Vikings (TV series)

Vikings
Genre
Created byMichael Hirst
Written byMichael Hirst
Starring
Opening theme"If I Had a Heart"
by Fever Ray
ComposerTrevor Morris
Country of origin
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes89 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Morgan O'Sullivan
  • Sheila Hockin
  • Sherry Marsh
  • Alan Gasmer
  • James Flynn
  • John Weber
  • Michael Hirst
Producers
Production locationsAshford Studios and County Wicklow, Ireland
Cinematography
  • John Bartley
  • PJ Dillon
  • Owen McPolin
  • Peter Robertson
  • Suzie Lavelle
Editors
Running time45–50 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseMarch 3, 2013 (2013-03-03) 
March 3, 2021 (2021-03-03)
Related
Vikings: Valhalla

Vikings is a historical drama television series created and written by Michael Hirst. A co-production between Canada and Ireland, the series originally premiered on the History Channel on March 3, 2013. The series concluded with its broadcast on History in Canada from January 1 to March 3, 2021, after the second half of the sixth season was released in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video in Ireland on December 30, 2020. A sequel series, titled Vikings: Valhalla, premiered on Netflix on February 25, 2022.

It is inspired by the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok, a Viking who is one of the best-known legendary Norse heroes and notorious as the scourge of Anglo-Saxon England and West Francia. The show portrays Ragnar as a farmer from the Kattegat who rises to fame by raiding England and eventually becomes a Scandinavian king, with the support of his family and fellow warriors. In the later seasons, the series follows the fortunes of his sons and their adventures in England, Scandinavia, Kievan Rus', the Mediterranean and North America.

The series's principal cast features Travis Fimmel as Lothbrok, alongside Katheryn Winnick, Clive Standen, Jessalyn Gilsig, Gustaf Skarsgård, Gabriel Byrne, George Blagden, Donal Logue, Alyssa Sutherland, Linus Roache, and Alexander Ludwig. The series was filmed entirely in Ireland, on-location in County Wicklow and at Ashford Studios.