While History Channel has the popular Vikings which is a semi-fictional but also a semi-historical depiction of these legendary warriors, it seems like National Geographic does not want to be buried in the shade and plans to release their own historical drama called Barkskins.
The series is actually an eight-part franchise that tries its best to break from the whole historical-fiction trappings but leads into a more fascinating murkiness, which is also the grand reason for its existence.
According to an article by Indiewire, it would be hard to pin the upcoming Barkskins to a particular genre. On the surface, this stunning National Geographic TV adaptation of the whole Annie Proulx novel actually appears to be just like a down-the-middle historical fiction of a classical prestige play.
National Geographic Barkskins
The series is said to be set in the previous colonial region of New France happening sometime between the years of the 17th century. According to the markup, even the wood-built settlements of the whole Wobik are actually made up of mostly candlelit rooms along with modest interiors.
This all happens while earthen pathways actually make up the whole centuries-path equivalent of those busy city streets. The players that are to be seen in this drama are actually a cross-section of the type of characters you could imagine in the stories of those early colonial trips into the Americas.
There is a certain company man named Hamish Goames (who is the here of the entire Hudson Bay variety and shall be played by Aneurin Barnard), a keen and observant innkeeper, Mathilde (who will be played by Marcia Gay Harde), a certain European eccentric, Claude Trepegany (who will be played by David Thewlis, and also an ambitious regional entrepreneur known as Elisha Cooke (played by Thomas M. Wright.
As the season's eighth episode is said to unfold, the series gets much deeper and deeper compared to the surface-level trappings of other similar stories.
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History Channel Vikings
Vikings, on the other hand, was a crafty tail that followed a historical Viking known as Ragnar Lothbrok, played by Travis Fimmel, who started out as a simple farmer but then became the most powerful and influential person among the Vikings.
The series includes most of the most notorious Vikings in history like Rollo, played by Clive Standen, who in the series is Ragnar's brother who is destined to become a Christian and become the well-known defender of France.
Another historical figure is Bjorn Ironside, played by Alexander Ludwig, who in the series is depicted as Ragnar's son who goes on great conquests but it seems that he cannot overshadow his father. There are certain victories in the series that belonged to Bjorn Ironside but were credited as Ragnars.
Last but not least is, Ivar the Boneless, played by Alex Hogh Andersen who in the series is a cripple with the ultimate thirst for power. There have been many rumors circulating the true condition of Ivar but the series decided to show him as a cripple.
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