Christopher Booker’s 2004 book titled The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories suggests that all our stories are based on just seven basic plots. While there is some evidence to suggest that the same basic plots are used over and over again, the recent success of pirate and Viking adventures makes us wonder why these genres have proven to be so popular over time.
The Ongoing Appeal of These Genres
Perhaps the main appeal of these series is that they take us on incredible adventures, but are also instantly familiar to viewers. Most of us are aware of some of the elements to expect from a pirate or Viking show, since some characters and situations seem to always crop up.
This means that these themes can be easily identified when used in any type of entertainment. They’ve even appeared in areas such as fashion and music, where the styles and images are instantly recognisable. We can also find these characters in a variety of games on this online bingo site, where slots and other games add variety to the theme. Cannonball Riches and Phantom Tides are based on pirates, with symbols that include anchors, maps, and cannons. Voyage of Wealth takes players sailing with Vikings, where the images include horns, hammers, and helmets.
New Shows to Look Out For
The fact that these shows include easily recognisable characters and settings doesn’t mean that all these shows are the same as one another. In the Viking world, we can see a variety of different approaches, from the historical drama of Vikings on Netflix to the more supernatural fantasy feel of Ragnarok on the same channel.
Bloodaxe is an upcoming series to look out for, with this Amazon Prime Video series focusing on Erik Bloodaxe and his battle to claim the Norwegian throne. Australian actor Xavier Molyneux stars as Erik, while it’s not clear who will play his wife, Gunnhild, Mother of Kings, in this show that focuses on a tumultuous period in European history.
Pirates have been shown in different lights too, from the 2021 docuseries The Lost Pirate Kingdom to the earlier Treasure Island from BSkyB with Eddie Izzard taking on the role of Long John Silver. While Hallmark called its 2006 series Blackbeard, it was based on a fictional version of the real-life pirate, moving him from North America to Thailand. This contrasts with the documentary-style approach of some other shows.
Black Sails is one of the shows making waves on Netflix now, having earlier appeared on Starz. Described as a pirate drama, Black Sails mixes characters from Treasure Island with historical figures from real life to create an interesting tale that acts as a sort of prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic 1883 novel about pirate life. It’s a blend of fact and fiction that should appeal to a range of viewers.
Pirates and Vikings should continue to appear in many new shows, thanks to their widespread popularity. However, for them to attract new viewers, directors need to continue looking for new angles and introducing characters that capture our attention.