Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

'Vikings' creator on historical cliches and being hated by Travis Fimmel

06/12/2018

6 December, 2018 - 08:01

Historys breakthrough drama Vikings has made the likes of Travis Fimmel (Ragnar Lothrok) and Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha) household names, but in many ways the true hero of the series is creator Michael Hirst (Elizabeth, The Tudors), who has single-handedly written every episode, bar one, delicately balancing the competing demands of entertaining TV and historical accuracy.

Renewing the hit drama for a sixth season, Eli Lehrer, HISTORYs executive vice president of programming, hailed Michael as one of the greatest writers in this era of Peak TV.

The second half of season five is now streaming first and only on Showmax, with new episodes coming weekly every Thursday, express from the US, so we caught up with the legendary writer to find out more about his process.

What attracted you to writing historical dramas like Vikings and The Tudors?

History and English are the only two subjects I was really good at in school, so I cleverly combined them. I like reading footnotes to books; I find those interesting bits of information, the personality and details about people. Im always looking for things that contradict assumptions and prejudices.

How has this series challenged our prejudices about vikings?

The whole idea we had about vikings was a cliche. We didnt know much about them because the attitude towards them was established by and large by their enemies in the Western world. To make matters worse, the vikings didnt write anything down themselves, so we dont have personal accounts of their culture. We just think of them as grubby dirty hippies only interested in pillage.

In making Vikings, I wanted to show, through Ragnar, that the vikings were driven by curiosity and they had the necessary technology with boats and sunstone to facilitate that curiosity, to go places. And it goes beyond adventure and curiosity, their attitude toward women was much more enlightened than societies around them - England, France, Spain - they were more democratic than most other societies. I dont want to teach people, but can put out there, in drama, the things that challenge our assumptions and prejudices.

What is the common theme in season five?

How political allegiances are constantly shifting, treaties and allegiances are being made and broken, and everyone is following their own agendas.

How did you bridge seasons four and five?

Season five starts with the beginning of the disintegration of Ragnars family and The Great Army. The characters become much more ambitious and venture out to the Mediterranean and Iceland. Brothers split up and form different allegiances and begin absorbing more of the world around them.

I always said from the beginning that Vikings was not just about Ragnar, but about Ragnar and his sons. In fact, in many ways his sons became more famous than Ragnar.

Bjorn did actually go to the Mediterranean and Tunisia and Ivar the Boneless was a very famous viking. I seem to have waited a lifetime to get Ivar the Boneless into the script - who knew the most important viking leader was a cripple, considering what the assumptions are about vikings? Ivar was one of the cruelest and most successful vikings. We are very lucky to have Alex Hogh Andersen playing Ivar; he is a brilliant actor.

Get More Film Business South Africa

Select your Membership

Tell us about Bishop Heahmund, a new character this season played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Vikings were the last pagans, so part of the brief I gave myself was to try to not explain, but to dramatise and show what paganism was and how real the clash between paganism and Christianity was.

Weve seen levels of belief in Vikings. Floki is a complete fundamentalist and I wanted to show the same for Christianity, that it was driven by people like Bishop Heahmund - passionate Christians coming up against equally passionate pagans.

So I spoke to my historical advisor and said we need to find someone who can represent the Saxons and he suggested a warrior bishop. These were men who were the precursors to the Knights Templar, genuinely religious men who often were bishops, but also fighters. When we found Bishop Heahmund, a historical figure who was a warrior bishop, I had found a Saxon warrior that could theoretically stand up to Ivar and Bjorn and other vikings.

Someone suggested Jonathan Rhys Meyers, which was brilliant because, like Bishop Heahmund, he is passionate and intense and I wanted someone in this role that had that intensity.

What attracted you most to the idea of expanding the show into other countries?

If theres anything real, then I want to use it. Considering how small these countries are, the impact they had on the world is staggering. Thats why the show is so meaningful to people around the world, because viking influence reached so many places. The Christians borrowed so much from pagans; most of our ceremonies are based on pagan ceremonies.

