Putting Happy Valley ’s James Norton and Game of Thrones ’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in a battle-heavy period drama is, forgive the pun, a bit of a double-edged sword. A Battle of Hastings tale with two notable scene-stealers on opposite sides? I was signed up to King and Conqueror before even seeing the trailer.

But period dramas are tricky: one has to tread carefully with artistic license around history, knowing armchair scholars will be picking it apart; you need to understand political chess moves to give mundane elements some flair; and, in such a specific genre, you need to stand out from your many, many counterparts.

Surprisingly, the 1066 Battle of Hastings – a clash that redefined the British monarchy with the Norman conquest of England (sorry, spoilers) – has rarely app

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