Happy Valley star teases 'brutal' period drama 'nobody has done before' streaming this month
One of the stars of hit series Happy Valley has teased a 'brutal' upcoming period drama that 'nobody has done before' ahead of its debut later this month.
King & Conqueror is expected to land on BBC iPlayer sometime in August. The new series will see Grantchester and Playing Nice actor James Norton take on the role of King Harold Godwinson.
Joining him is Games of Thrones alum Nikolaj Coster-Waldau playing his adversary William of Normandy. Norton has already been talking up the project and it seems that audiences will get to see something relatively unique.
According to the new drama's 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.
It's a project that has apparently been years in the making. The story, was something that Norton admits he wasn't originally completely aware of.
Speaking to The Guardian he said: "I wasn't aware of the relationship Harold and William had before the battle, that they were friends and allies for many years before they realised that, because of the way Europe was being carved up, they would both inevitably end up on a battlefield – and one of them would have to die. It's mad to think nobody has really done it before. And that's one of the reasons we spent so long developing it."
Norton also spoke to publication Collider about the making of the show and how it is one of the first titles he is producing himself. He also went on to allay fears of some viewers that the show may take liberties with historical accuracy, as getting it right matters to him.
He explained: "We shot in Iceland. It's a wonderful cast. A beautiful group of actors, a really lovely ensemble. Bálint Szentgyörgyi is at the helm, and it's a deep dive into the history. An incredible amount of it is true, so we haven't had to veer really far off the actual truth and the drama and the sort of soap opera aspect to it. It is just incredible."
Continuing, he added: "It's the third project we've actually produced. We've made a movie called Rogue Agent, and we've had a TV show called Playing Nice...In terms of the reason why it's kind of come to fruition quickly is partly because I find it fascinating, and it's such an integral part of English history. In England, it's the first date we learn — 1066, Battle of Hastings.
"No one really knows much more about it than that, but it's one of the first things we learned so everyone has a relationship with it, including me. What's continued to propel us forward is the characters.
"It's this incredible gallery of really interesting characters, all real people from history. So, I'm not a history nut, but I've become more and more engaged with it."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
33 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
A-level student fulfils promise to dying mother by securing place at Oxford
Gabrielle Morgan, 18, said she 'could practically hear (her mother) celebrating' with her when her offer came through to study modern languages at the University of Oxford. Gabrielle, from Newcastle, secured her place after achieving straight A* grades in English literature, Spanish and chemistry, along with an A* in an extended project qualification (EPQ), and will go on to study Spanish and beginners' Portuguese. Sisters Francesca Morgan (left), Gabrielle Morgan (right) and their mother Faustina (Darren Irwin Photography/PA) It comes a year after her sister Francesca achieved straight A* grades and secured a place at Cambridge to study natural sciences. The sisters were both home-schooled by their mother, Faustina, before joining Dame Allan's Schools. Ms Morgan, who moved from Malaysia to the UK in her early 20s, died from lung cancer in April last year. Gabrielle said: 'My mum was incredible, strong, organised, inspiring and a person of great faith. 'She supported every interest we had, helped us through our GCSEs and pushed us to work hard. 'She made me promise to keep working hard on my Oxford application no matter what happened. 'I could practically hear her celebrating with me when the offer came through. 'I know just how proud of me she is and I know she helped a lot, even though she wasn't here physically.' Gabrielle's promise to Ms Morgan carried her through an emotionally turbulent year – including a school trip to Valencia, during which she boarded a high-speed train to Madrid with director of sixth form Karen Fletcher to sit her Oxford admissions test. Gabrielle Morgan receives her A-level results at Dame Allan's Schools (Owen Humphreys/PA) Gabrielle, who is bilingual in English and Mandarin, said she has been passionate about languages and storytelling from a young age, and dreams of becoming an author. 'The literary world has always been central to my life,' she said. 'Tolkien is my favourite author – he studied and taught at Oxford and wrote the books that shaped my love of reading. That's why I decided to apply there.' Gabrielle said her standout moments at Dame Allan's, an independent school in Fenham, Newcastle, include performing Visiting Hours and Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran at school concerts in memory of her mother. 'She loved hearing me sing, so it felt special to sing for her in front of others,' she said. 'Those songs encapsulate what grief feels like.'
Time Out
an hour ago
- Time Out
The best Indian restaurant in London, according to the 2025 English Curry Awards
On the hunt for your next great Indian meal? We feel you. If you've already worked your way through our list of the best Indian and south Asian restaurants in London, then you're probably in need of extra inspiration. Step forward the English Curry Awards. Run by Oceanic Awards, the annual competition exists to 'celebrate the rich tapestry of flavours that the curry industry brings to the English culinary landscape', and was held on August 11 in Birmingham. Worthy work, we think you'll agree. While London didn't scoop the top prize of overall national champion – that went to Sherkhan of Alnwick, a locally beloved restaurant and take-away in Northumberland – there were a bunch of regional winners and London 's greatest Indian restaurant was named as Masala Inn, which you'll find on the fringes of south London in Bexleyheath. A 'contemporary Indian restaurant and grill', Masala Inn's menu features a number of signature dishes, including Goan fish masala, creamy malabar, and lamb kaalia, as well as a host of biriani and balti dishes. Masala Inn fans have been showing their love of the restaurant on TripAdvisor, with a not too shabby 4.7 rating. One wrote: 'Everything we ordered was fantastic, especially the Malabar chicken; so rich and creamy!' Another added: 'The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the food is outstandingly good. I've tried many of the items on the menu, the railway curry is excellent, full of tender lamb and flavour.'
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Ex-River City star signs up for BBC's Strictly Come Dancing 2025
Stefan Dennis, better known as Paul Robinson from Australian soap Neighbours, will enter the famous ballroom when the show returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September. On River City, Stefan played the evil Dr Marcus Mackenzie, eventually stabbed to death by a woman he tried to attack. He is married to fellow actor Gail Easdale, who is originally from Milngavie. Stefan Dennis played the evil Marcus in River City (Image: BBC) Stefan Dennis with Libby McArthur (Image: BBC) Stefan said: 'This is an opportunity for me to once again learn to step out of my comfort zone in the world of television. 'Looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky.' Stefan created the role of villain Paul Robinson for the first episode of Neighbours in 1985 and appeared in more than 6000 episodes during the 40 years that the show was on air. Prior to joining Neighbours, Stefan worked extensively on Australian television and in the UK he has also appeared in The Bill, Dream Team and Casualty.
