King & Conqueror premieres on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer
The highly anticipated historical epic King and Conqueror premieres on BBC One tonight and on the BBC iPlayer today. Episode two will follow tomorrow evening (August 25th), and the remaining six episodes weekly on Sunday nights.
What is it about?
Starring James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the eight-part drama tells the story of the rivalry between Harold Godwinson and William, Duke of Normandy in the period before the Battle of Hastings.
According to the official synopsis:
King & Conqueror is the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea. Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no design on the English throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown.
Who is in the cast?
The series boasts of a stellar cast, with James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as the leads. The series features a number of other familiar faces as real historical figures, including Emily Beecham as Edith Swan-neck, with Clémence Poésy as Matilda of Flanders, Eddie Marsan as King Edward, Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma, Elander Moore as Morcar, Earl of Mercia, Clare Holman as Gytha, Luther Ford as Tostig Godwinson, Bo Bragason as Queen Gunhild, Geoff Bell as Godwin, Earl of Wessex, Elliott Cowan as Sweyn Godwinson, Ingvar Sigurdsson as Fitzosbern, Jean-Marc Barr as King Henry of France, Oliver Masucci as Baldwin of Flanders, Indy Lewis as Margaret of Mercia, Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas, Ines Asserson as Judith, Léo Legrand as Odo Sveinn, Ólafur Gunnarsson as Hardrada, King of Norway, and Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward of Northumbria.
Watch the trailer here:
Who is behind the series?
The series creator and executive producer is Michael Robert Johnson. James Norton also executive produced, along with Kitty Kaletsky for Rabbit Track Pictures, Baltasar Kormákur and Magnus Sigurdsson for RVK Studios, Robert Taylor for The Development Partnership, Dave Clarke and Richard Halliwell for Shepherd Content, Lindsay Martin for CBS Studios, Ed Clarke and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Baltasar Kormákur also directed episode one and, as executive producer, has led the creative across the series. Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, acquired the rights for the BBC.
Where will it be shown?
It is distributed outside of the UK by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Paramount Global Content Distribution has already sold rights to the series to over 100 territories. Prime Video has bought the rights for the U.S. and HBO Max will show the drama in the Nordics, Iberia, Southeast Asia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.