We can’t seem to get our fill of historical dramas these days. After saying goodbye to the grand rooms of Downton Abbey, it’s time to set our sights a little higher. At the start of this month, Netflix launched the first season of its most expensive show yet, The Crown, boasting of a production budget somewhere on the higher side of £100 Million.
The show garnered some major buzz long before it hit the small screen having managed to pull in some big names to play our favourite monarchs. The much loved Matt Smith has set aside his cool bow-tie and taken on the title of Prince Philip, while Queen Elizabeth the II is brilliantly played by Claire Foy. American actor John Lithgow plays Winston Churchill, and Vanessa Kirby takes on the role of the queen’s wild sister Princess Margaret.
Viewers have been warned, however, not to fall in love with any of the actors playing the roles, as they should be prepared for a cast shake up come season 3 in order to stick to the age leaps scheduled to happen.
On a brighter note, the show has tried its best to remain highly authentic. The creator and writer Peter Morgan, despite never meeting the Queen in real life, has done his homework well for the show. Morgan has some prior experience with the subject, having written the movie ‘The Queen’ and the play ‘The Audience’, both starring Helen Mirren, and where he has offered viewers a backstage pass into the rooms and lives of the famous family.
The plot follows the life of Queen Elizabeth the II. Though the name today brings to mind the image of a little old lady in a bizarre hat, the show ploughs through sixty years of her reign. Season one had the Queen a little wrong-footed, trying to be a woman in a man’s world. The show promises to follow the upheavals in both her personal and public life as her nation — and the rest of the world — transitions into the modern age.
For those of you who haven’t been hooked yet, here’s a peek to whet your appetite and get you excited for the show’s return.
