This drama/documentary attempts to touch base on the Golden Age of Piracy in the early 18th century. And that's what it does, it touches base. There really is not much fleshing out of the socio-economic factors of the times. No speak of merchant conditions, naval impressment (would have been fantastic to show), or the origins of buccaneering. Historian Alan Taylor would have been an incredible asset to flesh out context. The minute the producers decided to cover the 'Pirate Republic' then they should have immediately enlisted Marcus Rediker. If Hornigold is considered the 'godfather' of the discussed pirates, then Rediker is the godfather of this 'Pirate Republic' theory as CLEARLY outlined in his 2004 book "Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age." Historians Brett Rushforth and Christopher Hodson would have been another great addition to flesh out why many of the pirate crews were so skilled in combat and the origins of buccaneering. I had an idea of doing a similar documentary back after reading Rediker's book, but I'm a Historian and not a Hollywood filmmaker so nothing came of it except a very long script. This series, however, is a classic example of Hollywood producers getting a dabble of real history and then just trying to weave out a half-thought story. It can be summed up in the title: "The Lost Pirate Kingdom." A Kingdom, really? Weird because the film talks about how it's a Pirate Republic. Not exactly a kingdom. Put real historians at the helm of your story-telling. The acting, costumes, set design, music, and special effects were all fine. There's so much material to use here and each episode squandered time rehashing what happened before. Have a "Previously on The Lost Pirate Kingdom" and option to skip. There are also tons of historical issues, presentations, interpretations, and stark-mad omissions that could have enriched your story. The build up to Blackbeard left a ton of material out. I don't think I even heard the name Queen Anne's Revenge. Blackbeard blockades Charleston was the boldest act of his career. He did it to get a chest full of medicine for himself AND his crew. When Thatch is ambushed on Maynard's sloop, it's not a one-on-one duel though I'm sure that appeased Hollywood. It was a full battle that raged back on the top deck. What about Thatch's ability to maneuver the inlets of North Carolina like Frying Pan shoals? That's just a brief summary of one character. You other reviewers will have to excuse me if I wholly ignore any review that claims "THIS WAS REALLY GOOD HISTORY." It wasn't. If you're going to make a show on Atlantic pirates, get historians from both sides of the Atlantic, especially the ones who gave you the original theory on a Pirate Republic. In academia, we call this a sad attempt at plagiarism.
Review of The Lost Pirate Kingdom
