Who is watching Crown Series 4?

[antelopevalley]

I watched the first two episodes tonight. It reminded me of a lot of things I had forgotten. I was an adult during this time and remember a lot of what is being covered.

Particularly interesting was the information about Morton's book, including the tapes Diana made for him. I knew this had happened, but it really did explode in the press at the time. So many revelations about Diana and Charles that at the time were quite extraordinary.

Looking forward to the other episodes.

Fabulous, for me the highlight has been an episode about Margaret. So touching.

I thought it was dreadful, a soap opera rather than drama, awful casting, weird embellishments on happenings that a lot of us will remember.

The first two series were more period drama, this series is drivel.

The episode about Margaret was very touching, Lesley Manville is a great actress.

I think when it comes to Charles I have wondered if it's really right for him to be King given the way Diana was treated.

Do you mean series 5?

I'm on 5

Remember it's drama based loosely on real life events!

Absolutely! Work of fiction.

Hi Coucous

My advice would be to start with season 1. I found the first 3 seasons very entertaining. Season 4 was mostly good with some boring bits, I thought.

I’ve just started the last episode of season 5, and I feel like I’ve watched a bunch of ordinary, boring, over privileged family members whose only interesting, (although lamentable), character trait is that they’d throw anyone overboard to save themselves.

The non Royal characters were more interesting.

Perhaps they will all be redeemed in the final episode. I’m not hopeful.

Sorry season 5.
It is not a work of fiction. It is a drama based on real events.

@Morestrangethings But I think that is the truth of the Royal Family.

Interestingly we have far more actual evidence guiding this season than other seasons. TV interviews by both Diana and Charles and books they both collaborated with as well as various friends on both sides who have given their view.

I hadn't clocked that you were the OP @antelopevalley - that puts a whole different perspective on the thread!

It is a work of fiction, Netflix have confirmed that they make up conversations - they can't know what was said because they weren't there! People who were there have confirmed it's tosh.

Not that I expect you to believe what the producers say, after all, it doesn't fit your anti-Royal agenda.

It is a drama based on historical events.

Yes, I’m thinking this is most likely close to the truth of the Royal Family.

To me, it seems nearly all of them are bent out of shape and damaged as a result of being members of this extremely privileged family. I honestly can’t think why they hold on. IMO, duty is misplaced when it damages and twists those you love. We are told that the Queen was there because of her sense of duty. I believe that. She put it above all else, as it seems she was inculcated to do.

I think Anne probably comes closest to the Queen when it comes to duty although she didn’t quite feel the same level of duty as the Queen -a divorce and then remarriage. Not wanting titles for her kids is, to my mind, Anne’s deliberate act that showed she did not want this life, her life, for her kids. It seems to me the rest are actually holding on to their positions because of the privileges. Andrew wants his privilege back.

I definitely would be not surprised if the Royal Family, as symbolic heads of state ends with Charles. And for the sake of the youngest generation, that’s probably a very good thing.

Without thrones and pomp, George and his siblings could grow up to have more normal lives. They’d still all have great wealth.

Loved all the other series but, disappointed with this one. The casting is just… so peculiar. Particularly the Queen and Charles. Charles is more like some sort of Rupert Campbell Black character! Josh thingymajig was such a better Charles, but I guess they couldn’t age him enough to continue. The sets are still phenomenal though , as are the costumes and camera work, so for me it’s enjoyable for those alone. It’s clear the actors in the earlier series had far better voice coaching, and honestly I appreciated that ,even when it verged on caricature. As for the depiction of Prince Philip and Penny’s relationship, well seems unnecessarily disrespectful.
Feel as though the script writers have become preoccupied with stories that have attracted public opinion in recent years and inflated their importance for an Anti -Royal audience of younger viewers.
Ultimately , watchable but overhyped.

Disrespectful!
This series is pretty anodyne. They seem to have ignored the most shocking revelations and instead provided a very sanitised version if events.

Yes, it is a work of fiction, with quite a bit of truth added this season. And I think antelope is right to say it’s a ‘drama based on real events,’ in the same vein that many of the tv series and, especially, many movies we watch are ‘dramas based on real events’. The events are true, they have been dramatised.

I always thought of it as mostly a fiction, but not all of it. This season came closer to true than any previous season imo.

no one seems to question Diana’s involvement with Andrew Morton’s book -although it was told from her point of view apparently, (I’ve never read it), it’s still true for her. There are the interviews given by both Charles and Diana (true for each one), and also the recorded tape between Charles and Camilla (true for all of us) . And squidgygate (same) - an investigation that followed found it was likely Diana’s phone was tapped. So her belief she was being spied on was, it seems, true.

Although they changed the Queen’s ‘Annus horribilis’ speech - she did say it had been a bad year for her and used those words, (so definitely true for her). Unfortunately, they were words that generally went down like a lead balloon. The 90s were a tough time for many.

I’ve read on mn that William has talked about this time as being v unhappy for him (true for him)- and that was portrayed.

A lot of truth this season. And some conversations were played to the world. Of course most of the private conversations in The Crown would not be true. But still, it seems to me, that this season there’s quite a bit of truth in it.

Not enjoying this series as much as the others. Princess Anne is a bit odd imo, John Major's hair is hilarious. They've done fantastically with Diana,they never seem to get her right especially her hair and they've got it spot on. Philip is odd casting too. All that carriage riding was strange too ,took up so much of the episode.

I agree that the casting is really weird this season, except for Diana who is fantastic and I actually think Jonny Lee Miller is really good as John Major! The actor who plays Charles is nothing like him and I'm really not into Imelda Staunton as the Queen - again, is nothing like her and I find her character unlikeable this season, unlike previous seasons. Maybe that's the point?

Agree! Was it to show Prince Phillip in a different light? Or to intentionally show a friendship and not an affair (given the rumours)

I'm finding it all a bit disconcerting to be honest.

Seeing my teenage crush playing John Major is freaking me out somewhat, But I think the fact that a period drama is showings things that I remember as being news is just making me feel a tad ancient.

Agree that the casting is off for everyone other than Diana and maybe Margaret.

fgs OP give it a rest. You had a massive thread where everyone linked all the inaccuracies; the articles with the creators who said it was all fiction; the interviews with friends of Diana who said it was completely inaccurate; the fact Jemima Khan joined the writing team as a friend of Diana to give insight and left because the show was bullshit. And yet here you are shilling your line about it not being fiction.
I hope you work for Netflix' PR department. Although this isn't the way to try to generate views or good reviews. No wonder this season's ratings have fallen through the floor.

Oh were there rumours of an affair with her,I didn't realise? That makes more sense now,still went on too long!

Interesting how many posters like Diana's casting. I thought the choice was odd - the actress is 6'3 tall I think and towers above all the other characters including her husband. Diana was tall but not that much. Looked very odd to me.