'Sons of Anarchy' creator's bloody drama gets picked up to series by FX
The cable channel announced on Friday that it has ordered 10 episodes of Sutter's drama, "The Bastard Executioner." Production will resume in Wales this summer with a fall premiere date set.
The series takes place in the late-Middle Ages and follows a warrior knight in King Edward I's charge who is broken by the ravages of war and vows to lay down his sword. But when that violence finds him again, he is forced to return to battle.
"I love history. I love theology. I love blood," Sutter said in a statement. "It's been very satisfying weaving fact and fiction to create a new mythology that combines all these elements. And with this extraordinary cast -- Stephen Moyer, Katey Sagal and newcomer, Lee Jones -- this world explodes on screen. I love working with FX and [Fox 21 Television Studios]. They've been my family for 15 years. They not only tolerate me, they embrace my extremely disturbing storytelling sensibilities."
Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions, "The Bastard Executioner" was created by Sutter who will be joined by Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo and Paris Barclay as the show's executive producers.
It isn't difficult to see why FX would be in a hurry to be back in business with Sutter after "Sons of Anarchy" ended its run last December. The gritty drama's final season was its most-watched and highest-rated, averaging 11.7 million total viewers and 7.5 million in the advertiser-coveted demographic of Adults, aged 18-49 years old.