The Crown - Netflix

[lothwen]

I don't know too much about the historical accuracy,  so my opinion is based solely on the entertainment aspect.  I am enjoying this series,  but I keep expecting Matt Smith to say "Geronimo! "

[lellobeetle]

I'm enjoying it well enough. I know there's a lot of bunk, but it's entertaining.

[Margaret]

I've just watched the first two episodes and I'm enjoying it.   I, too,  find it strange that they cast children who are far too old playing for the roles of Charles and Anne.  

So far I think that as a dramatic retelling of the events, it is interesting and very entertaining.  I think John Lithgow is doing a splendid job as Churchill, and I like Matt Smith's Philip.  Eileen Atkins is excellent, as usual.  I am sorry that Bertie Pelham has been sacked.  The one character I am not enjoying very much at the moment is Claire Foy's.  I don't "feel" her as Elizabeth.  Maybe she'll grow on me.  But then maybe the fact I don't feel much for her at the moment means she is in fact doing a very good job since I have never particularly liked Elizabeth II.  I did feel the enormous pressure that has been placed on her by Mary and Lascelles.  Not unlike that put on Victoria, but I think Victoria handled it better.  Elizabeth is weighed down by the "service" aspect that was peculiar to the family circumstances of the 30s and their consequences, I suppose, and by her personality, and I've always been unsettled by the effects of that particular combination.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more spunk from her but we really don't see much spunk from that family, do we?  With the possible exception of Anne.  I suppose that is one of the inevitable consequences of the system.  You are stuck with whoever is the first born whatever their talents and personalities.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to more.  They seem to have rounded up all the usual suspects for the cast, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in action.

BTW I just realised why I had a feeling Anthony Eden was about to burst into song.  The actor played Ivor Novello in Gosford Park.  

[Herazeus]

Really? Gosh, I was under the impression he didn't go back to the UK for much longer! I feel stupid. 

He actually came back to England several times. Privately, not publicly. At first it was to visit various family members and to bombard the govt to hive him an ambassadorial role and to keep pleading for Wallis's HRH.

After it was made very clear that he was unwelcome, his private visits dwindled and as far as the public is concerned he only returned 4 times. King's funeral, Queen Mary's memorial, Princess Marina's funeral, Princess Mary's funeral.

As per the usual government propaganda in charge of pushing a particular agenda, his private visits where not publicised, but all his biographies detail them.

[Duchess of Verona]

I binge watched season one this week trapped in bed at the hospital. I quite enjoyed it. I dont think that the casting was particularly accurate looks wise, but I thought that the lady playing QEII had excatly the right voice.

[Lady Willoughby]

Just finished. It's excellent entertainment, which is what it is. Netflix strikes gold again IMO. John Lithgow is excellent. As far as jarring things that bothered me, Margaret's make up continually bothered me. It was very heavy swinging London 1968 while it was 1947-1955. Also the 3-4 year old little girl playing a 1 year old Princess Anne made me chuckle, lol

[Maria]

The first episode made me weepy. We see the royals as figures of entertainment mostly, some worship them almost as superhumans but really they're just ordinary people. Elizabeth loosing her father at such a young age and the impact it had on her life made me so sad. Not because it's especially sad for her - it's sad for everyone who goes through that - but because you can still tell how much that loss impacted on her and her children. That comes across very well, even if this and that isn't accurate.

[Lady Willoughby]

The first episode made me weepy. We see the royals as figures of entertainment mostly, some worship them almost as superhumans but really they're just ordinary people. Elizabeth loosing her father at such a young age and the impact it had on her life made me so sad. Not because it's especially sad for her - it's sad for everyone who goes through that - but because you can still tell how much that loss impacted on her and her children. That comes across very well, even if this and that isn't accurate.

Yes! The story telling is just excellent throughout!

[Ellie]

Really? Gosh, I was under the impression he didn't go back to the UK for much longer! I feel stupid. 

He actually came back to England several times. Privately, not publicly. At first it was to visit various family members and to bombard the govt to hive him an ambassadorial role and to keep pleading for Wallis's HRH.

After it was made very clear that he was unwelcome, his private visits dwindled and as far as the public is concerned he only returned 4 times. King's funeral, Queen Mary's memorial, Princess Marina's funeral, Princess Mary's funeral.

As per the usual government propaganda in charge of pushing a particular agenda, his private visits where not publicised, but all his biographies detail them.

Herazeus to the rescue! I have a biography on David but haven't picked it up in over ten years so all those details must have eluded me now.