Did you find any scene particularly difficult to write?

Quite a few. Vikings is about life and death and all the area in between, so we have had a lot of significant deaths and extraordinarily emotional moments. Im the only writer on the show and I live with these characters for years and get very attached to them. If and when I have to kill them off, it is a huge moment for me. For instance, Travis [Fimmel] and I spent a long time together talking through the death of Ragnar Lothbrok. We talked about what he would say and how that would happen. We talked and fought about it - it was a passionate engagement. The most emotional moment for me however was in Season 1 when Ragnar is on a beach lamenting the death of his daughter Gyda. I have daughters and I imagined giving that speech myself. Travis has no children but nevertheless was wonderful, lyrical and full of feeling and emotion when delivering that speech.

What was it like filming that last
LINK: http://www.filmcontact.com/news/south-africa/vikings-creator-historica...
See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

15/05/2026

Seattle Sounders FC and Reign FC Announce Seattle Soccer Celebration at Waterfront Park

Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...

15/05/2026

How Sound Designer Dan Brumm Built Blueys Audio World with Sennheiser and Neumann

Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...

15/05/2026

Applications Close May 31 for Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship

The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...

15/05/2026

Netflix Expands NFL Coverage With Additional Games Starting in 2026

Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...

15/05/2026

Ateme Supports TVRIs SRT-Based Live Sports Contribution and Distribution Workflow

Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...

15/05/2026

Concacaf Launches New Website and Mobile App Powered by Deltatre

Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...

15/05/2026

Qatar Media Corporation Launches QBC Business Channel in 4K via Eutelsat

Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...

15/05/2026

Amazon to Serve as Exclusive Launch Home of MLS Original Series Cup Dreams on May 14

Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...

15/05/2026

AIMS to Focus on IPMX Education at InfoComm 2026

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...

15/05/2026

InfoComm 2026To Feature Sports, Broadcast, and Live Event Technologies

InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...

15/05/2026

Tracy McGradys Ones Basketball League Signs First Streaming Agreement with Fubo Sports Network

Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...

15/05/2026

Disguise and Creative Technology Return for Eighth Year at Eurovision Song Contest 2026

Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...

15/05/2026

Sony Announces Alpha 7R VI Camera and FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS Lens

Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...

15/05/2026

SVG GameDay, Ep. 15: New Jersey Devils Joe Kuchie - Growing the Game in the Garden State

In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...

15/05/2026

Ratings Roundup: ESPN Secures Top Viewed Second Round Game 4 of Stanley Cup on Cable; NBA Draft Lottery Viewership Up 23%

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...

15/05/2026

The Future of Sports Analytics: Building Trust and Intelligence With SmerSports and Cisco

For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...

15/05/2026

NFL Broadcast Schedule Roundup: Breaking Down CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, Netflix, and Prime Lineups

The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...

15/05/2026

Netflix Steps Into the Cage for First MMA Production With Rousey-Carano Showdown at Intuit Dome

When MMA icons Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano meet inside the Hexagon at Intuit Do...

15/05/2026

Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall Bring the Noise in Daniel Roher's Tuner

Daniel Roher attends the Tuner Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Neilson Bar...

15/05/2026

And The Winners of the 2026 Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico Are

Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...

15/05/2026

Music Expo (San Francisco) becomes MONO Music Conference

Rebranded show announced Ahead of their 2026 return, Music Expo have announced that they have now officially changed their name to the MONO Music Conference...

15/05/2026

Buzzing Bugs Audio Devices introduce the Bolster

Fuzz pedal joins UK companys line-up UK-based pedal makers Buzzing Bugs Audio Devices have recently unveiled their latest creation, the Bolster. Said to pay...

15/05/2026

Joint Statement: News Bargaining Incentive

Joint Statement: News Bargaining Incentive 28 April, 2026 Media releases The vibrancy of Australian democracy relies on the robust and open exchange of new...

