'The Last Kingdom' to Premiere October 10 on BBC America

The Last Kingdom premieres October 10 on BBC America.

BBC America revealed the key art for its new original series, The Last Kingdom, earlier today and announced that the drama is set for premiere on Saturday, October 10 at 10 p.m. ET.

The Last Kingdom is a contemporary story of redemption, vengeance and self-discovery set against the birth of England. The eight part drama series follows young warrior and outsider, Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon, American Horror Story), on a fierce mission to reclaim his birthright.

The Last Kingdom comes from the award-winning executive producers of Downton Abbey, Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant.

Adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling series of books “The Saxon Stories,” by BAFTA nominated and RTS award-winning writer Stephen Butchard, The Last Kingdom combines real historical figures and events with fiction, re-telling the history of King Alfred the Great and his desire to unite the many separate kingdoms into what would become England.

Historical Drama 'The Last Kingdom' Begins Filming, Stars Alexander Dreymon

Alexander Dreymon stars in The Last Kingdom.

Filming has begun on The Last Kingdom, an eight-episode new historical drama series from BBC America, BBC Two and the Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning producers of Downton Abbey, Carnival Films.

The Last Kingdom is an adaptation of Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling series of books “The Saxon Stories”, by BAFTA nominated and RTS award-winning writer Stephen Butchard. The production films in Hungary and the UK.

Alexander Dreymon (American Horror Story, Blood Ransom) heads up the cast, which also includes Rutger Hauer (True Blood, Blade Runner), David Dawson (Ripper Street, Road to Coronation Street), Emily Cox (The Silent Mountain, Circle of Life), Matthew Macfadyen (Anna Karenina, MI-5), Ian Hart (Boardwalk Empire, The Bridge), Tobias Santelmann (Kon-Tiki, Hercules-The Thracian Wars), Thomas W. Gabrielsson (A Royal Affair, The Killing III), Peter Gantzler (A-klassen, Italian For Beginners), Joseph Millson (Penny Dreadful, 24:Live Another Day), Alexandre Willaume (Deadline, Over the Edge), Rune Temte (Ulykken), Johan Falk: Organizatsija Karayan), Henning Valin Jakobsen (The Bridge, The Killing). Young cast members include Tom Taylor, Jocelyn Macnab and Madeleine Power.

BBC America Announces New Seasons of 'Orphan Black,' 'Broadchurch' and New Drama Series 'Tatau' and 'The Last Kingdom'

BBC America's General Manager, Perry Simon, made the following announcements today during the channel's presentation for the Television Critics Association in Beverly Hills.

Acclaimed series Orphan Black and Broadchurch will return with new seasons in 2015 and the channel has two new dramas going into production - Tatau, from the producers of Being Human, and The Last Kingdom, from the producers of Downton Abbey.

RETURNING SERIES ANNOUNCED:

Orphan Black - Season Three Premieres 2015

BBC America has renewed award-winning original series Orphan Black for a third season. The drama starring Tatiana Maslany has been re-commissioned for a 10-episode order from Temple Street Productions. Orphan Black became the first ever ad-supported drama series to double its ratings from season one to season two in A25-54 and 18-49 in Live+7.* The season two finale earned series highs in Live+7 among total viewers (1.376 million).

BBC America Announces New Historical Drama Series 'The Last Kingdom'

BBC America, Carnival Films – the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning producers of Downton Abbey – and BBC Two announced today that production will begin this fall on The Last Kingdom, a new historical 8 x 60 drama series.

BAFTA nominated and RTS award-winning writer Stephen Butchard, (Good Cop, Five Daughters, House of Saddam), will adapt Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling franchise "The Saxon Stories" for the screen. Cornwell is also known for his much-loved "Sharpe" novels that became the long-running TV series of the same name starring Sean Bean and aired on BBC America.

Set in the year 872, when many of the separate kingdoms of what we now know as England have fallen to the invading Vikings, the great kingdom of Wessex has been left standing alone and defiant under the command of King Alfred the Great.

Against this turbulent backdrop lives our hero, Uhtred. Born the son of a Saxon nobleman, he is orphaned by the Vikings and then kidnapped and raised as one of their own. Forced to choose between the country of his birth and the people of his upbringing, his loyalties are ever tested. What is he - Saxon or Viking? On a quest to claim his birthright, Uhtred must tread a dangerous path between both sides if he is to play his part in the birth of a new nation and, ultimately, seek to recapture his ancestral lands.