The Last Kingdom (TV-series)
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''The Last Kingdom'' is a British historical fiction television series based on
Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...
's '' The Saxon Stories'' series of novels. The series was developed for television by Stephen Butchard, premiering on the 10 October 2015 on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. In 2018 the show was acquired by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
. The series lasted for a total of five seasons, with the final season airing on 9 March 2022. A feature-length sequel, titled ''Seven Kings Must Die'', has been filmed for Netflix.


Plot


Series One

The first series roughly covers the events of ''
The Last Kingdom ''The Last Kingdom'' is the first historical novel in The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2004. This story introduces Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon noble who is kidnapped by Danish Vikings as a young child and is assimilated ...
'' and '' The Pale Horseman'', the first and second novels in Bernard Cornwell’s '' The Saxon Stories'', however they are condensed for the screen. In the year 866, the
Great Heathen Army The Great Heathen Army,; da, Store Hedenske Hær also known as the Viking Great Army,Hadley. "The Winter Camp of the Viking Great Army, AD 872–3, Torksey, Lincolnshire", ''Antiquaries Journal''. 96, pp. 23–67 was a coalition of Scandin ...
's arrival in Britain is about to redefine the relationship between
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and ...
and
Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
. Following the establishment of
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
rule in
Jórvík Scandinavian York ( non, Jórvík) Viking Yorkshire or Norwegian York is a term used by historians for the south of Northumbria (modern-day Yorkshire) during the period of the late 9th century and first half of the 10th century, when it was do ...
and East Anglia, the show largely focuses on the resistance of the Kingdom of
Wessex la, Regnum Occidentalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the West Saxons , common_name = Wessex , image_map = Southern British Isles 9th century.svg , map_caption = S ...
to ongoing Viking incursions to Southern England. The first season covers the years 866–78. The main protagonist (named Osbert in childhood) is re-baptized as Uhtred after his elder brother Uhtred is killed by the Danes; his father, along with other Saxon noblemen of
Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
, are killed in battle against the Danes. Only his uncle and stepmother survive. Uhtred and a Saxon girl named Brida are taken as slaves by Earl Ragnar to his home in Danish Northumbria. Ragnar comes to accept Uhtred as his own son, adopts him, and raises him as Uhtred Ragnarsson. Time passes, and Ragnar's daughter Thyra is about to be married, but fellow Danes attack the night before the wedding and set fire to the hall in which the family is sleeping. Ragnar is burned alive, and Thyra taken as a slave. Only Uhtred and Brida escape as they have spent the night in the woods tending a charcoal kiln. The attackers are led by Kjartan, a disgruntled Viking who had been banished by Ragnar from his lands years earlier for an offence committed by Kjartan's son Sven. Uhtred vows to avenge his father Ragnar's death, while simultaneously hoping to reclaim Bebbanburg his birthright from his uncle, who seeks to kill Uhtred to keep Bebbanburg for himself. Uhtred is forced to choose between the kingdom of his ancestors and the people who have raised him, and his loyalties are constantly tested. The plot of the series one culminates with the
Battle of Edington At the Battle of Edington, an army of the kingdom of Wessex under Alfred the Great defeated the Great Heathen Army led by the Dane Guthrum on a date between 6 and 12 May 878, resulting in the Treaty of Wedmore later the same year. Primary ...
.


Series Two

The second series roughly covers the happenings of Cornwell's third and fourth novels ''
The Lords of the North ''The Lords of the North'' is the third historical novel in the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell published in 2006. The story is set in the 9th century Anglo-Saxon kingdoms Wessex and Northumbria. Uhtred wants revenge against his uncle, and ...
'' and '' Sword Song''. The second season covers the years 878 to 886, and shows Uhtred quests in Northumbria, and Wessex and Mercia conflict with the brothers Sigefrid and Eric. This was the final season to air on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, before moving to
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
.


Series Three

Beginning with the third series, the show was solely produced by Netflix. The third series is based on Cornwell’s fifth and sixth novels '' The Burning Land'' and '' Death of Kings'', however there are considerable plot changes compared to the previous seasons. The third season roughly covers the years 893 to 900. These episodes cover the decline in
King Alfred Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who ...
's health and the continuing conflict between the Christians and Danes. One reviewer suggested that Netflix had a positive effect on the series, indicating: "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)". All ten episodes of series three appeared on Netflix on 19 November 2018.


