The Crown season 1
| The Crown | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Netflix |
| Original release | 4 November 2016 |
| Season chronology | |
The first season of The Crown follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It consists of ten episodes and was released on Netflix on 4 November 2016.
Claire Foy stars as Elizabeth, along with main cast members Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Eileen Atkins, Jeremy Northam, Victoria Hamilton, Ben Miles, Greg Wise, Jared Harris, John Lithgow, Alex Jennings, and Lia Williams.
Premise
The Crown traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 through to the present day.[3] The first season, in which Claire Foy portrays the Queen in the early part of her reign, depicts events up to 1955, with Winston Churchill resigning as prime minister and the Queen's sister Princess Margaret deciding not to marry Peter Townsend.[4]
Cast
Main
- Claire Foy as Princess Elizabeth and later Queen Elizabeth II[3]
- Matt Smith as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Elizabeth's husband[3]
- Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, Elizabeth's younger sister[3]
- Eileen Atkins as Queen Mary, Elizabeth's grandmother and great-granddaughter of King George III[5]
- Jeremy Northam as Anthony Eden, Churchill's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, who succeeds him as Prime Minister[6]
- Victoria Hamilton as Queen Elizabeth, George VI's wife and Elizabeth II's mother, known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother during her daughter's reign[3]
- Ben Miles as Group Captain Peter Townsend, George VI's equerry, who hopes to marry Princess Margaret[7]
- Greg Wise as Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Philip's ambitious uncle and great-grandson of Queen Victoria
- Jared Harris as King George VI, Elizabeth's father, known to his family as Bertie[3]
- John Lithgow as Winston Churchill, the Queen's first Prime Minister[3]
- Alex Jennings as the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, who abdicated in favour of his younger brother Bertie to marry Wallis Simpson; known to his family as David[8]
- Lia Williams as Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, Edward's American wife[8]
Featured
The below actor is credited in the opening titles of a single episode in which he plays a significant role:
- Stephen Dillane as Graham Sutherland, a noted artist who paints a portrait of the aging Churchill
Recurring
- Billy Jenkins as young Prince Charles, Philip and Elizabeth's son
- Grace and Amelia Gilmour as young Princess Anne, Philip and Elizabeth's daughter[9] (uncredited)
- Clive Francis as Lord Salisbury
- Pip Torrens as Tommy Lascelles
- Harry Hadden-Paton as Martin Charteris
- Daniel Ings as Mike Parker
- Lizzy McInnerny as Margaret "Bobo" MacDonald
- Patrick Ryecart as the Duke of Norfolk
- Will Keen as Michael Adeane
- James Laurenson as Doctor Weir
- Mark Tandy as Cecil Beaton
- Harriet Walter as Clementine Churchill, Winston Churchill's wife[6]
- Nicholas Rowe as Jock Colville[5]
- Simon Chandler as Clement Attlee
- Kate Phillips as Venetia Scott
- Ronald Pickup as the Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Nigel Cooke as Harry Crookshank
- Patrick Drury as the Lord Chamberlain
- John Woodvine as the Archbishop of York
- Rosalind Knight as Princess Alice of Battenberg, Philip's mother
- Andy Sanderson as Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Elizabeth's uncle[5]
- Michael Culkin as Rab Butler
- George Asprey as Walter Monckton
- Verity Russell as young Princess Elizabeth
- Beau Gadsdon as young Princess Margaret
- James Hillier as Equerry
- Jo Stone-Fewings as Collins
- Anna Madeley as Clarissa Eden, Anthony Eden's wife
- Tony Guilfoyle as the Bishop of Durham
- Nick Hendrix as Billy Wallace
- Josh Taylor as Johnny Dalkeith
- David Shields as Colin Tennant[10]
- Paul Thornley as Bill Mattheson
Guest
- Michael Bertenshaw as Piers Legh, Master of the Household
- Julius D'Silva as Baron Nahum
- Jo Herbert as Mary Charteris
- Richard Clifford as Norman Hartnell
- Joseph Kloska as Porchey
- Amir Boutrous as Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Abigail Parmenter as Judy Montagu
