Vikings season 1

Vikings is a historical drama series created by Michael Hirst for the Canadian History channel. Its first season aired from March 3 to April 28, 2013, across nine episodes. The story opens at the dawn of the Viking Age, with the 793 raid on Lindisfarne, and centers on the legendary chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok as he pursues his ambition to become Earl and his desire to plunder England.

The main cast includes Travis Fimmel as Ragnar, a farmer and warrior; Katheryn Winnick as his wife, the shield-maiden Lagertha; Clive Standen as his brother Rollo; Jessalyn Gilsig as Siggy, wife of Earl Haraldson; Gustaf Skarsgård as the shipbuilder Floki; Gabriel Byrne as Earl Haraldson, ruler of Kattegat; George Blagden as the captured monk Athelstan; Donal Logue as King Horik of Denmark; and Alyssa Sutherland as Princess Aslaug, who claims to be the daughter of the valkyrie Brynhildr. Recurring roles include John Kavanagh as the Seer, Nathan O'Toole as Bjorn Ironside, Ruby O'Leary as Gyda, and Ivan Kaye as King Aelle of Northumbria, among others.

The season was an Irish-Canadian co-production presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, developed by Octagon Films and Take 5 Productions. Executive producers include Morgan O'Sullivan, Sheila Hockin, Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, James Flynn, John Weber, and Michael Hirst, with Steve Wakefield and Keith Thompson producing. The music was composed by Trevor Morris, with contributions from Steven Richard Davis, Steve Tavaglione, Brian Kilgore, Tina Guo, and Mel Wesson. The opening theme is "If I Had a Heart" by Fever Ray. The soundtrack album was released on June 21, 2013, by Sony Music Entertainment. Additional tracks by Wardruna appear in the episodes "Trial" and "Sacrifice."

The first season received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 81% approval rating with an average score of 6.9/10 based on 27 reviews, whose consensus notes that the show compensates for historical inaccuracies with violence, romance, and striking visuals. Metacritic assigned a score of 71 based on 20 reviews. IGN gave it a 7/10, remarking that while parts of the story felt rushed, the season was still a strong first outing.