Series Four

The fourth series is based on Cornwell’s seventh and eighth novels The Pagan Lord and The Empty Throne. Similar to series three, there are significant plot changes from the novels. The fourth season takes place around 901 to 912 and deals with Danish attacks and political struggles in Mercia and attacks on Winchester. All ten episodes of series 4 appeared on Netflix on 26 April 2020.


Series Five

The fifth season was announced as the final season in 2021. It is based on Cornwell’s ninth, tenth and thirteenth novels '' Warriors of the Storm'', '' The Flame Bearer'' and '' War Lord''. Similar to series three and four, there are significant plot changes from the novels. All ten episodes of the final series appeared on Netflix on 9 March 2022.


Cast


Main

*
Alexander Dreymon Alexander Dreymon (born Alexander Doetsch; 7 February 1983) is a German actor. He is best known for portraying Uhtred of Bebbanburg in the television series ''The Last Kingdom'' (2015–2022). Dreymon's other notable roles were in '' Christopher a ...
as Uhtred of Bebbanburg * David Dawson as
King Alfred Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who ...
(series 1–3) * Tobias Santelmann as Ragnar the Younger (series 1–3) * Emily Cox as Brida *
Adrian Bower Adrian Bower (born 20 August 1970) is an English actor, best known for his role as physical education and geography teacher Brian Steadman in the first three series of the British comedy series ''Teachers''. In 2015, he played Leofric in '' Th ...
as Leofric (series 1, recurring series 3) *
Thomas W. Gabrielsson Thomas Waern Gabrielsson (born 29 June 1963) is a Swedish actor, active in Sweden and Denmark. He was born in Gothenburg. Stage career In 1998 Gabrielsson performed solo in the 70 minute monologue dramatisation of The Evil at the Theater ''La ...
as
Guthrum Guthrum ( ang, Guðrum, c. 835 – c. 890) was King of East Anglia in the late 9th century. Originally a native of what is now Denmark, he was one of the leaders of the "Great Summer Army" that arrived in Reading during April 871 to join forces ...
(series 1) *
Simon Kunz Simon Charles Kunz (born 15 October 1962) is an actor on stage and screen. Early life He attended Latymer Upper School, then completed a degree in Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick. Career He appeared in '' The Parent Trap'' as Ma ...
as Odda the Elder (series 1–2) *
Harry McEntire Harry McEntire (born September 14, 1990) is an English actor. He is known for his roles in Tower Block, for his numerous theatre roles, such as in the award-winning London production of '' Spring Awakening'', for starring in the English localiz ...
as Aethelwold (series 1–3) *
Rune Temte Rune Temte (born 29 September 1965) is a Norwegian actor best known for his roles in ''The Last Kingdom'' and ''Eddie the Eagle''. He portrayed Bron-Char in the Marvel Studios superhero film '' Captain Marvel'' in 2019. Early life and sporting ...
as
Ubba Ubba (Old Norse: ''Ubbi''; died 878) was a 9th-century Viking and one of the commanders of the Great Heathen Army that invaded Anglo-Saxon England in the 860s. The Great Army appears to have been a coalition of warbands drawn from Scandinavia, ...
(series 1) *
Joseph Millson Joseph Millson (born 27 April 1974) is an English actor and singer. He trained at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in Sidcup, London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Eng ...
as Aelfric (series 1–2, 4) *
Brian Vernel Brian Vernel (born 29 December 1990) is a Scottish actor best known for his film role in ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' and as the character Odda the Younger in the TV series ''The Last Kingdom (TV series), The Last Kingdom'' and Billy Wallac ...
as Odda the Younger (series 1) *
Amy Wren Amy Wren (born 14 October 1989) is an English actress. Personal life Wren attended ''Parsnips Youth Theatre'' in Harborough for four years. She was featured in the ''Mail'' in July 2006, when she and two others from Parsnips were chosen to be ...
as Mildrith (series 1) * Charlie Murphy as Queen Iseult (series 1) *
Ian Hart Ian Davies (born 8 October 1964), better known by his stage name Ian Hart, is an English actor. His most notable roles are Rabbit in the Channel Four drama miniseries '' One Summer'' (1983), Joe O'Reilly in the biopic ''Michael Collins'' (1996 ...
as Beocca (series 1–4) * Eliza Butterworth as Aelswith, Alfred's wife and Queen of Wessex (series 2–5; recurring series 1) *
Thure Lindhardt Thure Frank Lindhardt (; born 24 December 1974) is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theatre in 1998. Life and career Lindhardt was born in Copenhagen, and grew up in Roskilde. At the age of 12, he got a part in Bille Augu ...
