Bernard Cornwell's 'The Last Kingdom' episode 1 review

[Atheling]

Really looking forard to this. I just finished book 4 todat and will buy the next as soon as I see it on a shelf. This is what has been inspiring my to make my Saga terrain

Be prepared for a lot of Bullshot 

Darrell.

[Captain Blood]

Interesting piece in today's Independent...

Basically Bernard Cornwell launches PR offensive for his new adaptation by slagging off Game of Thrones 

Nothing like a bit of niggle / controversy to stoke up the news coverage...



http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/game-of-thrones-sex-scenes-are-sexplanations-to-distract-from-boring-exposition-says-bernard-a6690936.html

[Littlearmies]

Cornwell, a former BBC executive who discovered a talent for writing historical novels after emigrating to the United States, said he writes to a strict formula, honed from his Sharpe novels.

“Kick off with a battle – gets the book off to a nice, fast start. Lots of dead Frenchies. Introduce the plot, right? Plot begins to sag? Wheel on 40,000 Frenchies and start slaughtering them. Keep it moving. More plot. Finish with a set-piece battle that ties up all the plot ends and kills off the four villains. Works every time.”

And that is why he should never write more than two or three books in a series (repetition) - but the moneys too good not to. Good luck to him and all that but don't ask me to read any more of that series.

[Bugsda]

“Kick off with a battle..............

You forgot "falls in love with a dodgy posh bird" 

[Mr.J]

“Kick off with a battle – gets the book off to a nice, fast start. Lots of dead Frenchies. Introduce the plot, right? Plot begins to sag? Wheel on 40,000 Frenchies and start slaughtering them. Keep it moving. More plot. Finish with a set-piece battle that ties up all the plot ends and kills off the four villains. Works every time.”

True but a little bit insulting. It does seem this way with the new Saxon story, just finished it and I have to admit as a big fan of the series it was a bit lackluster. This is one of the reasons I gave up on the newer Sharpe series too.

[Altius]

I saw the first episode last weekend, which aired on BBC America, which is really odd because I expected it to air in the UK before us.

Anyway, great show! I really enjoyed. I hear what you're saying - wrong shields, wrong helmets, etcetera, etcetera. All true. Didn't care in the least. I didn't tune in to watch a frigging documentary, after all, I tuned in to see a story.

As opening episodes go, this was not a plodding foundation-building episode as you often see with other series. There was a lot of action in this, some of it fairly spectacular, yet it deftly built the framework of the story and the characters' relationships with one another.

I haven't read Cornwell's The Saxon Stories yet, but I'm a fan of his Winter King series. I'll have to buy the books now.

[Mad Doc Morris]

Anyway, great show! I really enjoyed. I hear what you're saying - wrong shields, wrong helmets, etcetera, etcetera. All true. Didn't care in the least. I didn't tune in to watch a frigging documentary, after all, I tuned in to see a story.

Well, that may be a point but certainly not the point for most critical voices here (and elsewhere). It's not about wrong details as such, but about laziness and repetitiveness. As Littlearmies put it so neatly, stories by Mr Cornwell might be particularly prone to that.

Very few people – most likely those who don't watch movies or TV series in general – would really expect a 'documentary' here. But if producers and directors claim artistic license, they should at least try to develop something artful and independent. Instead they repeat or copy-paste any cliche or successful trend available. "Because that's what sells!"

I think that's the main issue here, because a different approach wouldn't necessarily result in artsy, confusing and awfully boring shows.

[Altius]

I suppose we all have to draw that line between tolerance and pedantry in our own minds, wherever we feel most comfortable. For myself, I reserve most of my nit-picking and obsessiveness for my own little armies. I'm far, far more forgiving of a network program that is dependent upon the whims of the general audience, as long as the story itself holds my interest.

Here's a hint: There is no wrong answer. If you like it, you like it. If the costumes on the performers are too much to bear, then there are plenty of deadly serious depictions of more accurate period costumes around, though not so much on tv. I happened to like the first episode very much.

[Captain Blood]

Well that sounds promising

I'm looking forward to it.

I too get irritated by needless historical inaccuracy in TV shows - I mean if they were going to make all those costumes and weapons, why not make them right?

But then I generally overlook that and become immersed in the story and characters, leaving the nit-picking as a minor niggle in the back of my mind.

Cornwell has always been blatant about the avowedly formulaic nature of his books, irrespective of their setting,
I remember reading an article 25 years ago about how he started out by (literally) breaking apart a book he liked, sticking all the pages up around the walls of his room, scribbled all over them to work out what happens in the plot and to the main characters at each point in the book - then used that as a blueprint for every single book he's ever written since.
Either he's admirably honest or highly cynical. Maybe both.

It's one of the reasons why I've never read any of his books since.

Not that it seems to have done him any harm. He's been top of the bestseller lists for 4 decades.

[Paul]

I saw the first episode last weekend, which aired on BBC America, which is really odd because I expected it to air in the UK before us.

Maybe they had first shout on it,

A Carnival Films*  and BBC America co-production for BBC Two

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/the-last-kingdom
Carnival Films UK is owned by NBC ( = Comcast) who have Distribution rights on it..overiding the commisioners (not the makers) of the series, BBC2 UK.

[Mr.J]

Right, I have watched the first two episodes now and I'm finding it a bit average. I think it's potentially a grower though so will persevere with it. I would definitely say if people are vaguely interested then it's worth a watch. I'm quite enjoying the Danish characters so far, more so than the Saxons.

[Vermis]

It's one of the reasons why I've never read any of his books since.

My reason was the first book of his that I read.

But I don't think he's too wrong about GoT.

[LeadAsbestos]

The Winter King books were great, and the Saxon stories were just those stretched out my sell more copies. I read every one, happily, and I am none the better for having done so, but I enjoyed them. The show looks good, and I'm about halfway thru episode 1. Not quite up to what I imagined, but very entertaining.

[westwaller]

Considering the year, they really should have adapted his novel 'Azincourt'. I think the Grail Quest trilogy would possibly make a good series too.

I hope The Last Kingdom does well, and 'historical' stuff continues to be made.

[Mad Doc Morris]

Considering the year, they really should have adapted his novel 'Azincourt'. I think the Grail Quest trilogy would possibly make a good series too.

Indeed. But there's one serious flaw in those 5th and 15th century stories: no Vikings™!
I do wonder, what may have instigated the adaptation of the Sharpe novels back in the 90s? Think what you like of the series, but I can't remember any Napoleonic trend in particular which it could've been aimed at.