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

[Garanhir]

Sometimes a show starts a trend rather than follows one.

[Thew1]

Lot of good points both for and against here. Haven't read this series by Cornwell but I have enjoyed some of his others (though I would agree with some of the comments regarding his formulaic writing style). I will probably give it a go when it's aired in the UK. Just to throw my tuppence in too, the dividing line between pedantry and accuracy is always going to be a personal choice but I find the attitudes within the film and tv industry rather frustrating. I don't see why historical accuracy should detract from a great story. In many cases I think a bit more attention to detail and some basic research would vastly improve these kind of shows and films. The thing I hate most about braveheart for instance is not the total disregard for the timeline or the political realities but the way the studio threw away the opportunity to bring the spectacle and mayhem of a medieval battlefield to the screen and opted instead for a bunch of extras in leather and bad fancy dress rolling around in the mud and sloshing red paint over each other. I could have forgiven a lot of the other stuff for just one decent pitched battle.

[Atheling]

Lot of good points both for and against here. Haven't read this series by Cornwell but I have enjoyed some of his others (though I would agree with some of the comments regarding his formulaic writing style). I will probably give it a go when it's aired in the UK. Just to throw my tuppence in too, the dividing line between pedantry and accuracy is always going to be a personal choice but I find the attitudes within the film and tv industry rather frustrating. I don't see why historical accuracy should detract from a great story. In many cases I think a bit more attention to detail and some basic research would vastly improve these kind of shows and films. The thing I hate most about braveheart for instance is not the total disregard for the timeline or the political realities but the way the studio threw away the opportunity to bring the spectacle and mayhem of a medieval battlefield to the screen and opted instead for a bunch of extras in leather and bad fancy dress rolling around in the mud and sloshing red paint over each other. I could have forgiven a lot of the other stuff for just one decent pitched battle.

Seriously? The Saxon's have small Roman Scutums..... It's hard as a wargamer and someone who's very into Medieval and Ancient history for that not to put one off a little.

I've watched the first two episodes and whilst the story is OK (it's not brilliant!) I've managed to grind my way through. I'll keep watching, it can only improve right? One I've become accustomed to the weird historical representations that is.

Darrell.

[Thew1]

That's the point I was trying to make. In this instance a historically accurate shieldwall would surely look more impressive on the screen and be a lot more evocative of the period. My frustration is at those in the entertainment industry who seem to view historical research and detail as detracting from a story when instead it should help sell it.

[Atheling]

That's the point I was trying to make. In this instance a historically accurate shieldwall would surely look more impressive on the screen and be a lot more evocative of the period. My frustration is at those in the entertainment industry who seem to view historical research and detail as detracting from a story when instead it should help sell it.

I utterly concur.

Darrell.

[Sir_Theo]

I enjoyed the first episode.  I do like the books although the series does seems unnecessarily drawn out, even for Cornwell.

My choice for an adaptation would have been the Winter King/Arthur ones.  I still rate those as the best set of novels he has written . 

[wulfgar22]

I quite enjoyed it...as I quite enjoy the books...but...

I don't see why historical accuracy should detract from a great story.

This! I couldn't agree more!

[Elk101]

At least the Danes didn't have horned helmets just so people would know they were 'vikings' (I'm looking at you Doctor Who!).

[clibinarium]

Just watched it; quite enjoyed it. The issues with shields and so on gave occasion for tutting, probably the producers thought people needed to see an easily graspable visual difference between the two sides (or the shots of the rear attack would have been confusing) and chose the square shields. Can't say I agree; they should give people more credit.
But the story moved along  at a fair clip and kept my interest, dialogue was usually to the point. I'll be watching next week.

[Burnin Coal]

Well...just an opinion.....you can't kill a good story....but apparently you CAN give it a damn good kicking...
I enjoy the books immensely and have been following this thread in anticipation of watching...having been duly forewarned of square shields etc and not wanting to be a button counter I tried to approach it with an open mind...
Whilst appreciating beforehand that on a visual level it was never going to be able to compete with HBO historical dramas like Rome,Deadwood,Borgias which all had budgets in the region of $1,000,000 per episode,let alone G.O.T. Running an average of $5,000,000...despite all that within a short space of time I still found myself completely non plussed as to why,with the depth of historical advice available,they ultimately chose a look for the show that made Oliver Tobias's  "Arthur Of The Britons" look like a cutting edge,fly on the wall documentary...
I really wanted to like it no matter what and will try to watch the series hoping the storyline itself will gloss over the mediocrity of the production values (the sets really looked the part I thought)...apart from Rutgers Hauer's gnarly cameo role colour me somewhat underwhelmed 

My $0.002 just expired

[Dags]

I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would despite the obvious inaccuracies

[tyrionhalfman]

Thanks for the heads ups about historical accuracy issues. Forwarned is Forwarned. I'm happy to say I quite enjoyed it, having approached it with a just enjoy the action and ignore the accuracy issues attitude.

[Paint Pig]

Thanks for the heads ups about historical accuracy issues. Forwarned is Forwarned. I'm happy to say I quite enjoyed it, having approached it with a just enjoy the action and ignore the accuracy issues attitude.

That is the only way to approach it in my book, it is entertainment.... entertainment for the masses, and the masses need to grasp the story and be able to tell oo's who hence the dodgy shields etc.  Same as Vikings, if the Saxons looked near exact as the Norsemen... well the masses get lost. When they start turning over the money dries up and we are left with painfully accurate bugger all, nothing, zip!

Thankfully these things make it to telly nowadays and that is the important part surely, at least some historical entertainment is on the box .....that isn't a friggin period drama or bloody upstairs downstairs or it's ilk.  

[Atheling]

That is the only way to approach it in my book, it is entertainment.... entertainment for the masses, and the masses need to grasp the story and be able to tell oo's who hence the dodgy shields etc.  Same as Vikings, if the Saxons looked near exact as the Norsemen... well the masses get lost. When they start turning over the money dries up and we are left with painfully accurate bugger all, nothing, zip!

Surely simply having different coloured shields would have sufficed?

I think you have to give folk a bit of credit (barr TV producers that is).

Darrell

[charla51]

Underwhelmed.