as
Guthred Guthred Hardacnutsson (Old Norse: ''Guðrøðr''; la, Guthfridus; born c.844 – died 24 August 895 AD) was the Christian king of Viking Northumbria from circa 883 until his death. Life Kings of Northumbria in the Norse era The first known ...
(series 2) *
Eva Birthistle Eva Birthistle (born 1974) is an Irish actress and writer. She is best known for her role in '' Ae Fond Kiss...'' and since 2015 has starred in ''The Last Kingdom''. She won the London Film Critics Circle British or Irish Actress of the Year A ...
as Hild, a nun and one of Uhtred's most trusted allies (series 2–5; recurring series 1) *
Gerard Kearns Gerard Kearns (born 4 October 1984) is an English actor. He is best known as Ian Gallagher in '' Shameless''. Career Kearns starred in the film '' The Mark of Cain'', for Film4 Productions, based on British soldiers' abuse of Iraqi prisoner ...
as Halig (series 2; recurring series 1) * David Schofield as Abbot Eadred (series 2) *
Peri Baumeister Peri Baumeister (1986) is a German TV and film actress best known in the UK for her role as Lady Gisela in series two and three of ''The Last Kingdom'' (2018) and as Sara in the 2019 Netflix television series '' Skylines'' and the vampire plan ...
as Gisela, Uthred's second wife and sister of Guthred (series 2–3) * Peter McDonald as Brother Trew (series 2) *
Mark Rowley Sir Mark Peter Rowley (born November 1964) is a British senior police officer who has been the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis since September 2022. He was the Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for Specialist Operati ...
as Finan, a fierce
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
warrior sworn to Uhtred (series 2–5) * Alexandre Willaume as Kjartan (series 2; recurring series 1) * Julia Bache-Wiig as Thyra (series 2–3; recurring series 1) * Ole Christoffer Ertvaag as Sven (series 2; recurring series 1) *
Björn Bengtsson Björn Mikael Bengtsson (born 28 October 1972 in Malmö) is a Swedish actor. Bengtsson studied at Gothenburg Theatre Academy 1993–96. He has worked at Malmö City Theatre, Helsingborg City Theatre and the National Swedish Touring Theatre ...
as Sigefrid (series 2) *
Cavan Clerkin Cavan Clerkin (born 1973) is a British actor and filmmaker from Hackney, London. Career Clerkin has appeared in various TV shows including ''Smack the Pony'', ''The Inbetweeners'' and ''The IT Crowd'', and feature films ''Gangster No. 1'', '' ...
as Father Pyrlig, a Welsh priest and former warrior (series 2–5) * Arnas Fedaravičius as Sihtric, Kjartan's son who becomes one of Uthred's allies (series 2–5) * Christian Hillborg as Erik (series 2) *
Jeppe Beck Laursen Jeppe Svend Aage Beck Laursen (1 June 1972) is a Norwegian actor and stuntman.S ...
as
Haesten Hastein (Old Norse: ''Hásteinn'', also recorded as ''Hastingus'', ''Anstign'', ''Haesten'', ''Hæsten'', ''Hæstenn'' or ''Hæsting'' and alias ''Alsting''Jones, Aled (2003). ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Sixth Series'' Cambridge ...
(series 2–5) *
Toby Regbo Toby Finn Regbo (born 18 October 1991) is an English actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his role as young Nemo Nobody in the science fiction drama '' Mr. Nobody'', as Francis II of France on The CW series ''R ...
as Aethelred, Lord of the Mercians (series 2–4) * Millie Brady as Princess Aethelflaed (series 2–5) *
James Northcote James Northcote (22 October 1746, in Plymouth – 13 July 1831, in London) was a British painter. Life and work Northcote was born in Plymouth, and was apprenticed to his father, Samuel Northcote, a watchmaker. In his spare time, he drew a ...
as Aldhelm (series 2–5) * Adrian Bouchet as Steapa, Alfred's and later Edward's head Huscarl (series 2–4) *
Ewan Mitchell Ewan Robert Mitchell is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the ITV period drama ''The Halcyon'' (2017), the medieval series ''The Last Kingdom'' (2017–2022), the BBC war drama '' World on Fire'' (2019–), and the HBO fantasy se ...
as Osferth, Alfred's illegitimate son and one of Uthred's allies (series 2–5) * Simon Stenspil as Dagfinn, a chief of the Danes (series 2–3) * Timothy Innes as Edward, King of the Anglo-Saxons (series 3–5) * Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Skade, a Skald and Sorceress (series 3) *
Ola Rapace Ola may refer to: Places Panama * Olá, a subdistrict in Coclé Province *Olá District Russia *Ola, Russia, an urban settlement in Magadan Oblast *Ola District, an administrative division in Magadan Oblast *Ola (river), a river in Magadan Obl ...
as Earl Sigurd "Bloodhair" (series 3) * Magnus Bruun as
Cnut Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norwa ...
