Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Netflix’s The Crown has once again become a popular TV show among viewers in the U.S. and U.K.
Ever since the release and popularity of the first season of The Crown sparked the attention of many, up to five more seasons have been developed, aiming to tell the Royal Family’s underlying history through drama and intrigue. The TV show grew so immensely popular that the late Queen Elizabeth II herself watched all of season one of The Crown and was said to enjoy it.
The Crown, following the lives of the British royal family, from the late 1940s and across several decades, is presented through scandals, political tensions, and the major historical events that molded the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II (currently portrayed by Imelda Staunton). The series and its ever-changing cast of actors have won multiple awards, such as a Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Television Series, multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actresses in a Drama Series, and five Critics’ Choice Awards.
This latest season, season five, was released on November 9, 2022, and debuted at #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 chart across 88 countries. The series was viewed for a total of 107.39 million hours by fans in the U.S., Australia, the U.K., France, and Italy (to name a few).
The story picks up in the 1990s, amid a turbulent time for the Royal Family when Queen Elizabeth’s reign was starting to fall out of favor with the public. The Queen’s children were all undergoing problems in their marriages.
Season five specifically highlights Princess Diana’s revelatory biography (written by Andrew Morton) and her 1995 interview with BBC reporter Martin Bashir. Here, Diana (portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki) publicly spoke about the struggles of being a member of the Royal Family, as well as the difficulties of her marriage with Prince Charles (Dominic West) and his longtime affair with Camila Parker- Bowles (Olivia Williams). This newest installment also covers Princess Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles at a time when divorce between members of the Royal Family was highly frowned upon, especially when it involved an heir-to-the-throne.
New character posters for Season 5 of ‘The Crown’ show ‘a house divided.’ (2022b, October 18). Today.https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/new-character-posters-netflix-season-5-crown-show-house-divided-rcna52695
The Crown received its fair share of praise and criticism. Some fans say that The Crown has kept up the good quality acting and writing since its first release, with season five being no exception. Audiences have praised Elizabeth Debicki’s eerily accurate portrayal of Princess Diana and given positive feedback on the show’s new cast of actors. Others complain that Imelda Staunton was not given enough screen time as Queen Elizabeth II, and critics say that The Crown has lost its original touch as the storyline quickly approaches the modern-day era.
According to creator Peter Morgan, season five of The Crown will be the penultimate season of the entire production. Season six is expected to be released in late 2023 or early 2024. As fans are awaiting the new season six arrival, the story will likely culminate in the early 2000s, as the cast of season five reprise their respective roles.
Sources:
The Crown (TV Series 2016–). (2016, November 4). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4786824/
Bell, B. (2022, November 15). Netflix Top 10: ‘The Crown’ Season 5 Debuts at No. 1 With More Than 107 Million Hours Viewed in First 5 Days. Variety. https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/the-crown-season-5-no-1-globally-netflix-1235432965/
D’Addario, D. (2022, November 5). ‘The Crown's Diana-Divorce Season Is Its Weakest Yet: TV Review. Variety. https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/the-crown-season-5-review-diana-divorce-1235417164/
‘The Crown’ controversial season five gets mixed reviews from critics. (2022, November 8). Daily Times. (2022, November 8). Daily Times. https://dailytimes.com.pk/1024142/the-crown-controversial-season-five-gets-mixed-reviews-from-critics/
LeGardye, Q. (2022, November 18). “The Crown” Season 6: Everything We Know. Marie Claire Magazine. https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/the-crown-season-6/
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