Bernard Cornwell: ‘Game of Thrones’ dull

Author Bernard Cornwell has revealed he is not a fan of Game of Thrones.

Cornwell’s historical Saxon novels have been turned into eight-part BBC2 series The Last Kingdom and have drawn comparisons with the hit HBO drama based on George RR Martin’s books.

He told Radio Times: “So many characters. So many strands. You have to have large sections where the plot is explained, just have to sit there and be told what’s going on. This is very, very dull. So they put a lot of naked women behind it all.

“They’re called ‘sexplanations’ in the trade. My programmes won’t need sexplanations.”

Another of his famous creations is the character of Richard Sharpe, which was later turned into hit TV series Sharpe.

Actor Sean Bean was cast in the lead role and Cornwell is honest about the fact Bean was not, at first, his idea of Sharpe. “But he was terrific and I wrote Sharpe differently after Sean,” he said.

The author, now 71, has not had any say in the adaptation of The Last Kingdom. “I’ll watch it with the rest of you when it goes out on the BBC,” he said.

The Last Kingdom airs on BBC2 on October 22 at 9pm.