, a powerful Danish Warlord and cousin of Ragnar (series 3–4) *
Adrian Schiller Adrian Schiller (born 21 February 1964) is an English actor. Selected filmography *''The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other'' (2008, theatre performance) *''Terry Pratchett's Going Postal'' (2010) (cast as the Banshee, Mr Gryle) *'' Being Hum ...
as Aethelhelm, a rich and powerful Ealdorman in Wessex (series 3–5) *
Kevin Eldon Kevin Eldon (born 2 October 1959) is an English actor and comedian. He featured in British comedy television shows of the 1990s including ''Fist of Fun'', '' This Morning with Richard Not Judy'', '' Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge' ...
as Bishop Erkenwald, a bishop in service to Alfred (series 3) *
Jamie Blackley Jamie Alexander Blackley (born 8 July 1991) is a British actor. He is known for his role as Adam Wilde in the film '' If I Stay''. Biography Blackley was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, and was raised in London, England, with his father Martin, m ...
as Eardwulf, the commander of Lord Aethelred's household troops (series 4) *
Stefanie Martini Stefanie Martini (born 6 October 1990) is an English actress, known for her leading role in ITV's 2017 production '' Prime Suspect 1973''. She also starred in ''Doctor Thorne'' (2016), '' Emerald City'' (2017), the 2017 film '' Crooked House'' a ...
as Eadith, the mistress of Ealdorman Aethelred and the younger sister of Eardwulf (series 4–5) * Finn Elliott as Young Uhtred, Uhtred's son (series 4–5) * Ruby Hartley as Stiorra, Uhtred's daughter (series 4–5) *
Richard Dillane Richard Dillane (born 1964) is a British actor. He appears in a lead role of the Netflix series ''Young Wallander'', based on the character Kurt Wallander created by novelist Henning Mankell. He played British intelligence agent Peter Nicholls i ...
as Ludeca, an Ealdorman of Mercia (series 4–5) *
Dorian Lough Dorian Tristan Lough (born 27 April 1966 in Kensington, London) is an English actor who appeared as DS Dave Satchell in ''Trial & Retribution''. He has also played Ray Taylor in ''EastEnders''. Lough is also known for starring in the music vide ...
as Burgred, an Ealdorman of Mercia (series 4–5) * Steffan Rhodri as King
Hywel Dda Hywel Dda, sometimes anglicised as Howel the Good, or Hywel ap Cadell (died 949/950) was a king of Deheubarth who eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllwg in 920 and shortly thereafter established Deheubart ...
(series 4) *
Nigel Lindsay Nigel Lindsay (born 17 January 1969) is an English actor. He is best known on television for his roles as Sir Robert Peel in the first two seasons of ''Victoria'', Jo Jo Marshall in the Netflix series '' Safe'' and as Barry in the BAFTA-winni ...
as Rhodri (series 4) * Eysteinn Sigurðarson as Sigtryggr, Norse king of
Jórvík Scandinavian York ( non, Jórvík) Viking Yorkshire or Norwegian York is a term used by historians for the south of Northumbria (modern-day Yorkshire) during the period of the late 9th century and first half of the 10th century, when it was do ...
(series 4–5) * Amelia Clarkson as Aelflaed, wife of King Edward and Aethelhelm's daughter (series 4–5; recurring series 3) *
Harry Gilby Harry Gilby is an English actor, best known for playing a young J. R. R. Tolkien in the film '' Tolkien'' (2019) and Æthelstan in the fifth season of '' The Last Kingdom'' (2022) and the follow-up film '' The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must D ...
as Aethelstan, King Edward's illegitimate son who is under the protection of Uhtred (series 5) * Patrick Robinson as Father Benedict (series 5) * Phia Saban as Aelfwynn, Aethelflaed's daughter (series 5) * Micki Stoltt as
Rǫgnvaldr Rǫgnvaldr is an Old Norse language, Old Norse name. People * Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson (died 1229), King of the Isles Derived or cognate names Given names include: *''Raginald'', German *''Reginold'', German *''Ragenold'', German *''Ragenald'' ...
, a Viking warlord and brother of Sigtryggr (series 5) * Harry Anton as Bresal, Aethelhelm's henchman and adviser (series 5) * Ryan Quarmby as Cynlaef (series 5) * Jaakko Ohtonen as Wolland (series 5) * Ossian Perret as Wihtgar (series 5; recurring series 4) * Ewan Horrocks as Aelfweard (series 5) *
Sonya Cassidy Sonya Cassidy is a British actress. Career Cassidy is known for her roles as Clara in the BBC period drama '' The Paradise'', as Celine Ashworth in the police detective series ''Vera'', as the Oracle in Syfy fantasy series ''Olympus'', and as ...
as Eadgifu (series 5) * Rod Hallett as King Constantin (series 5) * Bamshad Abedi-Amin as Yahya (series 5) * Ross Anderson as Domnal (series 5)


