I thought Seven Kings Must Die ending, there's been a void in my TV enjoyment left by the Netflix series. That was why I was thrilled about MGM+'s The Winter King and why I'm bummed that it won't be returning for season 2.
While not as well-executed as The Last Kingdom, I saw some potential that I thought was worth exploring further. With these big-budget costume shows, I often find that they take some time to grow on me. This was the case with Foundation and The Rings of Power, and in both cases, I'm grateful I stuck around. Not every show rallies for its sophomore run, but I'm generally of the opinion that it's worth giving a series the time to find its stride, especially when it shows flashes of excellence. The Winter King's cancellation means it won't have its chance.
The Winter King Was A Great Replacement For The Last Kingdom
Both Shows Are Based On A Bernard Cornwell Novel Series
The primary reason I would've suggested The Winter King to any fan of The Last Kingdom is that they're both based on series of books by the same author, Bernard Cornwell. The Last Kingdom is based on his saga, The Saxon Stories, while The Winter King was an adaptation of The Warlord Chronicles. From what I understand, it's not the closest adaptation to his books that readers had hoped for, but having not read the series, I was able to approach it with less bias and enjoyed it.
10 Best Shows Like The Winter King To Watch While Waiting For Season 2
Now The Winter King's first season has ended, there are many other fantasy and historical dramas that can fill the void until season 2.
Though if it takes its creative liberties, The Winter King seems to draw its tone, aesthetic, and narrative style from The Last Kingdom. In that sense, Cornwell's writing seems to have shined through. Even the worst adaptations of great novels will appear to be brilliant from time to time, and The Winter King is a decent production. Unlike The Last Kingdom, which features many real-world historical figures, the MGM+ series is based on Arthurian legend, with Cornwell's unique lens on the classic stories.
The Winter King seems to draw its tone, aesthetic, and narrative style from The Last Kingdom
The Warlord Chronicles book series examines critical narratives and characters from Arthurian legend as if they existed in the actual Dark Ages, posing what these tales might have looked like in the real world. The Winter King stretches that intended historical accuracy in various ways, causing it to receive criticism, but I didn't find this to be a pressing issue. Through The Winter King's ending, I was primarily enjoying being back in Medieval England, with my biggest complaint just being the instances where the lower budget is more apparent.
Why Was The Winter King Canceled?
Low Viewership On MGM+ Is Likely The Biggest Factor
While there doesn't seem to be any singular reason for the show's cancelation, there are several possibilities. For starters, I hadn't even heard of MGM+ at the time of the show's original release, and I groaned at the idea of another new streaming service entering the fold. If shows on Apple TV+ are struggling to find viewership, it's no stretch of the imagination to figure MGM+'s viewership numbers aren't grand. They were one of the latest contributions to an already oversaturated streaming market and arrived on the scene just before the 2023 strikes.
The Winter King arrived at a bad time. Had it been released in 2022, it may have been given another chance to accumulate momentum.
It's been apparent for years now that several media companies have been throwing money at television productions, hoping they'll end up with the next Game of Thrones. However, it seems abundantly clear that many of these shows aren't getting the expected viewership. The Winter King is one of many series of this ilk to receive less-than-stellar reviews, and with so many shows available and being recommended to every audience member, there are very few reasons to take a chance on a project that's been hailed as mediocre.
Among author Bernard Cornwell's other historical fiction sagas are The Richard Sharpe Series and The Saxon Chronicles aka The Last Kingdom Series, both also made into television series - Sharpe (1993-1997 & 2006-2008) and The Last Kingdom (2015-2022).
The result of having several high-budget productions failing to meet expected viewership is showing right now in Hollywood. Apple TV+ is cutting costs, Netflix has received flack from fans for canceling dozens of series after only one season, and productions on various fantasy projects have been paused. The Winter King arrived at a bad time. Had it been released in 2022, it may have been given another chance to accumulate momentum.
Why The Winter King Season 2 Should've Happened
The Winter King Showed Signs Of Potential
As I mentioned earlier, I like to give shows like this an extended chance. For a moment, consider Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films as an example of the immense difficulties of constructing a realistic-looking medieval/fantasy production. Those films went into production in 1997 and didn't begin shooting until late 1999. Building an entire world takes time, and it's often the case that these series don't have the resources to whip together everything they need immediately. But they often improve season to season, as they're able to reuse material and expand on it.
The Winter King Season 1's 10 Biggest Changes To The Books
The Winter King adapted Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles book trilogy, and the series made some huge changes to the King Arthur tale.
Now, that's my defense of The Winter King's visuals, and while I can't speak about the quality of its adaptation, I did find the story to be reasonably entertaining. It wasn't my favorite piece of television in 2023, but it was enjoyable enough to serve as breadcrumbs of The Last Kingdom while I wait for BBC's King and Conqueror series and Shogun season 2. I would've been open to the chance of seeing The Winter King make gradual improvements, and who knows, maybe it could've made a more significant leap between seasons 1 & 2.
Could The Winter King Season 2 Still Happen?
MGM+ May Be "Shopping" The Series To Other Services
MGM+ seems to be in a state of Flux beyond just the cancellation of shows like The Winter King and Beacon 23. They changed their name from Epix in early 2023 and were acquired by Amazon in a deal in 2022, so there could be workings behind the scenes contributing to these productions. The TV Line article that announced their cancellations also states: "Both series could ostensibly be shopped to other outlets."
With that in mind, it's not entirely the end of the road for The Winter King, but its future is uncertain. Netflix could take an interest in the series, given their success with The Last Kingdom and previous failed attempt at Arthurian legend in Cursed. Prime Video could look to add it to their library, given the connections to MGM+. I have no idea what the future of The Winter King will be, and it's all speculation for now, but I hope to see the show get another opportunity.
Key Background
- Bernard Cornwell’s historical novels often feature main characters who observe the key events around them. In this case, Derfel witnesses the rise of King Arthur’s legend.
- Derfel, known as Derfel Gadarn, was a 6th-century Celtic Christian monk venerated as a saint in medieval Welsh poetry.
- Morgan's appearance differs significantly from the source material, in the original novels she is scarred from being in a fire and wears a golden mask to cover it.
Sources: TV Line
The Winter King
- Release Date
- 2023 - 2023-00-00
Based on Bernard Cornwell's book series, The Winter King is a historical fiction series that covers the first novel's events. The series retreads the tale of King Arthur with a new imagining; Arthur has been exiled, with the Saxons now in control of Camelot's throne, with Merlin nowhere to be found.
- Cast
- Iain De Caestecker, Daniel Ings, Jordan Alexandra, Stuart Campbell, Ken Nwosu, Eddie Marsan, Nathaniel Martello-White
- Showrunner
- Kate Brooke, Ed Whitmore, Bernard Cornwell
- Writers
- Kate Brooke, Bernard Cornwell, Ed Whitmore
- Franchise(s)
- The Warlord Chronicles
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- MGM+
