Kaamelott
| Kaamelott | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Medieval fantasy Comedy |
| Created by | Alexandre Astier |
| Written by | Alexandre Astier |
| Directed by | Alexandre Astier |
| Starring | Alexandre Astier Lionnel Astier Joëlle Sevilla Thomas Cousseau Anne Girouard Franck Pitiot Jean-Christophe Hembert Simon Astier Nicolas Gabion Jacques Chambon Audrey Fleurot |
| Theme music composer | Alexandre Astier |
| Country of origin | France |
| Original language | French |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 458 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time |
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| Original release | |
| Network | M6 |
| Release | January 3, 2005 – October 31, 2009 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Kaamelott is a French comedy medieval fantasy television series created, directed, written, scored, and edited by Alexandre Astier, who also starred as the main character. Based on Arthurian legends, it followed the daily lives of King Arthur (Alexandre Astier) and his Knights of the Round Table in Camelot. The series, which originally ran for six seasons (referred to as "books"), aired from 3 January 2005 to 31 October 2009 on the network M6.
The series was preceded in 2003 by a short film, Dies iræ, with mostly the same cast and concept, which was used to pitch the idea to the network, which at the time was looking to replace another successful short TV series, Caméra Café. However, Kaamelott exceeded Caméra Café's audience in only three weeks after broadcasting started. It is widely regarded as one of the best, most iconic, and most popular French TV series of all time. It has also been praised for its fidelity, as, aside from comedic and linguistic liberties, it remains faithful to the mythology and historical context, both alleged and verified.
While the series takes place in the 5th century, it uses modern language and situations to offer a humorous take on the Arthurian legend. However, in later seasons, the mood becomes darker and more dramatic as Arthur's kingdom begins to disintegrate. The cast includes regular Astier collaborator Jean-Christophe Hembert (Karadoc), who directed his two subsequent one-man shows, and Astier's father, Lionnel (Leodegrance), his mother, Joëlle Sevilla (Dame Séli), and his half-brother, Simon (Yvain).
After the series ended in 2009, Astier began work on a film trilogy to conclude the series' story. First announced in 2012 and planned for shooting in 2013, production on the first film, Kaamelott: The First Chapter, was suspended and repeatedly postponed due to various issues; filming eventually began in January 2019, and it was released on 21 July 2021. Following the release of the first movie, Astier confirmed that the story would be continued in two parts rather than a single sequel. Kaamelott: The Second Chapter - Part 1 was released on 22 October 2025.