History Channel has been the must-watch network this spring with ratings giants Vikings and The Bible. Ushering in a new era of scripted TV, History Channel is excited and encouraged by Vikings success.

"This is an amazing crossroads for History embarking on our first scripted series. People think they know about the Vikings - we see references to them all the time in our popular culture from TV commercials to football teams - but the reality is so much more fascinating and complex, more vivid, visceral and powerful than popular legend."

History Channel Sunday nights are expected to take a bit of a dip with the final episode of The Bible, TV's most popular show, concluding on Easter Sunday.

Headed up by writer Michael Hirst, who has worked on similar medieval adaptations such as Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Tudors and most recently, Starz' short-lived sword and sorcery series Camelot, Vikings is a 10-episode miniseries filled with "imaginatively choreographed battles that emphasize individual points of view, strategies and ruses rather than mindless, graphic slaughter."

Vikings is the first series from MGM TV since the studio filed for bankruptcy. Vikings was ordered last year with the intention of going straight to series upon order. Hirst will oversee the production as executive producer on the series, which will be filmed at various locations across Northern Europe and at the recently erected Ashford Studios in Ireland.

Tune in Sunday nights to Vikings at 9/8c on History Channel.