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Wolferton Splash" | Stephen Daldry | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 2 | 2 | "Hyde Park Corner" | Stephen Daldry | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 3 | 3 | "Windsor" | Philip Martin | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 4 | 4 | "Act of God" | Julian Jarrold | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 5 | 5 | "Smoke and Mirrors" | Philip Martin | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 6 | 6 | "Gelignite" | Julian Jarrold | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 7 | 7 | "Scientia Potentia Est" | Benjamin Caron | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 8 | 8 | "Pride & Joy" | Philip Martin | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 9 | 9 | "Assassins" | Benjamin Caron | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
| 10 | 10 | "Gloriana" | Philip Martin | Peter Morgan | 4 November 2016 |
Release
The series's first two episodes were released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 1 November 2016.[11] The first season was released on Netflix worldwide in its entirety on 4 November 2016.[12][13] Season one was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2017 and worldwide on 7 November 2017.[14][15]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported 88% approval for the first season based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 8.55/10. Its critical consensus reads, "Powerful performances and lavish cinematography make The Crown a top-notch production worthy of its grand subject."[16] On Metacritic, the series holds a score of 81 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[17]
The Guardian's TV critic Lucy Mangan praised the series and wrote that "Netflix can rest assured that its £100m gamble has paid off. This first series, about good old British phlegm from first to last, is the service's crowning achievement so far."[18] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Ben Lawrence said, "The Crown is a PR triumph for the Windsors, a compassionate piece of work that humanises them in a way that has never been seen before. It is a portrait of an extraordinary family, an intelligent comment on the effects of the constitution on their personal lives and a fascinating account of postwar Britain all rolled into one."[19] Writing for The Boston Globe, Matthew Gilbert also praised the series saying it "is thoroughly engaging, gorgeously shot, beautifully acted, rich in the historical events of postwar England, and designed with a sharp eye to psychological nuance".[20] Vicki Hyman of The Star-Ledger described it as "sumptuous, stately but never dull".[21] The A.V. Club's Gwen Ihnat said it adds "a cinematic quality to a complex and intricate time for an intimate family. The performers and creators are seemingly up for the task".[22]
The Wall Street Journal critic Dorothy Rabinowitz said, "We're clearly meant to see the duke [of Windsor] as a wastrel with heart. It doesn't quite come off—Mr. Jennings is far too convincing as an empty-hearted scoundrel—but it's a minor flaw in this superbly sustained work."[23] Robert Lloyd writing for the Los Angeles Times said, "As television it's excellent—beautifully mounted, movingly played and only mildly melodramatic."[24] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post also reviewed the series positively: "Pieces of The Crown are more brilliant on their own than they are as a series, taken in as shorter, intently focused films".[25] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times said, "This is a thoughtful series that lingers over death rather than using it for shock value; one that finds its story lines in small power struggles rather than gruesome palace coups."[26] The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg said the first season "remains gripping across the entirety of the 10 episodes made available to critics, finding both emotional heft in Elizabeth's youthful ascension and unexpected suspense in matters of courtly protocol and etiquette".[27] Other publications such as USA Today,[28] Indiewire,[29] The Atlantic,[30] CNN[31] and Variety[32] also reviewed the series positively.
