Several minor changes are introduced in the TV series for no possible reason other than because they are "so medieval". Among them:
- Maud is portrayed as still being a child and unmarried at the time of the White Ship disaster, and is dismissed by the Archbishop on grounds of her age and gender. In fact, not only was she a year older than her brother William (who was 17 when he died), but was already married to Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor until his death in 1125 brought her back to England.
- Waleran mortifying his flesh in classic The Da Vinci Code style.
- Ellen being forced to flee Kingsbridge because she is accused of witchcraft, instead of just because she is having an open relationship with Tom but refuses to marry him.
- St. Adolphus' skull being crushed during the destruction of the old cathedral, then promptly replaced with another skull by Prior Philip.
- Jack's father having his tongue cut and then being burned at the stake, instead of just hanged.
- For dramatic purposes, the miniseries shows both King Stephen and his son Eustace alive in 1156 when they were both dead by 1154. Additionally, the miniseries has Eustace die in battle, when the real Eustace died of natural causes.
- King Stephen and Robert of Gloucester are both depicted being captured at the Battle of Lincoln. In fact, Robert wasn't captured until the autumn, fighting against Stephen's wife and brother at the Rout of Winchester, with Maud impotently trying to govern the country for the six months or so in between.
