King & Conqueror viewers ‘disappointed’ by BBC historical drama’s modern language

James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau fight the Battle of Hastings in new historical series

BBC viewers have branded the historical drama King & Conqueror an “expensive flop” due to its historical inaccuracies.

The series stars James Norton as Harold, Earl of Wessex and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William, Duke of Normandy, in a fictionalised retelling of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England.

Viewers condemned the use of “modern language and phrases” in the programme, saying they “would never have been heard” in the 11th-century period portrayed in the programme.

“I’m sorry to say that King & Conqueror is not only complete, utter nonsense but it’s simply bad TV too,” one person wrote on X/Twitter.

They added: “It’s certainly not history, so if [it was] drama then it needed a decent script, which it doesn't have. I did rather enjoy Eddie Marsan [King Edward], who at least tried to build up his character.”

Meanwhile, another viewer said they turned the series off mid-way through episode two as the show is “wrong in so many ways:.

They wrote. “A waste of talent and a missed opportunity to share the real history.”

Norton, who also served as an executive producer on the series, defended King & Conqueror during an appearance on This Morning last week, saying you have to “make things up” for “great drama”.

James Norton as Harold Godwinson in ‘King & Conqueror’ (BBC)

The actor said the “big story beats” in the series are true, adding writers had to “interpret between the lines” of history due to “conflicting accounts of what actually happened”.

Other viewers enjoyed the series, dubbing the first episode “amazing” on social media, adding the show’s set designers had done an “amazing job” of “making this look like 1066”.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

In a two-star review of the series, The Independent’s critic Nick Hilton warned that viewers might struggle due to the show being “almost unwatchably dark”.

Emily Beecham and Norton in ‘King & Conqueror’ (BBC/CBS Studios)

Reviewing the cast’s performances, he described Norton and Coster-Waldau’s William the Conqueror as “rather bland vessels, bobbing along on the tide of internal politics… their wives [Beecham and Clémence Poésy as Matilda] are equally staid”.

Other critics were similarly unimpressed, with The Telegraph branding it “more Monty Python than Game of Thrones” and The Guardian noting that it “hangs a little too heavy” to achieve its goal of being a “ripping yarn”.

King & Conqueror is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.