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Entertainment • Television

The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom is a British historical drama television series based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories novels.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The Last Kingdom is a British historical drama television series based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories novels. It follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg in Anglo-Saxon England during the Viking Age and ran for five series from 2015 to 2022, with a follow-up film released in 2023 to conclude the story. The series was distributed internationally through Netflix, making it widely available to Canadian viewers, including after Netflix became the sole distributor from the third series onward.

Premise

The series is set in Anglo-Saxon England during the Viking Age and follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who is captured and raised by Danes before becoming involved in the struggle among the kingdoms of England.

Production and release

The show was created by Stephen Butchard, premiered in 2015 on BBC Two, and later continued under Netflix, which became the sole distributor from the third series onward.

Seasons and ending

The Last Kingdom ran for five series and 46 episodes, concluding in March 2022. Its narrative was completed by the 2023 film Seven Kings Must Die.

Source material

The television series adapts Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories, a sequence of historical novels centred on Uhtred and the formation of early England.

Key facts

  • The series is a historical drama set in Anglo-Saxon England during the Viking Age.
  • It was created by Stephen Butchard and is based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories novels.
  • The show ran for five series and 46 episodes between 2015 and 2022.
  • A follow-up film, Seven Kings Must Die, was released in 2023.
  • The series became a Netflix production from the third series onward, broadening its availability in Canada.
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Canadian context

The series was distributed internationally through Netflix, making it widely available to Canadian viewers, including after Netflix became the sole distributor from the third series onward.[2][6]

Frequently asked questions

What is The Last Kingdom?
It is a British historical drama television series adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories novels.
Who created The Last Kingdom for television?
Stephen Butchard developed and created the series for television.
How many seasons did The Last Kingdom have?
It had five series in total.
How many episodes are in The Last Kingdom?
The series has 46 episodes.
When did The Last Kingdom end?
The series concluded on 9 March 2022.
Is there a sequel to The Last Kingdom?
Yes. The 2023 feature film Seven Kings Must Die continues and concludes the story.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Kingdom_(TV_series)
    Supports: Series overview, creator, adaptation source, premiere date, Netflix involvement, and conclusion after five series.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Last_Kingdom_episodes
    Supports: Episode count, broadcast timeline, and series release dates.
  3. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Kingdom:_Seven_Kings_Must_Die
    Supports: 2023 feature-length sequel and its role as the conclusion to the television series.
  4. Bernard Cornwell — https://www.bernardcornwell.net/series/the-last-kingdom-series/
    Supports: The Saxon Stories source novels and the Uhtred premise.