Arthur of the Britons

7.3

1972•25m

This series strips away the elaborate medieval view of Camelot, and presents Arthur as the chief of a small Celt tribe in Dark-Ages Britain, a century or two after the withdrawal of Rome. Arthur struggles to weave the scattered tribes of Celts, Jutes, etc. into a union that can effectively oppose the Saxon invaders who are arriving in Britain in growing numbers. He is aided by his adoptive father, Llud, and his foster brother, Kai, who is himself a Saxon foundling.

Seasons

12 Episodes • Premiered 1972

1. Arthur is Dead

In a ploy aimed at bringing together an assortment of Romano-British chieftains, Arthur fakes his own death, with unexpected results.

2. The Gift of Life

Arthur finds two Saxon children, abandoned after an attack on a British village.

3. The Challenge

Arthur's cousins Gawain and Garet cause a lot of trouble for him.

4. The Penitent Invader

Arthur has a plan to use his Christian faith against Pictish invaders.

5. People of the Plough

When Kai, Arthur's lieutenant, falls for a Saxon girl, he thinks carefully about the implications.

6. The Duel

One of Mark's men is killed in a skirmish - Mark believes Llud is to blame for the death and insists on a trial by combat.

7. The Pupil

The youthful Corin, in the hope of proving himself as a warrior, launches a foolhardy attack on Arthur.

8. Rolf the Preacher

Rolf of the Picts has converted to Christianity, but he remains a threat to Arthur.

9. Enemies and Lovers

Morcant suspects Arthur and Kai are after the hand of Goda, the daughter of King Athel - and Morcant wants her for himself. So he has Arthur and Kai arrested and claims they have acted as spies for the Saxons.

10. The Slave

Arthur fights to free some enslaved villagers - and one in particular.

11. The Wood People

Saxon fighters kidnap two children and threaten to kill them unless Arthur surrenders himself in the children's place. But Arthur finds an ingenious solution to his dilemma.