“The Last Kingdom,” a new historical drama from the producers of “Downton Abbey,” is coming to BBC America, the broadcaster announced on Wednesday.
Based on author Bernard Cornwell’s novel series “The Saxon Stories,” the series will follow an orphan son of a Saxon nobleman who was kidnapped and raised by Vikings.
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Set in 872 — a time when many of the kingdoms in the England area had fallen to invading Vikings — the hero embarks on a quest to reclaim his birthright.
Production on the first eight-episode season begins this fall.
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Carnival Films, the company behind “Downton Abbey,” will produce the series.
Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant and Stephen Butchard will serve as Executive Producers with Nick Murphy co-executive producing and directing multiple episodes. Chrissy Skinns is a producer.
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“We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with BBC Two and Carnival Films – a hugely successful British production company that really knows how to create a hit for the US,” BBC America’s SVP of programming, Richard De Croce, said in a statement. “‘The Last Kingdom’ is an engrossing story of epic scale that will feed our audience’s appetite for excitement, smart storytelling and compelling characters.”