King & Conqueror; Disaster at Sea: The Piper Alpha Story

“Rubberneckers might watch the final episode first (all are available), Harold getting it in the eye, literally (please don’t say I should have put a spoiler alert in here). I’m afraid I found this scene cheesy. It has Harold and William in one-to-one combat. “That crown,” William says, indicating the coronet Harold is wearing over his helmet (was that a thing?). “You’re going to have to give it up now.” “I can’t,” Harold replies. “So be it,” comes the reply before an orgy of violence (poor Harold gets a right old chopping up). This is not good dialogue. But at least the fighting is well done (and gory, as it should be). The whole series does feel a bit House of the Dragon. But does it entertain? Yes. And it kind of beats watching Ridley.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“King and Conqueror isn’t without fault, stumbling into some historical recreation faux pas: some dodgy wig choices for smaller characters, the “dark” tone indicated by such a lack of colour that you’ll wonder if it’s in black and white, and lighting so dim you’ll need to squint to see what’s going on. However, with a cast this strong – all acting powerhouses – these foibles are quickly forgotten. Stevenson and Marsan provide the most captivating dynamic as a king and the person who is truly in charge. And Clémence Poésy as William’s wife, Matilda of Flanders, is intriguing with her own hot-cold ruthlessness that makes her a strong match for her on-screen husband. But it’s Norton and Coster-Waldau’s shoulders with whom the drama’s success truly lies, and with them leading the charge, it’s clear the BBC is heading towards a true victory.”
Tilly Pearce, The i

“King & Conqueror clearly aims to be a ripping yarn. It is not intended to labour points about power, corruption, sacrifice and venality despite their acute relevance. But it hangs a little too heavy. An earnest undertow runs throughout and prevents it ever becoming the combustible fun it could be. A failure to conquer, you might say.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“When 167 people die horrifically in the world’s deadliest offshore oil disaster, do actors add much to a documentary about it? Are the wretched facts of the 1988 Piper Alpha oil rig catastrophe, men caught in an explosion and fireball, some of their bodies never recovered, not “dramatic” enough? Well, that depends on the execution. The use of actors in serious factual programmes can be sometimes reductive and occasionally tacky. Fortunately, in the case of Disaster at Sea: The Piper Alpha Story (BBC2), it was not.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“The programme highlights telling, horrifying and strange details, from the men in the dining room using squashed tomatoes to cool themselves since there was no water at hand, to the film-maker riding with RAF Search and Rescue who heard a pilot’s transmission stating the fire was visible from 120 miles away. One Piper Alpha worker casually took a book with him as he evacuated, to read on the rescue vessel he assumed would save him soon; minutes later, he was in a group that disagreed about which staircase to sprint down. The men who chose the wrong staircase died. The shocking story is skilfully told by those unfussy dramatisations of the survivors’ words, as the actors leave us in no doubt about how deeply traumatised the men were by their experience. A grim and difficult task is performed with care.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian