Or: if you want to do “a Game of Thrones knockoff without the branding of fantasy”, just do the Brutus myth! Trojan refugees found Britain - his three sons tear it apart! From “the true history of Geoffrey of Monmouth”!
Replies
Yeah, I think if my vague plan, as visibly the plan of King and Conqueror is, which is 'do a Game of Thrones knockoff, but without the intimidating sheen of fantasy', I would probably claim I was riffing off The Anarchy.
aug 27, 2025, 6:30 pm • 32 0 • view
decent pitch that, tbh
aug 27, 2025, 6:34 pm • 1 0 • view
And that's how Stephen in Universe 4212, where I became a TV producer, dies: assassinated by an angry historian after claiming 'well, we don't know for certain if Empress Matilda and King Stephen fucked. Some records even claim they were married!'
aug 27, 2025, 6:33 pm • 35 2 • view
To be fair, there were about 5 Matilda's kicking around at this point, as an easily confused lay person I definitely lost track of which was which throughout the You're Dead To Me episode I coincidentally listened to today
aug 27, 2025, 8:15 pm • 1 0 • view
I had to create a little diagram of the Matildas when I was reading up on them just to feel confident about which one was which. I haven't watched the new series yet. Is it worse than The Tudors?
aug 27, 2025, 9:00 pm • 0 0 • view
I've not watched it yet! Not hearing good things so far 😬
aug 27, 2025, 9:09 pm • 0 0 • view
I like to believe that Stephen in Universe 4212 also had a hand in making Reign even less historically accurate. (We already had impossibly hot glam rock Nostradamus and, you know, actual magic, who cares about sticking to history re if Mary Stuart was queen of England?)
aug 27, 2025, 7:15 pm • 2 0 • view
This sounds awesome.
aug 27, 2025, 6:43 pm • 0 0 • view
Vikings and The Last Kingdom both did this to great success. Even Britannia got to three seasons despite me knowing no one who watched it.
aug 27, 2025, 6:34 pm • 1 0 • view
Unfortunately House of the Dragon beat them to the punch on that one
aug 27, 2025, 7:42 pm • 0 0 • view
I would like to point out that this would actually *work* which means you're not cut out to make a Game of Thrones knock-off.
aug 27, 2025, 7:33 pm • 1 0 • view
Making a Game of Thrones knock-off which actually works is against the rules (stares pointedly at Rings of Power and later seasons of The Witcher). The only two alleged knock-offs which functioned were House of the Dragon (prequel, not knock-off) and Shogun (not a knock-off at all)
aug 27, 2025, 8:06 pm • 0 0 • view
That Ken Follett series of books about building a cathedral etc starts in the anarchy and it’s a really good setting (and I believe they did a tv adaptation of it?)
aug 27, 2025, 6:37 pm • 5 0 • view
Yes, Pillars of Stone was a very successful TV adaptation covering the entire period of the Anarchy. Back in the day Cadfael was likewise v popular (books and TV show) and gave a different view of the same period (albeit still based round a monastery.) Its a good period to work with.
aug 27, 2025, 7:11 pm • 0 0 • view
I originally assumed they were doing a riff off William's life, which could have made a good and gritty non-fantasy GoT.
aug 27, 2025, 7:33 pm • 1 0 • view
Late reply but feels like show creators and execs thought GoT fell apart due to magic when D&D took a hatchet to the mysticism of ASOIAF. A lot of 'prestige TV' types think they're more clever than they are.
aug 30, 2025, 3:00 pm • 2 0 • view
Possibly. (Agree on the second part - I frankly wouldn’t rule out “they don’t realise GOT is fantasy due to genre snobbery” for this reason.)
aug 30, 2025, 3:02 pm • 1 0 • view
the only true history in history! (narrator's voice: it was not true)
aug 27, 2025, 6:27 pm • 1 0 • view
Or just retell King Lear. And probably annoy a few of the worst people "because you included women ruling as queen in the middle ages!"
aug 27, 2025, 6:40 pm • 0 0 • view
Ran is a particular favourite of a movie but it’s always struck me that Kurosawa had to gender-change the three daughters to be even momentarily plausible
aug 27, 2025, 7:48 pm • 1 0 • view
The Matter of Britain would be a really cool setting in general. Giants! Wizards! The Crystal Cave could stand a 21st century TV adaptation, actually.
aug 27, 2025, 6:25 pm • 15 1 • view
Still waiting for my Matter of France series. Where's my Roland? My Ogier the Dane?
aug 27, 2025, 6:28 pm • 1 0 • view
The one I really want, done well, is the Book of Samuel. It's just constant drama, interpersonal conflict, romance, war, betrayal, sex...
aug 27, 2025, 6:35 pm • 2 0 • view
bsky.app/profile/thek...
aug 27, 2025, 6:49 pm • 2 0 • view