''Beowulf'' is a British epic fantasy drama television series broadcast by

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

. It was created by James Dormer, Tim Haines and Katie Newman. Dormer wrote the series based on the poem ''

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...

'' and executive-produced it along with Haines and Newman, while Stephen Smallwood produced the series. The series began airing in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2016 and in the United States from 23 January 2016. Shortly after the series began, ITV announced that it would not be renewed for a second series.

Plot

Beowulf returns to his Heorot to find that Hrothgar, his adoptive father, is dead. Hrothgar's wife, Rheda, who had favoured her own son over the young Beowulf, is named his successor. Beowulf's step-brother, Slean, is furious, both because of his return and for not himself being named Thane. Rheda, now regent, must show strength while scheming for the support of other village heads, in order to gain the title of Jarl (a rank above Thane)—a title some are willing to kill for. Meanwhile, the reeve is found dead. Beowulf is initially blamed, but manages to prove it is the work of a dreaded skinshifter.

Cast

Main cast

* Kieran Bew as

* Lee Boardman as Hane * David Bradley as Gorrik *

Lolita Chakrabarti Lolita Chakrabarti (born 1 June 1969) is a British actress and writer. Early life Chakrabarti was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, to Bengali Hindu parents from India on 1 June 1969. She grew up in Birmingham, where her father worked as ...

as Lila * Elliot Cowan as Abrican * Laura Donnelly as Elvina * Holly Earl as Kela * Gísli Örn Garðarsson as Breca * David Harewood as Scorann * Edward Hogg as Varr * William Hurt as Hrothgar * Ian Puleston-Davies as Lagrathorn *

Edward Speleers Edward John Speleers (born 7 April 1988) is an English actor and producer. He is best known for playing the title role in the 2006 film ''Eragon'', the antagonist character Stephen Bonnet in the TV series '' Outlander'', as well as James "Jimmy" ...

as Slean * Ellora Torchia as Vishka * Joanne Whalley as Rheda * David Ajala as Rate * Sarah MacRae as Saray

Other cast

* Susan Aderin as (smelter) Kendra * Ace Bhatti * Richard Brake as Arak * Claire-Louise Cordwell * Grégory Fitoussi as Razzak *

Jefferson Hall Jefferson Hall – more formally known as "Hotel C" – is a building on the West Range of the University of Virginia. It is the traditional home of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society; the term "Jefferson Hall" (or "Jeff Hall" or ...

as (Wulfing chief) Jogan * Jack Hollington as Young Beowulf * George Kent as Young Slean * Allison McKenzie as Arla *

Itoya Osagiede Itoya (Japanese: 伊東屋; stylized as ITO-YA）is a Japanese stationery brand founded in 1904 ( Meiji 37) in Ginza, Tokyo. Its American subsidiary, ITOYA of America, Ltd., was established in 1976. Its original location was destroyed in the 1923 ...

as (Kendra's son) Tarn * Kirsty Oswald *

Alex Price Alex Price (born 8 May 1985) is a British actor who has appeared in various television programmes including '' Being Human'', ''Merlin'' and ''Doctor Who''. He starred in feature-length films, such as ''A Horse with No Name'', and in a variety ...

* Jack Rowan * Emmett J. Scanlan as (Jogan's brother) Skellan * Joe Sims * Jack Smith as Red

Episodes

Production

Casting

On 12 March 2015, Kieran Bew was cast in the series to play the title role; other cast included William Hurt, Joanne Whalley, Ed Speleers, David Ajala, Ian Puleston-Davies, Ellora Torchia, Gísli Örn Gardarsson, Susan Aderin, Kirsty Oswald, Laura Donnelly, Edward Hogg,

, Jack Rowan, and Itoya Osagiede. On 17 April 2015, David Harewood was added to the cast. Additional casting was announced on 19 August 2015, including Joe Sims, Lee Boardman, David Bradley, Ace Bhatti, and Grégory Fitoussi.

Filming

Filming on the series began in April 2015 in Weardale,

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

. The main outdoor set was built on the site of a former cement works south of

Eastgate Eastgate may refer to: Places Canada * Eastgate, Alberta, Canada * Eastgate, British Columbia, Canada United Kingdom * Eastgate, County Durham, England * Eastgate, Norfolk, England * Eastgate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England * Eastgate, C ...

, which is west of Stanhope. Filming also took place across Northumberland, and a film crew was spotted on the beach at Bamburgh in late April. In June, a set was built in the sand dunes at Druridge Bay, and another on the shoreline of Derwent Reservoir. The main filming studios in the North East were located at the former Dewhirst clothing factory and warehouse, in Blyth, Northumberland. Kieran Bew said he had started to put down roots in Los Angeles when he was cast in the title role: "It's been incredible to come back home... I got this job and literally ended up working 20 minutes from where I grew up. It's really strange and really lovely to drive to work and see signs like Spennymoor and Darlington."

Reception

The series has received mixed reviews holding a 5.5 average rating on review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes. Positive reviews have garnered approval for the plot, creature mythology, and writing, with one television critic praising the series for its set design and special effects. Negative reviews have tended to say the series feels too derivative of works like ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...

'' and '' The Lord of the Rings''. ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

'' stated that the show "seems determined to remain true to source material, which involves a lot of glowering, growling and stomping around. That may have been enough two millenniums ago, but in 21st century America, it's a bit of a buzzkill." Ed Power of The Telegraph said of the show, "Cheap-looking special effects, a bland hero and barely any resemblance to the source material makes this Beowulf a flop."

References

External links

* {{Beowulf 2016 British television series debuts 2016 British television series endings 2010s British drama television series British drama television series British action television series ITV television dramas Television series by ITV Studios Television series set in the Middle Ages 2010s British television miniseries ITV miniseries English-language television shows Television shows set in Europe Works based on Beowulf