TV adaptations of books are usually produced for dramatic effect so I am not surprised to hear what you say. I suppose it's impossible to get every event described in print onto the screen and it sometimes suits the director to have a slightly different version that that described in the book. I'm not expecting total historical accuracy from programmes like this. Somewhere close to real events is good enough for me, provided it is well produced and well acted. I think Kingdom fits the bill on both of those.
Yeah, I'm not unhappy with the way the director is choosing to unfold the story. I like the way he handles Alfred as a complex character, prone to doubt, 'pious', a strong leader but not in the same way as Uhtred, a visionary.
The guy who plays Alfred is great, really looks and acts like a holy king. The German pretty boy who talks like Yoda in the lead role however is pretty rubbish, but then pretty boy leads quite often are the worst thing about a show, see also Sons of Anarchy, American Gods, Prison Break, The Tudors, 2nd Starz Spartacus.