[cordtx]

 Very good so far! 2 episodes. My husband , whose mother is dying after a massive stroke,  was very teary during the scene with E2 and her dead father  😔

[bumbershoot]

BInge-watched the whole thing yesterday and today. Couple of thoughts: I thought John Lithigow was a superb Churchill, complete with the great man's vanities and fragilities, along with his magnificence. For me, my very most favorite moment was when he kissed Lilibet on the forehead. Don't know if it happened in real life, but it worked in the context of the story.

I can tell a great deal of work went into visual detail. They even got the tiaras to be pretty close approximations and I thought Lilibet's wedding dress was a dead ringer for the original. Would have liked to have seen Queen Mary with a lot more hair as she did have a magnificent pile, even though some of it was probably fake. Any idea what that weird thing was she put on her nose and breathed through?

I would have expected Wallis Simpson to have been cast as more of a Cruella de Vile, but she came across as rather wimpy, I thought. She just didn't have a hard enough edge to her. I did rather liked seeing the Duke of Windsor as such a manipulator.

I agree with some other critic that the actor cast as King George was entirely too robust for a man who was allegedly wasting away from lung cancer. I did enjoy the shooting scenes, as they gave me a sense of the flavor at Sandringham and Balmoral.

Was Tommy Lacelles really that villainous in real life? And what about Michael Andeane? Do you think the film suggested any improprieties between Lilibet and Lord Porchester? There have been rumors . . . . The actor who played that part certainly came across as likeable and charming.

'twas a bit of a shock to see Philip's bare butt in one of the scenes. I wish they'd case an actor who was a bit more imposing physically. He came across as little more than a pouting child in so many of the scenes.

I thought Margaret was well cast. The Queen Mum, not so much. I think the actress who portrayed Lilibet as an adult did well, although her voice wasn't as high-pitched as the Queen's once was. (I think the Queen's voice has lowered considerably over the years).

Did not know anything about the terrible fog in 1952. Will definitely want to read up on that.

While the stopping point was logical, I hope they are planning future seasons. There is so much more of a story to tell. And clearly the producers have invested a lot of Netflix's resources in this first season. I only hope there are more to come.

Bottom line: it was an entertaining fictionalized account of the life of the royals from the mid 1930s to the mid-1959s. Yes there were some failures of accuracy, but, all in all, I enjoyed it very much. 

[luvcharles]

For those asking about future series - they have already started shooting season 2 so there is hope. I believe the idea is six seasons of 10 episodes each with each series covering a decade or so of her reign.

[Margaret]

I've just finished binge-watching it, which gives me half an hour till the next episode of "Victoria"! :D

I found it to be a very good entertainment.  One thing that surprised me though was the way they dealt with the ending of the Margaret/Townsend relationship.  There's a lot of information out there now that makes it clear that she could have married him and kept her HRH and allowance, only having to give up her place in the succession, and the implication that Margaret's affection for Townsend had cooled a tad before they made the announcement, yet it was played as a heartbreaking choice of duty over love to the bitter end.  And, of course, they erroneously had Townsend reading the announcement, rather than Margaret.  I suppose the makers assumed only hard-core royal watchers would be aware of the documents released after Margaret's death and thought it made for better TV if played as the princess cruelly torn from her true love.

I was also amused to find the same actor playing David as played Charles in "The Queen".  I found myself quite confused a couple of times since I am used to him as Charles.

And, bumbershoot, we saw Philip's bare butt in two scenes, not just one.  

[CathyJane]

I need to check my library and see if they will order it since I have no cable and don't have netflix set up yet.

[lothwen]

I've just finished binge-watching it, which gives me half an hour till the next episode of "Victoria"! :D

I found it to be a very good entertainment.  One thing that surprised me though was the way they dealt with the ending of the Margaret/Townsend relationship.  There's a lot of information out there now that makes it clear that she could have married him and kept her HRH and allowance, only having to give up her place in the succession, and the implication that Margaret's affection for Townsend had cooled a tad before they made the announcement, yet it was played as a heartbreaking choice of duty over love to the bitter end.  And, of course, they erroneously had Townsend reading the announcement, rather than Margaret.  I suppose the makers assumed only hard-core royal watchers would be aware of the documents released after Margaret's death and thought it made for better TV if played as the princess cruelly torn from her true love.

I was also amused to find the same actor playing David as played Charles in "The Queen".  I found myself quite confused a couple of times since I am used to him as Charles.

And, bumbershoot, we saw Philip's bare butt in two scenes, not just one.  

Which,  I have to admit,  is fine with me