Some were more critical of the show. In a review for Time magazine, Daniel D'Addario wrote that it "will be compared to Downton Abbey, but that .. was able to invent ahistorical or at least unexpected notes. Foy struggles mightily, but she's given little...The Crown's Elizabeth is more than unknowable. She's a bore".[33] Vulture's Matt Zoller Seitz concluded, "The Crown never entirely figures out how to make the political and domestic drama genuinely dramatic, much less bestow complexity on characters outside England's innermost circle."[34] Verne Gay of Newsday said, "Sumptuously produced but glacially told, The Crown is the TV equivalent of a long drive through the English countryside. The scenery keeps changing, but remains the same."[35] Slate magazine's Willa Paskin, commented: "It will scratch your period drama itch—and leave you itchy for action."[36]
References
- ^ "Netflix plans original UK drama about the Queen". BBC News. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Brown, Mick (3 November 2016). "The Crown: Claire Foy and Matt Smith on the making of the £100m Netflix series". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Singh, Anita (19 August 2015). "£100m Netflix Series Recreates Royal Wedding". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ Smith, Russ (13 December 2016). "The Crown: What year did Series 1 finish? What will be in season 2?". Daily Express. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "Trailers for Netflix series 'The Crown,' and 'The Get Down'". Geeks of Doom. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ a b Lloyd, Kenji (7 January 2016). "The Crown trailer: First look at Peter Morgan's Netflix drama". Final Reel. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (21 August 2015). "Why Britain's psyche is gripped by a different kind of royal fever". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ a b "The Crown Season Two: Representation vs Reality". Netflix. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ Lacey, Robert. The Crown: The Inside History. London: Blink Publishing, 2017. 354.
- ^ Gruccio, John (6 January 2016). "The trailer for Netflix's royal drama series, "The Crown"". TMStash. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ "The Crown [Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2] (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ Kickham, Dylan (11 April 2016). "Matt Smith's Netflix drama The Crown gets premiere date". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "Claire Foy and Matt Smith face the challenges of royal life in new extended trailer for Netflix drama The Crown". Radio Times. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- ^ "The Crown: Season 1 [DVD] [2017]". amazon.co.uk. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "The Crown (TV Series)". dvdsreleasedates.com. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "The Crown: Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ "The Crown:Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (4 November 2016). "The Crown review – the £100m gamble on the Queen pays off royally". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Lawrence, Ben (2 November 2016). "The Crown, spoiler-free review: Netflix's astonishing £100 million gamble pays off". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Gilbert, Matthew (3 November 2016). "Netflix's 'The Crown' bows to the queen". Boston Globe. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Hyman, Vicki (3 November 2016). "'The Crown' review: 'Downton Abbey' fans, meet your new (and better) obsession". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Ihnat, Gwen (2 November 2016). "The Crown is a visually sumptuous family drama fit for a queen". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Dorothy (3 November 2016). "'The Crown' Review: The Making of Elizabeth II". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Lloyd, Robert (20 September 2016). "Netflix's 'The Crown' is a winning tale of royals and the weight of tradition". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ Stuever, Hank (2 November 2016). "Netflix's 'The Crown' is best when viewed like separate little movies". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (2 November 2016). "Review: Netflix Does Queen Elizabeth II in 'The Crown,' No Expense Spared". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (1 November 2016). "'The Crown': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (4 November 2016). "Review: 'The Crown' is sumptuous miniseries with stellar cast". USA Today. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Travers, Ben (2 November 2016). "'The Crown' Review: Netflix Period Drama Came to Reign in Made-To-Order Emmys Contender". Indiewire. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Sims, David (2 November 2016). "The Crown Is a Sweeping, Sumptuous History Lesson". The Atlantic. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (2 November 2016). "'The Crown' regally explores reign of Queen Elizabeth". CNN. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Maureen (2 November 2016). "TV Review: 'The Crown'". Variety. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ D'Addario, Daniel (4 November 2016). "Review: Netflix's The Crown Makes the Most of an Unknowable Queen". Time. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (2 November 2016). "Netflix's The Crown Is Tedious, But Anglophiles Will Like It". New York. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Gay, Verne (4 November 2016). "The Crown Review: Queen Elizabeth Story Falls Flat". Newsday. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Paskin, Willa (3 November 2016). "Netflix's sumptuous $100 million drama about the British monarchy delivers exactly what it promises. That isn't enough". Slate. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
