The Last Kingdom tells the story of Uhtred, a boy born out of wedlock to an English nobleman and a Danish princess during the Viking invasion of England. After being captured by the Danes and raised as one of their own, he must choose where his true loyalties lie when he grows up – with the nation that has long considered him an enemy, or with the country of his birth. The show takes inspiration from Cornwell’s historical novels The Saxon Stories, which follow Uhtred throughout his life and often change perspectives between characters. Things You Didn’t Know About The Last Kingdom
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Who are the main characters?
Each of Bernard Cornwell’s novels focuses on a different character, but there are a few that appear in most or all of them. Alfred (ruler of Wessex and future king) is an important character in many Saxon Stories, as is Uhtred (an adopted Northumbrian). Eadric and Aethelwulf also make frequent appearances.
Where did it take place?
Much of it was filmed in South Africa, with smaller parts shot in Northern Ireland and Malta. In fact, several places on Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal are standing in for Mercia—the kingdom where Uhtred was born—while many coastal scenes took place in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
What is behind its rise to fame?
There are a number of reasons for why The Last Kingdom has become so popular recently. First, Cornwell is a celebrated writer; his book series is commonly known as The Saxon Stories. The novels that it was based on have been read by millions of people worldwide and have even been turned into successful Hollywood movies like A Knight’s Tale, Vikingdom and more.
Can you binge watch it like Game of Thrones?
Nope, there are only 8 episodes in season 1 and 8 in season 2. Only six episodes in Season 3 but at least it’s a long season, with 10 episodes. It seems like you will have to wait for season 4 for more King Alfred action. Well then maybe binge watching The Last Kingdom isn’t like binge watching Game of Thrones after all.
The last kingdom vs Vikings?
Since we know what you’re probably thinking, yes—Vikings is a History Channel spinoff of The Last Kingdom. They are both based on Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories series of novels. In fact, Vikings was originally titled Viking Conquest before being acquired by History Channel in 2013, with production beginning in 2014. Still confused? We were too—that’s why we decided to look into it for you.
