Kaamelott

Did You Know?

• Five comic books inspired by Kaamelott were published from November 2006 to November 2010, with stories by Alexandre Astier and art by Steven Dupré.
• Four tie-in items (Arthur's Oghma amulet, a mug, a notebook, and a 2009 calendar) were premiums with the purchase of a "Menu Top" at the Quick hamburger chain in late 2008 and early 2009.
• Eric Le Nabour and Martin Aurell have published two books that examine the series in the context of medieval history and Arthurian legend.

Episodes

Kaamelott started with very short episodes. The network rejected an initial attempt at a six-minute pilot format. The episodes that actually aired from seasons 1 through 4 ran about three and a half minutes each, matching the length of Caméra Café. Each of these seasons contained 100 of these short episodes, and creator Alexandre Astier along with M6 originally planned for seven such seasons. The promotional materials and DVD covers call a season a "livre," which is French for "book." M6 broadcast the show in France starting in 2005, airing it in prime time between 8:30 and 8:40 PM. For seasons 1 through 4, two new episodes aired every weeknight, and the full set of ten episodes for the week would also air together on Saturday. A season lasted ten weeks, and a week's worth of episodes added up to about 35 minutes. Each episode followed a structure similar to an American sitcom, with a teaser, opening titles, three acts, closing titles, and a tag. Season 1 aired early in 2005, season 2 in the fall of 2005, season 3 early in 2006, and season 4 in the fall of 2006. Viewership grew with each season, reaching around 5 million viewers per evening at its peak. Season 4 was the first to include an overarching story arc. The first half of season 5 aired in spring 2007 as two 52-minute episodes, followed by five weeks of 7-minute episodes that told the same story with extra material, using the same schedule as earlier seasons. The second half followed the same pattern in fall 2007. Season 5 featured several intertwining plots told chronologically, which created storytelling and editing challenges with the old 3.5-minute format. This led to at least three different versions: three 52-minute episodes as broadcast, fifty 7-minute episodes as broadcast, and eight 52-minute episodes on the DVD as a director's cut. Season 6 was always planned as a miniseries of 40-minute episodes, never intended to be cut into shorter pieces.

Content

The show’s name is a twist on Camelot, Arthur’s legendary fortress. The unusual spelling likely comes from the Old French “Kamaalot,” found in 13th-century Lancelot-Grail romances. The double “A” forms the creator’s monogram, and the title also plays on the French word “camelote,” meaning cheap junk. The first four seasons used a short episode format that required a comic structure, with each installment ending on an ironic twist. This made the series seem like pure comedy—parody, satire, or a straight-faced historical send-up akin to Blackadder or Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Creator Astier had to explain a lot when season five turned dark, filled with intense obsessions and passions. That season also shifted formats, airing in both short and long segments, with the DVD cut resembling a dramatic miniseries. Season six was made solely as a miniseries, with long episodes telling a primarily dramatic story and only incidental comedy. Fantasy elements were limited, likely due to budget constraints, though a few episodes hint at a blend of traditional Arthurian magic and science fiction. Despite its early comedic reputation, the show follows medieval Arthurian legends closely, featuring characters like Lancelot, Guenièvre, Bohort, Perceval, Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, the Holy Grail, and Excalibur. Like other 21st-century Arthurian works such as King Arthur and The Last Legion, it emphasizes Arthur’s ties to Rome. In season one, characters mention adventures in Rome, but Arthur dislikes Roman art and food. Later seasons make his Roman connections central to his character and history. Season six tells how Arthur, a Roman policeman, comes to understand his destiny and takes the crown of Britain.

Casting

The casting of Kaamelott was largely a family and friends affair for creator Alexandre Astier. His father Lionnel plays Léodagan, his half-brother Simon plays Yvain, his mother Joëlle Sevilla plays Dame Séli, and Simon’s mother Josée Drevon plays Ygerne. Many of these actors, along with others in the series, were part of Lyon’s theater scene. Astier typically invited actors he had worked with or whose work he knew, writing dialogue only after he understood their voice, musicality, and speaking style. He rarely cast from auditions; the few exceptions were Anne Girouard (Guenièvre), Caroline Ferrus (Mevanwi), Vanessa Guedj (Angharad), Caroline Pascal (Demetra), and Guillaume Briat (King of the Burgundians). Some guest stars—Antoine de Caunes (Dagonet), Christian Bujeau (The Master of Arms), François Rollin (King Loth), and Bruno Salomone (Caius Camillus)—later became main cast members. Like Astier, who played Arthur and also directed and wrote, several actors took on technical roles: Jean-Christophe Hembert (Karadoc) was art director, Emmanuel Meirieu (Appius Manilius) was graphic designer, Stéphane Margot (Calogrenant) was stunt coordinator, and Christian Bujeau was swordmaster. Because of the large cast and the show’s original short format, many characters—even important ones—appeared in only a few episodes. Across the 458 episodes, only eight characters appeared in more than 100: King Arthur (446), Léodagan (228), Perceval (195), Karadoc (172), Lancelot (157), Guenièvre (154), Bohort (138), and Father Blaise (105). The show’s immediate success also drew guest stars such as director Alain Chabat, actors Christian Clavier, Tchéky Karyo, and Émilie Dequenne, and TV anchor Virginie Efira.

DVD details

The first three livres were sold separately as two single-disc tomes, each packing 50 episodes. All six livres later got complete collector’s editions, known as “intégrales.” Livres 1 through 4 come on three discs each, while Livres 5 and 6 have four discs apiece. These sets include bonus features: blooper reels (called “bêtisier”), pilots, documentaries, and previews of the upcoming season. The packaging mimics a bound book, similar to the Lord of the Rings collector’s editions, with interior art by Jérome Jouvray.

The bonus material, labeled “Addendum,” varies by livre. Livre 1 includes Dies Irae, the pilots, and a bêtisier. Livre 2 adds the documentary “Aux Sources de Kaamelott: Les Moeurs et les Femmes,” a bêtisier, and teasers for Livres 1–3. Livre 3 has the documentary “Aux Sources de Kaamelott: La Magie et l'Eglise,” a bêtisier, and trailers for Livre 4 and the first comic book. Livre 4 features the documentary “Aux Sources de Kaamelott: L'Art de la Guerre,” a bêtisier, and trailers for Livre 5 and the second comic. Livre 5 includes an interview with Alexandre Astier filmed at the Cinecitta Rome set, the documentary “Aux Sources de Kaamelott: La Géopolitique du Royaume,” a bêtisier, and a trailer for Livre 6. Livre 6 offers the documentary “Aux Sources de Kaamelott: Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde,” a Making Of documentary, and a bêtisier.

Livres 5 and 6 came out as a 3-disc Blu-ray set alongside the standard 4-disc DVD version. Because the whole series was shot in HD, Blu-ray releases of earlier livres are possible. All collector’s editions include French subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing for the main show. Livres 4, 5, and 6 also have English subtitles, but none of the Addendum films are subtitled. A Canadian Region 1 edition of Livres 1 and 2, similar to the French collector’s set, was released in 2009 by Alliance Vivafilm. Its menus and episode titles are in French, but the episodes carry English subtitles. The Addendum content (Dies Irae and the pilots) lacks subtitles, and the interior case artwork differs from the French version.