The BBC and CBS's new eight-part historical drama King & Conqueror, starring James Norton as Harold Godwinson and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William the Conqueror, has been criticised as 'woke box-ticking nonsense' by some viewers. The series, which chronicles the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, has drawn mixed reviews for its slow pace and heavy exposition.
The drama opens in black and white before shifting to colour, a stylistic choice that has confused some. Coster-Waldau's William sports a tiny bristly moustache that one reviewer likened to a '1970s Everydad', while Norton's Harold is portrayed as the 'goodie' but given little to do. The cast also includes Eddie Marsan as Edward the Confessor, Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma, and Clémence Poésy as Matilda.
Critics note that the series struggles with pacing, particularly in its early episodes, as it attempts to educate viewers on the complex politics of 11th-century England and Normandy. 'Like William confronted with Anglo-Saxon troublemakers, you have to fight your way through a couple of exposition-heavy episodes before the narrative starts flowing,' wrote one reviewer.
The inclusion of strong female characters, such as Matilda and Gytha (played by Clare Holman), has sparked debate over whether this represents historical accuracy or modern 'woke' revisionism. The series concludes with the famous battle, leaving no room for a sequel featuring Norton as a crime-solving retired king.
