"Vikings" on The History Channel has been a hit this fall ranking second on the network only too the other blockbuster series on all of TV "The Bible" series which aired for all 5 Sundays in March.  

With "The Bible" series over, "Vikings" has become the pride of The History Channel as it's first scripted series. 

"Vikings" continues to be the #1 new cable series in 2013 and has propelled The History Channel to #1 in cable in its Sunday 10-11 p.m. time period. Over the first five weeks, the hit drama series averaged 5.0 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.9 Adults 18-49. 

The 'Vikings' series, created and written by Michael Hirst ("Elizabeth", "The Tudors") is set in 8th Century Scandinavia. The main character is Ragnar, played by Travis Fimmel, who is a warrior and farmer longing to explore and raid the unknown lands of the west. Ragnar enlists the help of his buddy and boat builder Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) to construct a ship worthy of rivaling the northern seas. 

The leadership of the community has plans to raid east which is already a growing tension in from the first episode. There is heavy interplay between Ragnar's wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and son early which shows a more heart felt side to the series and shows the tender side of the rough and rugged warrior. 

The series is inspired by the epic sagas about the raiding, trading, and exploring Norsemen of early medieval Scandinavia. It follows the exploits of the legendary Viking chieftain Ragnar Lodbrok and his crew and family. Norse sagas were partially fictional tales based in Norse oral tradition and written down in the 13th century, about 200 to 400 years after the events they describe. Further inspiration is taken from historical sources of the period, such as the Viking raid on Lindisfarne depicted in the second episode. The series is set at the beginning of the Viking Age, marked by the Lindisfarne raid in 793. Ragnar's death is dated to 840 or 865.