Both the old gods and the new were smiling over the production when Claffey and Ansell were cast. They are brilliant individually and the chemistry between them is extraordinary. You’d think they’d been working together in a Laurel and Hardy-style double act for decades, yet Claffey – a hulking former rugby player – has only been acting for a couple of years and this is his first lead part.  His 11-year-old co-star has been acting since he was four and has already had a number of significant roles. Ansell reveals in the press notes that George R.R. Martin told him: “You are perfect. You are Egg.”

Our two heroes meet a host of memorable characters. They include Tanselle “Too Tall” (Tanzyn Crawford), a winsome puppeteer who catches the eye of Dunk; the roisterous Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), known as the “Laughing Storm”; and the fair-minded Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen (Bertie Carvel). 

Those surnames will be familiar to fans of Martin’s work, but there are a number of important differences between this series and its sister shows. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has no elaborate title sequence or rousing orchestral score and very little CGI. Whereas Thrones and Dragon have multiple plotlines running concurrently across numerous locations, with this we get only a single narrative thread, told from Ser Duncan’s point of view. The focus is on the lives of the “smallfolk” – commoners – rather than the nobility. The episodes are pacy and short – with an average length of just under 35 minutes. 

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And it’s very funny. There’s humour in the other shows, but this is of a different order altogether: done with a lightness of touch and positively oozing charm. There is physical comedy, dry humour and almost Monty Pythonesque absurdity – for the latter, witness the solemn discussion between Dunk and Egg about the real meaning of an absolutely filthy barroom ballad belted out by Ser Lyonel. 

But there’s also the heart-in-mouth drama and eye-watering violence for which Westeros is known. A brutal trial-by-combat sequence left me feeling bruised. The jousting scenes are thrilling and visceral and will have viewers checking for the “No animals were harmed” note at the end of the credits.

Interestingly, the series has returned to the old Thrones studio in Belfast and uses some of the same crew and some of the same Northern Ireland locations. It does feel more like the original show than House of the Dragon, which is shot in England.

Most who watch will have some knowledge of Westeros, but one could fall in love with this show without knowing a single thing about the Game of Thrones universe. You might think twice about backing the young Ser Duncan in a tourney, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a nailed-on winner and HBO knows it. Season 2 is being filmed already.

★★★★★

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms debuts on HBO and HBO Max in the US on 18 January and Sky Atlantic and NOW on 19 January. Episodes are released weekly.

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