Vikings Creator Teeing Up Bubonic Plague Miniseries For History Channel

History Channel's Vikings--a historical drama inspired by the sagas of legendary hero Viking Ragnar Lothbrok--may be wrapping up after Season 6, but it's far from the end of the partnership between the show's creative team and the powers that be at the channel. Vikings creator Michael Hirst will be executive producing a new History Channel miniseries titled The Plague Year, according to Variety.

As the name suggests, the upcoming show takes place during one of the worst outbreaks of the Bubonic Plague--in London, during 1665. The show is described as a series of portraits of Londoners "of all stripes" as they decide whether to flee or remain in the city, learn "how [to] keep going when everything around you has fallen to pieces." It should be just the thing to get our minds off the coronavirus when the show premieres.

A&E Studios will produce The Plague Year. In addition to Vikings, Hirst's pedigree includes similar works of historical fiction including 1998's Elizabeth, 2007's Elizbeth: The Golden Age, and the Emmy Award-winning television series The Tudors. The miniseries originates from a script by writer Coleman Herbert, whose past work includes Big Love, The Killing, and Rectify. No casting information or premiere date has yet been announced.

"History's scripted programming in development embraces our roots with premium historical miniseries that resonate with our audience and complement our event megadoc content centered on big moments throughout our history," said Eli Lehrer, executive vice president and general manager for The History Channel (via Variety). "We look forward to partnering again with the brilliant Michael Hirst."