"New TV series on the Vikings!" Topic

In the popular imagination, the Vikings are early Europe's frat boys. Not too concerned with book learnin', just mead and mayhem and maidens.

The History Channel is banking on young male gamers to embrace its first scripted series, the handsomely shot, $40 USD million epic Vikings, from Tudors creator Michael Hirst.

Set in eighth-century Scandinavia, the nine-episode series stars Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok and the revelatory Katheryn Winnick as his wife, Lagertha. Accomplished warriors both, they aren't happy under the thumb of their manipulative sociopath of a chieftain, Earl Haraldson (a gleefully evil Gabriel Byrne).

Ragnar angers the earl when he and his brother Rollo (Clive Standen) build a new type of ship and sail where Vikings have never dared before: west, to a land called England, with its cities, castles, books, and Christianity.

Hirst cleverly weaves a mystical element into the plot, which pays off with each episode. And he throws in plenty of battle scenes to please bloodthirsty fans. Vikings can't compete with HBO's Game of Thrones or Rome, but it's a winning adventure story in its own right.

It's on the History(sic) Channel. Get real.

Suggestion for a new poll: In which episode of "Vikings" with the aliens appear?

"…build a new type of ship…"

Oh, really?!

Who cares about all that reality crap – it's going to be great!

Killin, Swords, killin, boobies and killin oh and maybe some killin.

Is this a cut and paste of a press release?
What does "revelatory" mean? Does she reveal a lot of…boobies?

sail where Vikings have never dared before: west, to a land called England

Umm, would this be the same England that had been suffering Viking raids since 793?

Since the plot says 8th Century, wouldn't 793 AD fall within the bounds of the story> ;-)

It's the England with the cities and the castles. Possibly around 1400, then. That's why they need the "new kind of ship."

I finally figured out what TMP posters most remind me of – callers to sports radio talk shows. Always look for the bleakest outcome, always snarky. I can count on TMP posts to immediately blast something, before it is released or seen. Geez, watch it or not, but at least watch some of it before praising or blasting it.

I'll give it a watch. Drunk Scandinavian farmers behaving badly while on vacation should be entertaining!

Al | ravenfeastsmeadhall.blogspot.com

I watched the first episode, kind of slow, lots of really muted colors. But I'll give it a chance, I mean at least it doesn't take place in a Pawn shop.

The first two are up on History channel. It starts with Lindisfarne as the raid. Several living history groups were consulted/participated in it. While definitely a dramatized version of events, it does have an excellent feel to it, with historical characters and those from the sagas represented.

In short, is it hard history? No, definitely not. Is it good drama in a fairly historical setting? Yes indeed. Lightyears better than the pickers/pawn stars crud History channel has turned out in recent years, and hopefully a sign that they'll return to their roots at least in part.

I second PKay inc., that is quite a lot of complaining and snarking from people who haven't seen it yet/haven't heard of it before the post.

First two episodes were interesting, worth a watch if you are into the period. Not bad, not great.