Recurring


Introduced in Series 1

* Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Uhtred *
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
as Ravn * Peter Gantzler as Earl Ragnar *
Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literature and language a ...
as Young Uhtred *
Henning Valin Jakobsen Henning is a surname, also used as a given name, with origins in East Prussia (now part of Germany). Henning may also refer to: People with Henning as a surname * A. J. Henning (born 2002), American football player * Andrew Henning (1863– ...
as Storri *
Jason Flemyng Jason Iain Flemyng''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 25 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for roles in British films such as ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998) ...
as King Edmund * Alec Newman as King Aethelred *
Lorcan Cranitch Lorcan Cranitch (born 28 August 1959) is an Irish actor. Born in Dublin, Lorcan Cranitch became involved in drama while a student. In 1980 he moved to London, where he trained at RADA. Career His first major role on British television was as ...
as Father Selbix *
Victor McGuire Victor McGuire (born 17 March 1964 in Tuebrook, Liverpool) is an English actor perhaps best known for playing Jack Boswell in series 1–3, 5-7 of Carla Lane's '' Bread'', Ron Wheatcroft in every series of '' Goodnight Sweetheart'' and its 2016 ...
as Oswald *
Sean Gilder Sean Brian Gilder (born 1 March 1964) is an English stage, film and screen actor, he is also a playwright Gilder was born in Brampton, Cumberland, England. He is best known for his portrayal of Paddy Maguire on '' Shameless'' from 2005 to 2010 ...
as Wulfhere * Jonas Malmsjö as Skorpa of the White Horse *
Paul Ritter Simon Paul Adams (20 December 1966 – 5 April 2021), known professionally as Paul Ritter, was an English actor. He had roles in films including ''Son of Rambow'' (2007), '' Quantum of Solace'' (2008), ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' ...
as King Peredur * Nicholas Rowe as Brother Asser


Introduced in Series 2

*
Richard Rankin Richard Rankin (born Richard Harris on 4 January 1983) is a Scottish film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for the Scottish sketch show '' Burnistoun'' and as Roger Wakefield MacKenzie in the Starz drama '' Outlander''. Early li ...
as Father Hrothweard *
Magnus Samuelsson Magnus Samuelsson (born December 21, 1969), is a Swedish actor, former strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco. He has also made it to the World's Strongest Man podium 5 times and the finals 10 times and is rega ...
as Clapa * Anthony Cozens as Aidan *
Henrik Lundström Per Henrik Lundström (born 13 December 1983) is a Swedish actor. He was educated at Sankt Eriks gymnasium in Stockholm. Filmography *2017 - ''The Last Kingdom (TV series)'' *2016 - ''The Inspector and the Sea'' *2015 - ''The Bridge (2011 TV se ...
as Rollo * Marc Rissmann as Tekil * Christopher Sciueref as Jonis * Erik Madsen as Fiske * Jóhannes Haukur as Sverri * Oengus MacNamara as Bjorn * Tibor Milos Krisko as Rypere * Ingar Helge Gimle as Gelgill


