The Crown

I have to be honest. I had refused to watch this show from the moment it was released. Being no fan of monarchies in general, or of the House of Windsor in particular, I wrongly failed to see the potential.

But history always is interesting, especially when left in the hands of able writers and an absolutely spectacular cast. To a person, word for spoken word, I was drawn into this series headlong and found myself taken by this expertly crafted story.

I love that the flaws and tensions that existed are exposed and leveraged. And I find myself reaching for the shelf and pulling out a book or two to refamiliarize myself with some event.

In short it won me over and taught me a lesson or two in the process. What more can one ask?

Season 1-2 was perfect, but major casting mistakes were done in season 5. I've grown to like Imelda Staunton as the Queen although her performance seemed a little insincere. I normally really adore Lesley Manville but she's totally wrong to play Princess Margot. Her accent and her demeanor is all wrong for this role. But honestly, the worst casting mistake was Dominic West. Dominic West was Dominic West. He failed to transform into King Charles as the previous actor did. Other reviewers are all complaining about Debicki and the actor who plays Prince Phillip, but I liked both of them. They were definitely better than West.

The episode in season 5 that highlighted the last moments of Tsar Nicholas's family was very spot on. A lot of people don't know that the Bolsheviks murdered their family in cold blood, raped the young princesses's and buried them like animals. Bringing awareness to this historic horror was important and well done.

Where to start is very difficult when it comes to what I can only describe as an amazing feat of production and acting. The cast are absolutely outstanding and are nothing but professional.

You can tell a lot of effort has been put into the research and accuracy of the story line. The attention to detail also has to be credited.

I can't find a fault and believe me I've tried. Having watched previous biopics/Dramas regarding royalty I will have to put this at the Top and that is including The Queen which again I would rate at 10/10.

In summery a must watch if you are looking for a great piece of production and a stimulating story line. I would recommend this to anyone.

Every so often a drama comes along that takes away your breath. Sometimes that's subjective, other times objective. Dramas such as The Jewel in the Crown, The West Wing, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Downton Abbey, House M.D. have all stood at the pinnacle of television drama.

The Crown is right up there at the very top. It is outstanding in every way: faultless. From brilliant dramatisation to acting to score to cinematography: everywhere you look it commands.

Watch it. You won't regret it. You will remember one of those television 'moments' that come along all too rarely.

What can I say about The Crown that hasn't already been said? It's incredible! There are some that don't like it because they take some liberties with the story but overall it's pretty accurate, especially the first few seasons. You can tell the amount of effort they put into this show from everything from the writing, acting, cinematography, production, etc. All being as good as it gets for a television show. It chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family from the 1940's to modern times. It gives you an inside look at the personal lives of the royal family including their romances and political rivalries. There's a reason this show has won so many awards and that's because it's brilliant!