Kaamelott
French television series
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).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Kaamelott” is french television series. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Kaamelott, French and television, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “french television series” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q599996. VIAF identifies the subject as 177979679. The Library of Congress control number is n2007087316. None of the 3 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2005, 2009 and 2003.
Rights, attribution and provenance may remain disputed even when a general reference summary presents a stable account. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kaamelott”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kaamelott primary sources, Kaamelott archive and Kaamelott research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kaamelott”?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Kaamelott” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.