Introduced in Series 3

* Ed Birch as Sigebriht * Julia Brown as
Ecgwynn Ecgwynn or Ecgwynna (Old English ''Eċġwynn'', lit. "sword joy"; ''fl''. 890s), was the first consort of Edward the Elder, later King of the English (reigned 899–924), by whom she bore the future King Æthelstan (r. 924–939), and a daughter ...
* Ian Conningham as Offa * Tygo Gernandt as Jackdaw * Jon Furlong as Brother Godwin * Debbie Chazen as Sable * Anton Saunders as Godric * Ciáran Owens as Tidman * Daniel Tuite as Brother Hubert * Annamária Bitó as Aelfwynn *
Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...
as Beornheard *
Lee Boardman Lee Boardman (born 2 July 1972) is an English actor and narrator. He has appeared in the films ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' and '' Love's Kitchen'', and the television series ''Rome''. Career Boardman played Murray Priestman in '' Drop Dead Gorg ...
as Guthlac


Introduced in Series 4

* Caspar Griffiths as Aethelstan * Máté Haumann as Cenr * Marcell Zsolt Halmy as Aelfweard * Gabriel Harland as Young Cnut * Tristan Harland as Esga * Debbie Chazen as Sable * Helena Albright as Aelfwynn * Anthony Cozens as Aidan * Kirill Bánfalvi as Burgred's Son * Richard Heap as Brother Oswi * Nicholas Asbury as Brother Iestyn * Oscar Skagerberg as Bjorgulf * Julia Brown as Ecgwyn * Antal Leisen as Creoda * Kimberley Wintle as Taetan


Introduced in Series 5

* Emili Akhchina as Vibeke * Ilona Chevakova as Ingrith * Klara Tolnai as Sidgeflaed * Lara Steward as Hella * Kathy Peacock as Aalys


Episodes


Production


Development

The series started shooting in November 2014. It is produced by Carnival Films for BBC Two and
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary seri ...
. Nick Murphy (''
Prey Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...
'', ''
Occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...
'') is co-executive producing and directing multiple episodes. For portrayals of the Vikings at sea, the
Viking ship replica Viking ship replicas are one of the more common types of ship replica. ''Viking'', the very first Viking ship replica, was built by the Rødsverven shipyard in Sandefjord, Norway. In 1893 it sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Chicago in the Uni ...
'' Havhingsten fra Glendalough'' was used. The series is filmed primarily in
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
, with most scenes at the eight acres near
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
owned by Korda Studios with its Medieval Village Set and surrounding mountains, forests and lakes. Filming for the second series began in Budapest in June 2016.
Richard Rankin Richard Rankin (born Richard Harris on 4 January 1983) is a Scottish film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for the Scottish sketch show '' Burnistoun'' and as Roger Wakefield MacKenzie in the Starz drama '' Outlander''. Early li ...
,
Gerard Kearns Gerard Kearns (born 4 October 1984) is an English actor. He is best known as Ian Gallagher in '' Shameless''. Career Kearns starred in the film '' The Mark of Cain'', for Film4 Productions, based on British soldiers' abuse of Iraqi prisoner ...
,
Thure Lindhardt Thure Frank Lindhardt (; born 24 December 1974) is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theatre in 1998. Life and career Lindhardt was born in Copenhagen, and grew up in Roskilde. At the age of 12, he got a part in Bille Augu ...
, Millie Brady, Erik Madsen, and Peter McDonald joined the cast. In August 2016, '' Aftonbladet'' reported that Swedish actors
Björn Bengtsson Björn Mikael Bengtsson (born 28 October 1972 in Malmö) is a Swedish actor. Bengtsson studied at Gothenburg Theatre Academy 1993–96. He has worked at Malmö City Theatre, Helsingborg City Theatre and the National Swedish Touring Theatre ...
and
Magnus Samuelsson Magnus Samuelsson (born December 21, 1969), is a Swedish actor, former strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco. He has also made it to the World's Strongest Man podium 5 times and the finals 10 times and is rega ...
would join the main cast. Also that month, it was reported that Stephen Butchard would return as the sole script writer and that Netflix had signed on as an
international co-production A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companie ...
partner for the second series. In April 2018, Netflix confirmed that a third series was in production, based on the books ''The Lords of the North'' and ''Sword Song'', which would air exclusively on the streaming service, and Bernard Cornwell indicated that he had been offered a cameo appearance. Swedish actor
Ola Rapace Ola may refer to: Places Panama * Olá, a subdistrict in Coclé Province *Olá District Russia *Ola, Russia, an urban settlement in Magadan Oblast *Ola District, an administrative division in Magadan Oblast *Ola (river), a river in Magadan Obl ...
joined the cast for series 3, as Jarl Harald Bloodhair. Swedish director Erik Leijonborg was behind the camera for series 3; he has collaborated with Rapace on several Swedish TV series. On 26 December 2018, the series was renewed for a fourth series by Netflix. On 7 July 2020, the series was renewed for a fifth series by Netflix. On 30 April 2021, it was announced that the series would conclude with the fifth series. Filming for season 5 wrapped in June 2021. The final season will be followed by a feature-length film titled ''Seven Kings Must Die'', whose filming finished on 19 March 2022.


