clloyd1000-248-286700 Reviews

The Last Kingdom (2015–2022)

A big disappointment after all the hype

[7/10 · 6 November 2015]

I haven't read the books and I know very little about this period, so I can't comment on how true the series is to the original, or to actual historical records.

I saw The Lost Kingdom promoted as the BBC's answer to Game of Thrones and Vikings, both of which I really love, so I was really looking forward to seeing it. I'm afraid it doesn't hold a candle to either of them. The dialogue is clumsy, and half the time I can't work out whether it's meant to be comic ("tonight we should hump!"). The faux Nordic accents extremely irritating (that annoyed me in Vikings too). Some of the characters seem to have spent far too long at the hairdressers trying to get that authentic mussed-up look. The violence is like some kind of sick video game.

I have sat through two episodes and might give it one more go, given the good reviews on here, in the hope that it improves. But so far it just looks like a colossal waste of money.

Indian Summers (2015–2016)

An extravaganza of stereotypes

[7/10 · 14 April 2015]

I am enjoying this series, because of the fabulous scenery and the historical context. It's interesting to see how the resentment is building up amongst the local people, and how racism exists not only amongst the British occupiers but amongst the Indians themselves with their appalling caste system.

However I am disappointed with the characters. The cast includes a full set of stereotypes of the late British Empire, from the drunken Scot to the frustrated missionary, the arrogant consul to the Anglophile nawab. Thank goodness for Julie Walters, she's the only one who can actually carry off her character and bring her to life. The rest are just wooden.