Writer behind new BBC drama The Last Kingdom says HBO fantasy epic is so plot-heavy it needs ‘sexplanations’ to keep viewers interested

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

It’s the deadliest head to head since Tyrion Lannister’s second trial by combat. But let’s hope author Bernard Cornwell’s criticism of HBO’s much-garlanded fantasy epic Game of Thrones doesn’t end with somebody’s skull going pop.

Cornwell, whose historical Saxon novels have been turned into an eight-part BBC2 drama, The Last Kingdom, is no fan of the Emmy-winning series based on George RR Martin’s books.



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“So many characters. So many strands. You have to have large sections where the plot is explained, just have to sit there and be told what’s going on,” he told the Radio Times.



“This is very, very dull. So they put a lot of naked women behind it all. They’re called ‘sexplanations’ in the trade. My programmes won’t need sexplanations.”



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Or, as BBC4 editor Cassian Harrison once said of Game of Thrones: “Boobs and dragons, you can’t go wrong.”



Cornwell hasn’t wanted any say in the BBC’s new adaptation, and hasn’t read scripts, seen the sets, or looked at any rushes. “I’ll watch it with the rest of you when it goes out on the BBC,” he said. Unless you’re watching Game of Thrones, obviously.