Overview
- BBC One’s new period drama, led by James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, premiered this week with a focus on the rivalry leading to 1066.
- The Independent’s review says the series is almost unwatchably dark, blaming high-contrast grading that crushes detail on consumer screens.
- Both leads have said the show extrapolates from limited sources and embraces invention to serve character-driven storytelling.
- Historians dispute headline moments such as the show’s bathtub encounter between Harold and William, calling it almost certainly invented.
- Expert critiques also challenge portrayals of key figures and the depiction of well-known events, noting gaps and uncertainties in the historical record.