A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner: “Season 1 was definitely written for George RR Martin”

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The scene shifts to the same man, now completely panicked and desperately trying to hide behind a tree. While “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” – starting this week on Sky Atlantic – takes place in the familiar world of Westeros, it’s not the large-scale, sweeping story viewers might anticipate from the Game of Thrones universe.

Showrunner Ira Parker jokingly compares the show to “Game of Thrones,” but says it’s designed to be fully understandable even if you haven’t seen any of the other related series. “I want viewers to be able to start with the first episode and easily follow the story,” he explains.

Game of Thrones, a hugely popular fantasy drama that ran from 2011 to 2019, was based on George RR Martin’s novels, A Song of Ice and Fire. It became one of the biggest TV hits of the 21st century. In 2022, a spin-off series called House of the Dragon arrived, telling a story set hundreds of years before the original, when tensions were rising between the powerful families of Westeros.

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” offers a more intimate story than its predecessors. Taking place 90 years before the events of “Game of Thrones” and after “House of the Dragon,” the series focuses on a smaller cast and a more contained adventure. It follows Ser Duncan the Tall, a poor knight nicknamed Dunk (played by Peter Claffey), and his young squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), as they enter a tournament hoping to win prize money. According to one of the creators, it’s a blend of comedy, adventure, and a story about an unlikely pair.

Despite the existing hype, this new show isn’t without high hopes. It’s based on George R.R. Martin’s 1998 novella, The Hedge Knight, and the beloved characters Dunk and Egg have gained a dedicated following over the years, especially with the release of two follow-up books.

Parker explains that he especially loves the unlikely pairings in both the books and the original TV series. He compares the relationship between Dunk and Egg to the dynamic between Brienne and Podrick from Game of Thrones, noting their similar chemistry.

It took some time to turn that straightforward concept into a television series. Parker, age 41, was a writer for House of the Dragon when he first learned that George R.R. Martin’s other Westeros stories might be adapted for TV. Even after he was hired, figuring out how to make it happen proved to be a lengthy process.

He reflects on a past writers’ room, noting, “It feels like a completely different life.” Back then, he was childless and living in a small apartment in West Hollywood. Now, he’s based in Belfast and expecting his third child very soon.

One of the biggest challenges was casting Dunk and Egg, characters described in the books as an incredibly tall, imposing man and a very small, bald boy – a somewhat unusual pairing to find in actors.

Parker explains they searched globally for the tallest actors they could find. It was a challenge, as Hollywood generally prefers actors of average height. Fortunately, they found Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell, who Parker believes were the only two people in the world capable of playing the roles, and both agreed to participate.

They found a perfect fit in 29-year-old Claffey. He’s 6’5” and has already appeared on TV in shows like Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters. Plus, his background as a professional rugby player makes him incredibly believable as the tough character, Dunk.

Dexter is an incredibly talented young actor – honestly, the best around. He’s so professional, it almost doesn’t feel right to even call him a ‘child actor.’ He’s able to improvise brilliantly and always comes prepared, taking direction and notes with impressive focus.

Currently, Parker is filming the second season with the cast, which has already been approved for next year. Martin only wrote one more story featuring these characters, but famously, Game of Thrones moved forward even before Martin finished writing his books. Could history repeat itself with this new project?

Parker explains that George has detailed notes covering the events of novellas thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. All that remains is for him to write them. Knowing the ending is a major advantage – they won’t have to invent anything new, just follow a slightly less detailed plan than they have currently. The show closely follows the novellas and aims to return to the source material. Each season will take place in a new setting, telling a complete story with a bit of enjoyment woven in. Hopefully, fans of the books will enjoy the show as well.

Ultimately, he feels he’s already pleased the most important person: Martin himself. He explains that when working on this project, aiming for a broad audience isn’t the goal, as everyone has different tastes. Instead, he focuses on writing for a specific person. He specifically wrote the first season with George in mind, and ‘The Hedge Knight’ is a project George particularly loves, even saying it’s his favorite work.

As a critic, I’m happy to report that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently streaming on Sky and NOW, with fresh episodes dropping every Monday. If you’re across the pond in the US, you can catch it on HBO every Sunday.

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Authors

Huw FullertonCommissioning Editor

Huw Fullerton works as a Commissioning Editor at TopMob magazine, where he focuses on content related to entertainment, comedy, and specialized dramatic productions.

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2026-01-19 20:45