Historical background

The main events of the reign of Alfred the Great and his heirs are well recorded, and a number of men called Uhtred ruled from
Bamburgh Castle Bamburgh Castle is a castle on the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building. The site was originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as ''Din Guarie'' and may have ...
, most notably
Uhtred the Bold Uhtred of Bamburgh (sometimes Uchtred); died c. 1016), was ruler of Bamburgh and from 1006 to 1016 the ealdorman of Northumbria. He was the son of Waltheof I, ruler of Bamburgh (Bebbanburg), whose family the Eadwulfings had ruled the surroun ...
more than a century later. The people identified as "Danes" came from many places in and around Denmark, including Southern Sweden and Norway. Historians believe that the Danish invaders of Northumbria came from Jutland in Denmark, as mentioned in Cornwell's books, as well as some of the Danish islands and East Denmark (southern Sweden).


Release

The first series of eight episodes premiered on 10 October 2015 in the United States on
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary seri ...
, and was broadcast shortly after in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 22 October 2015. It became available online in the United States via Netflix on 6 July 2016. It was added to Netflix on 28 December 2015 in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. The first series was broadcast in the Spanish region of Catalonia on TV3 on 24 July 2017. The second and third series were released on Netflix in the US, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Japan, Australia, and Portugal.
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
was the sole distributor of the third series of ten episodes, produced by Carnival Films. On 26 December 2018, Netflix renewed the show for a fourth series, released on 26 April 2020 and once again produced by Carnival Films. It was renewed for a fifth and final season on 7 July 2020. On 9 February 2022, it was announced that the fifth season would be released on 9 March 2022.


Reception

The series has been met with a positive critical response. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, series one has an 87% approval rating based on reviews from 31 critics, with an average of 7.61/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''The Last Kingdom'' fuses beautiful cinematography and magnificent action sequences to create highly gratifying historical drama". On
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, series 1 has a score of 78/100 based on 15 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second series received 86% (7 reviews) and the third series received 100% (7 reviews). Sam Wollaston reviewed the first episode in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' and warned, "It's wise not to get too attached to anyone in ''The Last Kingdom''". Charlotte Runcie gave the opening episode four out of five in ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'', writing that the series had "satisfyingly high production values, a bloodthirsty appetite for violence and a proper cliffhanger." Wollaston and Runcie both remarked on the similarities between ''The Last Kingdom'' and '' Game of Thrones''. Kari Croop of
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
also gave the series 4/5 stars, writing: "With high production values, strong writing, and compelling characters, this series rivals some of the best and bloodiest epics on TV". Dennis Perkins of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the first season a grade of B+, writing: "BBC America’s sprawling, arresting eight-part historical miniseries ''The Last Kingdom'' proves that there’s room enough on television for more than one Viking invasion." Sean O'Grady in ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' found that some of the language gave the series "a satisfyingly earthy quality", but he thought that the plot was "a little convoluted". The television reviewer for '' Private Eye'' was more critical, arguing that ''The Last Kingdom'' demonstrates how ''Game of Thrones'' "haunts the BBC", and that the series was directly derivative of both fantasy series and European dramas such as '' The Killing'' and '' Wallander'', yet lacking the features that have made such series successful.'Eye TV', ''The Private Eye'' 1404, p. 14.


References


External links


''The Last Kingdom''
Official Website *
''The Last Kingdom''
at
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary seri ...

Last Kingdom''
on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Last Kingdom (TV series) 2015 British television series debuts 2022 British television series endings 2010s British drama television series 2020s British drama television series Television series set in the 9th century BBC high definition shows BBC television dramas Costume drama television series Cultural depictions of Alfred the Great English-language Netflix original programming Serial drama television series Television shows based on British novels Television series set in the Middle Ages Television shows filmed in Hungary Television shows set in Europe Television series set in the Viking Age Television series by Universal Television