Twenty shows to watch while waiting for Game of Thrones season 8

6) The Last Kingdom (2015-current)

The popular The Last Kingdom is based on author Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories book series. The show is still underway, with season 1 airing in 2015, the second in 2017 and the third currently in production. Top cast members are Alexander Dreymon and Ian Hart, plus Rutger Hauer (familiar to this list) also makes an appearance.

The Last Kingdom is set in 9th century England, when the fragmented Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were being conquered by the Viking Danes: only King Alfred’s great stronghold of Wessex holds on. In the middle of this turmoil is Uhtred, a young man obsessed by revenge who must choose between his bloodline (Anglo-Saxon) and the people who raised him (the Danes).

The series has been well-received by audiences and critics alike. The Guardian’s Tom Wollaston wrote, “This is not a smaller-scale, less sexy, British Game of Thrones – it’s proper historical drama, and it’s a ton of fun,” adding “it’s wise not to get too attached to anyone.” Charlotte Runcie of The Telegraph noted that The Last Kingdom has some Thrones-like qualities, but also called it “more serious” and “a thinking person’s Game of Thrones.”

The Last Kingdom is a high roller on Rotten Tomatoes, tallying up a 92% rating with reviewers and 90% with audiences. With viewers jazzed about the show with its echoes of Game of Thrones, how can you not watch it?