Buckle up y’all. The BBC just dropped the trailer for King & Conqueror (2025), a historical miniseries about William the Conqueror and Harold Godwinson. I hate to say that I was optimistic initially, because as soon as I fired up the trailer all that optimism evaporated. While I don’t know if it’s accurate to say we’ve needed a William the Conqueror flick for a while, I can at least say that we deserve a good William the Conqueror flick because the 11th century seems to be kind of a black hole in historical film and television, despite being rife with insane amounts of drama. I fear this show is probably not it.
So far, I count the following frock flick tropes in the trailer:
Contractually Obligated Leather Pants
Great Bobby Pin Shortage
Covered in Dirt
That said, I give this show props for casting the hotness that is James Norton as Harold Godwinson. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays William the Conqueror, and he’s also not too harsh on the eyes, so at least it’s got those two going for it. And who knows? Maybe the script won’t be filled with egregious historical errors! I mean, we can all hope, right? King and Conqueror drops August 24, 2025, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer for anyone in the U.K., but there’s no U.S. release set yet. All you Brits will have to report back and let me know how it is!
Are you just happy to watch James Norton, no matter how bad the show? Agree with me in the comments!
I completely agree with you about James Norton. And Coster-Waldau. I encourage them to get it right, but will probably forgive them if they don’t. Because of the casting.
Coster-Waldau AND Norton? Whew. They might compensate for what looks like mediocre costuming and hair. When will W the C import coconuts to England?
I just watched watched Lucy Worsley Investigates : William the Conqueror (Season 2, Ep. 3) and do not remember seeing any leather pants. :)
They seem to have given Harold Godwinson a clean shave and a short back and sides, and Bastard Billy a moustache and shaggy locks. Which is the direct opposite of real-life 11th century custom.
Why are they obsessed with adding mud and filth everywhere? Historical pll wore all sorts of colors throughout History!
I want the correct haircut on William! And that ain’t it! I’m disappointed in the whole endeavor- which is a shame because this is one heck of a dramatic story! Well, maybe it will be better than it seems (doubt it though)
Colder-Waldau is too old to play William the Conqueror. True, he at 55 probably looks much better than the historical William did in his late 30s, but it doesn’t make sense if he’s playing the upstart invader, younger than Harold Godwinson.
Help, help, I’m being repressed! Now we see the violence inherent in the system!
I’m going to watch when it comes to the US. Because, ya know, James Norton and Jamie Lannister.
How do you know he’s the king?
Because he hasn’t got shit all over him.
I’m going to watch when it comes to the US because, hellp, James Norton and Jamie Lannister.
I absolutely LOVE James Norton, and I will watch this show when it’s available stateside!
Boy that’s a pretty horse! I love James! I hope it streams in the US soon, or at least wait for it on PBS (God willing!)
In addition to the ages not really matching up, between the actors/ historical characters, their hairstyles/ facial hair are entirely on the wrong people; Nikolaj is playing William the Conqueror {Guilliame le Batarde, as he was known at the time}- a Norman – they were not known for their moustaches, the Anglo-Saxons were (as well as their fastidious grooming of said moustaches & hair).
The 5 o’clock shadow & short tousled curls on Harold also just feels odd.
I have nothing against the casting, for the most part – but the hair would have been a pretty simple way to differentiate between the sides…
I am now on episode 5 of this and it is RIPE for Snark Week. They only have mud for dye, everything is underlit, they go to the coronation of Edward the Confessor and don’t even bother washing their faces.
I am pretty sure the only time I saw colour it was a shade of green more reminiscent of aniline dyes than anything historical.
The fights are gritty and realistic, the horses seem much smaller than usually get used in productions like these so they are closer to historical standards, but the sets and the costumes and the general grubbiness is really awful. The script is stilted and weird. It also did two of my pet hates – ignored the role of Scotland, and portrayed the Kingdom of Northumbria as a rocky hellscape.
How do you make this period of history uninteresting? :/