the books too. Great fun all around.
See, if you’d grown up in Somerset then all of your primary school history classes would have been about how Wessex alone stood up to the Danish menace. 
I’m guessing that both of those changes are deliberate: the casting decision to make Uhtred more relatable, and the sword-naming thing to avoid US audiences conflating the show with fantasy novels or Arthurian legends.
It has the same vibe as that other show I had no use for, “Atlantis”.
I gave it a chance but find it appallingly weak and unbelievable compared to the history channel’s “Vikings”.
I know “Vikings” is not historically accurate, but the acting is far superior.
Interestingly enough, “The Last Kingdom” is pretty solidly rooted in historical fact- the fiction part is mostly rooted around the characterization of the various personages, and Uhtred’s role in things. (which is cleverly lampshaded by Cornwell in the books, BTW). But the novels are historical fiction, which means, at least in the case of Bernard Cornwell, reasonably well-researched history. In the context of the show, it means that there was a Bebbanburg in Northumbria in 872, there was a battle near York (Eoferwic) where the Northumbrians got their asses handed to them, that the Danish horde was advancing on Wessex, that Alfred became king, and fought them to a standstill, and ultimately drove them from England. Historians also theorize that he had Crohn’s disease, know that he was a horndog prior to some kind of religious conversion after becoming King. They also know that some of the Danish leaders were named Ubbe, Guthrum and Ivar the Boneless (FYI- Ubbe and Ivar are reputedly sons of Ragnar Lothbrok; Ivar’s the crippled baby, and Ubbe is one of the young boys in "Vikings, for a bit of crossover fun).
The only thing the show does that irks me a little is show everyone speaking what I presume to be Old English. As far as I know, and as far as the books are concerned, Danish and Old English were two separate, non-mutually intelligible languages, and translation was an issue.
I’m a fan of the books but I could only take 2 episodes before giving up on it, the acting is very bad (wich I’m blaming on the director since I’ve seen these same actors give far better performances in other shows), and the script is worse with boring/ridiculous dialogue and bad pacing.
I’ve had no problems with any of these things so far. To each his own, I suppose.
I’m really enjoying the show so far. The story of Alfred the Great is a historical tale that I’ve found fascinating for a long time.
I can’t say I agree with the negative criticism some posters have expressed here. The acting is fine, no break out performances yet but nothing I found cringe worthy either. I think the plot and pacing are actually very good. It’s only three episodes in but a lot of stuff has already gone down, and I already feel like I know a lot about the major characters’ personalities as well. The strategies and tactics of Viking age warfare are presented excellently.
I suppose it’s just different strokes for different folks, as I found History Channel’s Vikings to be pretty cheesy.
Me too. I didn’t watch from the beginning, though.
I saw the first episode the other night, and thought it a very good start. I was expecting Game of Thrones style ultra sex and violence, and got a bit of violence and the sex was mainly in the background.
But talk about going out in a blaze of glory!
A warriors death, for sure.
I really struggled through e1 - maybe hoping for a little depth - but got into GoT mode somewhere during e2 and for the moment at least i’m in.
Can’t get enough of axe queen Breda.
Still great through ep 4 (ep 4 might be the best yet). Excellent acting and characterization, in my view – especially Alfred, Uhtred, and Brida.
I read all the novels and recalll enjoying them greatly. It’s been awhile since I read the first one, it came out in 2004, but from I remember the show is close to the book. I liked the books and I like the show mostly for the characters. Ep. 4 is better now that we’re seeing more of Alfred and Leofric and we’re learning more about the Ersling (aka Uhtred). I like that Cornwall’s women characters aren’t just window dressing either.
I think History channel’s Vikings is more theatrical and mystical, while The Last KIngdom is more straight good story telling.
Hi all-
Just bumping the thread in light of the season finale. This is one of my favorite book series and I was not disappointed with the first season- hoping there will be a second. I thought both Alfred and Uhtred’s characters were especially well done and acted. And Beocca is perfect- loved him in the final battle scene. All of the Viking characters are sufficiently terrifying and also very human. I guess BBCA hasn’t announced for sure if it will be back but I hope so…
Let’s see, there are 8? 9? books in the series so far, and they burned through the first and most of the second, so they could get 4-5 seasons worth if they keep going!
Things definitely pick up after the first two or three episodes. Adult Uhtred is much more compelling than kid Uhtred. I miss Ragnar though.