The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom is a British historical fiction television series based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories series of novels. The first series of eight episodes premiered on 10 October 2015 on BBC America, and on BBC Two in the UK on 22 October 2015. A second series of eight episodes was aired on BBC Two in the UK in March 2017, co-produced by Netflix after the exit of BBC America. Netflix was the sole producer of the third series of ten episodes, streamed from 19 November 2018. On 26 December 2018, Netflix renewed the show for a fourth series. On 19 March 2020, Netflix announced 26 April 2020 as the official series 4 release date.

Premise

The series is filmed primarily in Hungary,[1] with most scenes at the eight acres near Budapest owned by Korda Studios[2] with its Medieval Village Set and surrounding mountains, forests and lakes.[3] The story is set in the late 9th century AD, when England is divided into seven separate kingdoms. The Anglo-Saxon lands are gradually attacked, plundered, and effectively ruled by Viking Danes in many areas. The Kingdom of Wessex remains the last major stronghold against the Danes.

The fictional protagonist is Uhtred of Bebbanburg. An earl of that name existed and ruled Bebbanburg (Bamburgh Castle), and Northumbria during the reign of Æthelred I and about a century after the story told in The Last Kingdom. When Æthelred had the ealdorman of Southern Northumbria, Ælfhelm of York, murdered in 1006, Uhtred the Bold was made Earl of a united Northumbria (and likely Ealdorman of York), his seat at Bebbanburg. He spent much of his time defending the northern border from the Scots. He fought loyally beside the Anglo-Saxons against the Danes, and with Edmund Ironside. But in 1016 after Cnut came to power, Cnut had Earl Uhtred treacherously killed along with 40 other Saxon nobles,[4][5] probably on Christmas Day. In Bernard Cornwell's series he adds a 'historical note' at the end, in which, especially in the first book, he mentions that Uhtred the Bold was his ancestor. He took the liberty of installing Uhtred earlier in history.[6]

The tale has its main character re-baptised as Uhtred after his elder brother is killed by the invading Danes. Then his father along with other Saxon noblemen of Northumbria are killed in battle with these same Danes. Only his uncle and step-mother survive. Uhtred and a Saxon girl named Brida are taken as slaves by Earl Ragnar, now settled in Danish Northumbria, which becomes their adopted home as they grow older. Time passes and Ragnar's daughter Thyra is about to be married, but fellow Danes attack the night before the wedding and set the hall ablaze in which the whole family are sleeping. Ragnar is burned alive, and Thyra is taken as a slave. Only Uhtred and Brida escape, as they had been in the woods watching the charcoal burn.

The attackers are led by Kjartan, a disgruntled Viking who had been banished by Ragnar from his lands years earlier for an offense committed by Kjartan's son Sven. Uhtred vows to avenge his adoptive father's death, while simultaneously hoping to reclaim Bebbanburg from his uncle—who seeks to kill Uhtred in order to hold onto the land of Bebbanburg.

Uhtred is forced to choose between a kingdom that shares his ancestry and the people of his upbringing, and his loyalties are constantly tested.[7]

The first series' story line roughly covers the plots of the novels The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman, although they are condensed for the purposes of television.[8] The second series covers the plots of Cornwell's novels The Lords of the North and Sword Song.[9]

Series 3 is based on The Burning Land and Death of Kings, but there have been major changes to the plot. This series' 10 episodes were produced solely by Netflix. One reviewer indicated that this had a positive effect: "With it came a certain increase in production values, most notably during the epic end-of-episode clash in which the swing of every sword and thwock of every shield hit firmly home" but added that "the blood-and-gore budget has also undergone a significant increase, thanks in large part to the arrival of the beautiful but psychotic Skade (Thea Sofie Loch Næss)".[10] Much of the series was written by Stephen Butchard and the filming was completed in Hungary. These episodes cover the decline in King Alfred's health, according to one report "while he tries to ensure that his fiercely-held vision of a Christian, Saxon Wessex as part of a stable English nation will survive him as his legacy .... the Uhtred-Alfred relationship is at the core of the story