15/05/2026

Call it Deltavision, Australia's through to the Grand Final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest!

Call it Deltavision, Australia's through to the Grand Final of this year'...

15/05/2026

Join Calrec at MPTS 2026

Join Calrec at MPTS 2026 | May 13-14 | Stand A40 | Olympia, London We're looking forward to meeting up with customers and partners at this year's Media ...

15/05/2026

CTV's Data Gap Holding Back Bigger Ad Budgets, New Gracenote Research Finds

86% of media planners would move more linear TV budget to CTV if they had show-level targeting and reporting - and 65% would also shift dollars from programmati...

15/05/2026

Scripps Completes Station Swaps with Gray Media

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

Clear-Com Takes Communications Further at InfoComm 2026

Clear-Com will showcase new communications solutions and major platform updates at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005), June 17-19, in the North and Central Halls of t...

15/05/2026

Rise AV Launches Second Year of UK Elevate Programme Foll...

Following an outstanding inaugural year in 2025, Rise AV is proud to announce the return of its flagship leadership initiative, Elevate. The programme continues...

15/05/2026

Berklee Announces Lineup for Inaugural AI Music Summit

Berklee Announces Lineup for Inaugural AI Music Summit The three-day event puts musicians at the center of the future of music creation, ethics, and the indus...

15/05/2026

Lightware Highlights Scalable USB-C and AV-over-IP Innova...

Lightware returns to InfoComm 2026 with a focused showcase of scalable USB-C connectivity, next-generation AV-over-IP solutions, and technologies that help over...

15/05/2026

IAB Releases Campaign Data Standards 1.0 for Public Comment

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

ARRI Expands Management Board

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

Gray Media Names Joanie Vasiliadis SVP of Transformation

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

Study: Data and Measurement Problems Reduce CTV Ad Budgets

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

Upfronts: WBD Expands Advanced Ad Capabilities and AI Ad Tech

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

VLAST Powers PLAVEs Asia Tour Encore with AJA Gear

Delivering a live, arena-scale production of a massively popular band is no small feat. Between expansive in-arena LED walls and a global live stream fed to onl...

15/05/2026

Sun Broadcast Futureproofs Dayalbaghs Multimedia Van with...

Connection is the heartbeat of any strong community, and with live streaming becoming more accessible in the modern era, it's much easier for faith-based or...

15/05/2026

Disguise and Creative Technology Power Eurovision for the...

Powered by GX 3 media servers, optimised IP-VFC workflows and on-site engineering expertise, the production delivers high-performance visuals for one of the wor...

15/05/2026

UKTV joins forces with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television for a co-commission of Chocolate Wars (w/t)

The six-part series is a co-commission with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television...

15/05/2026

A Mother, Two Daughters and One Big Scandal: Netflix's Crime-Comedy 'Maa Behen' Premieres June 4

Back to All News A Mother, Two Daughters and One Big Scandal: Netflixs Crime-Co...

15/05/2026

Why Trusted Measurement Matters More Than Ever in Retail Media

Against that backdrop, IAB UK has added retail media to its Gold Standard. Jan Pitt, Commercial Director at ABC, spoke with Liv McCullagh, Retail Media Lead at ...

15/05/2026

RT's statement on Derek Mooney's Earnings for the Years 2020-2023

Further to RT 's statement released yesterday and in the interest of full transparency, with the full permission of Derek Mooney, we are now publishing the ...

14/05/2026

Sweetwater and Airstream Unveil Mobile Dolby Atmos Recording Studio

Sweetwater and Airstream have announced a custom-built Dolby Atmos mobile recording studio inside an Airstream trailer, set to tour music festivals, schools, tr...

14/05/2026

American Association of Professional Baseball Expands Broadcast Distribution for 2026 Season

The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has announced a new par...

14/05/2026

ESPN to Establish Week-Long Super Bowl LXI Broadcast Center on Santa Monica Beach

ESPN has announced plans to transform Santa Monica Beach into a broadcast hub du...