Knightfall
Season 1 SABC3 (*193) 21:30 Drama
The famed Knights Templar are fighting two wars in medieval drama Knightfall (2017- current). They’re stuck in France after losing their stronghold in the city of Acre in the year 1291. Plus, they lost their most important relic 15 years earlier: the Holy Grail, the fabled chalice used at the Last Supper of Jesus. The warrior monks won’t give up without a fight though, warns exec producer Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye in the Avengers superhero films, 2012-current): “They are the Navy SEALS of their day and the Templars fight a bloody battle ’til the end!”
Leading the way is Landry (Tom Cullen, Guy Fawkes in 2017 miniseries Gunpowder), a veteran of The Crusades and Master of the Paris Temple. But it’s not all swordplay – Tom admits that his armour “is like having an eight-year-old on your back for 14 hours a day!” Landry stopped the murder of France’s King Philip IV (Ed Stoppard, Lord Hervey in horror series The Frankenstein Chronicles, 20152017) and as a result has become close with the king, although he is “better acquainted” with Queen Joan (Olivia Ross, Madam Bourienne in period miniseries War & Peace, 2016) despite his vow of celibacy. For spiritual guidance, the Templars turn to Pope Boniface VIII (Jim Carter, Charles in period drama Downton Abbey, 20102015) despite his blatant corruption. And helping the pope is godless William De Nogaret (Julian Ovenden, Jeremy in action show Person Of Interest, 2011-2016).