How many episodes of Beowulf will there be in the ITV television series?
With an ITV premiere date now set for early January, 2016, the number of episodes in season 1 of the Beowulf TV series will be 12. The drama had originally been scheduled to air over 13 episodes.
Starring English actor Kieran Bew as the shows legendary title hero Beowulf, ITV’s new fantasy-drama will also star William Hurt as Hrothgar, while actress Joanne Whalley will play the role of Rheda.
Above: Actor William Hurt.
Filming for the epic series got underway during March of 2015 using locations in the North East of England. According to a BBC report, production for the show will take place on the site of a former Weardale limestone quarry in Eastgate.
After receiving planning permission from the local Durham County Council, allowing the production company use of the site for five years, a massive set has been custom built ready for filming. This five year window for filming, along with the huge scale of the set, appears to hint that ITV have a possible season 2 or 3 of Beowulf in mind for the future.
Set in Shieldlands, ITV describes the show as ‘A western set in the Dark Ages of Britain’s mythic past’. Expect plenty of action, adventure and mythological monsters.
If you like the sound of the new Beowulf ITV series but don’t live in the UK, I wouldn’t worry. With the inevitably large financial commitment being made by ITV Studios to produce this 13-part drama, the British television company will no doubt be keen to sell the show to as many international broadcasters as possible.
With Beowulf’s UK air date likely to be set for late 2015 at the earliest, viewers in the US and around the world will probably be looking at a 2016 premiere on whichever TV channels or online streaming services pick up the shows rights.