King and Conqueror BBC Release Date Finally Revealed — And It's Sooner Than You Think
The BBC's long-in-the-works medieval epic King and Conqueror finally has a premiere date — and it's dropping sooner than expected.
The full box set will land on BBC iPlayer on Sunday 24 August, just in time for the UK's August bank holiday.
If bingeing eight hours of medieval drama in one sitting isn't your thing, the BBC has a staggered rollout lined up:
- BBC iPlayer: All 8 episodes available from 24 August
- BBC One broadcast:
• Episode 1 airs Sunday 24 August
• Episode 2 airs Monday 25 August (bank holiday)
• Episodes 3–8 follow weekly on Sunday nights
Game of Thrones Meets British History
The show covers the decades leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 — the kind of historic conflict somehow never dramatized properly until now. It focuses on two former allies turned enemies: Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, and William of Normandy, the future Conqueror.
The BBC calls it "the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years." Which is another way of saying: swords, betrayal, politics, and someone definitely dies at the end.
Series lead James Norton, who also co-produced the show, told RadioTimes.com,
"We've never seen a Battle of Hastings drama. I've been developing it for six, seven years… I'm so proud."
He also admitted to The Guardian that before signing on, he barely knew the backstory.
"I wasn't aware of the relationship Harold and William had before the battle, that they were friends and allies for many years… 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."
The Cast Is Ridiculously Stacked
It's a full prestige lineup.
- James Norton as Harold
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William
- Emily Beecham as Edith Swan-neck
- Clémence Poésy as Matilda
- Eddie Marsan as King Edward
- Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma
- Bo Bragason as Queen Gunhild
And that's just the front row. Supporting cast includes Luther Ford, Geoff Bell, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Oliver Masucci, and enough Scandinavian actors to launch a side-series.
Bragason is a standout casting move, too — she's also starring in the upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda film.
The first trailer dropped in July, teasing something less action-packed than Game of Thrones and more focused on psychological warfare, power struggles, and betrayal. Yes, there will be battle scenes, but don't expect non-stop carnage — this is more The Last Kingdom than 300.
The show comes from Michael Robert Johnson (The Frankenstein Chronicles) and is directed by Baltasar Kormákur (Everest), both of whom know how to balance historical weight with character-driven drama.