The_Crown_Season_1
THE CROWN SEASON 1
The Crown is a biographical drama television series, created and written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. The show is a biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The first season covers the period between the Queen's marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret's engagement to Peter Townsend in 1955. A second season has been commissioned, which is intended to cover from the Suez Crisis in 1956 through the retirement of the Queen's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 following the Profumo affair political scandal.
The Crown evolved out of Morgan's 2006 film The Queen and 2013 stage play The Audience.
The series is intended to last 60 episodes over six seasons, with 10
one-hour episodes a season, covering the Queen's entire life, with new
actors being cast every two seasons. Claire Foy portrays the Queen in the first two seasons, along with Matt Smith as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret. Filming for the series takes place at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, with location shooting at various locations throughout the United Kingdom.
The first season released on Netflix in its entirety on November 4,
2016. Reception to the series was overwhelmingly positive, with critics
praising cast performances, direction, writing, cinematography, production values,
and relatively accurate historical accounts of Queen Elizabeth's reign.
Significant praise was directed towards the performances of Foy in the
leading role and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill; both actors were awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress and Best Actor at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards, respectively, among other accolades, including the 74th Golden Globe Awards and the 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards.
PLOT
The Crown traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 to the present day. The first season depicts events up to 1955, with Claire Foy portraying the Queen in the early part of her reign. The second season is intended to cover from the Suez Crisis in 1956 through the retirement of the Queen's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 following the Profumo affair political scandal. A third season will include Princess Margaret's five-year affair with baronet and gardening expert Roddy Llewellyn.
EPISODES
Episode 1 - Wolferton Splash Aired - 4 November 2016
In 1947, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark gives up his royal titles and all foreign relations in order to be allowed to marry Princess Elizabeth, heiress presumptive of King George VI. The couple have two children together, Charles and Anne, and live in Malta,
where Philip serves as Lieutenant-Commander of the Royal Navy. In 1951,
they return to London when George has to undergo lung surgery; soon
after, he learns he has months to live due to a malignant tumour in his
remaining lung. In the knowledge he has very little time left with his
family and that Elizabeth will soon be Queen, George counsels Philip on
how best to assist his wife in the challenge ahead. Meanwhile, Winston Churchill is re-elected after six years out of government, a move of which George approves.
Rating - 8.0/10.0
Episode 2 - Hyde Park Corner Aired - 4 November 2016
Due to King George's ongoing ill health, Elizabeth and Philip tour the Commonwealth in his place. While they are in Kenya on safari, George is found dead in his bed to the devastation of his wife Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, his mother Queen Mary, and Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret.
In the African bush, Elizabeth is unreachable and the event is spread
via radio to the world before she can be informed. Philip breaks the
news to his wife, who then returns to the UK to unite with her family in
their grief.
Rating - 8.1/10.0
Episode 3 - Windsor Aired - 4 November 2016
Through flashbacks, the abdication of King Edward
is explored. In 1952, Edward, now known by the title of Duke of
Windsor, returns to the UK for his brother's funeral. There is deep
animosity between the Duke and both his mother, Queen Mary, and
sister-in-law Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who he nicknames 'Cookie', in
his letters to his wife Wallis.
Elizabeth meets with Churchill and discusses two of Philip's demands:
firstly, the family keeps his name of Mountbatten, and secondly, they
remain living at Clarence House rather than moving to Buckingham Palace.
Churchill is reluctant to bend to either demand, and the counsel of her
uncle Edward convinces Elizabeth to drop the requests, to Philip's
fury. Churchill also pushes back Elizabeth's coronation to over a year
away, which Elizabeth recognises to be to secure his own power against
his party, who believe him too old to be Prime Minister.
Rating - 8.1/10.0
Episode 4 - Act Of God Aired - 4 November 2016
A great smog
covers London, which Churchill deems an 'Act of God' and mere weather.
People begin dying from the suffocating air and from accidents caused by
low visibility. Elizabeth is pressured to ask Churchill to step down,
but is reluctant as royalty does not usually involve itself with the
affairs of government. However, with Churchill blamed for the smog by
the Opposition and for attempting to discuss Philip's flying lessons at
his Cabinet meeting rather than the smog, she decides to call him to see
her. However, the true nature of the Smog is brought home to Churchill
when Venetia Scott (Kate Phillips), his favoured secretary, is hit and
killed by a bus due to bad visibility. Deeply saddened, Churchill visits
the hospital to see her body, where he sees the chaos and difficulty
caused by the smog. The press arrive, and Churchill makes an impassioned
speech promising more funding and a longer term approach to preventing
future smog. Elizabeth changes her mind after the fog clears, moments
before their meeting. Meanwhile, Philip carries on his flying lessons
from the Royal Family's aide, Group Captain Peter Townsend.
Rating - 8.2/10.0
Episode 5 - Smoke And Mirrors Aired - 4 November 2016
Queen Mary dies, prompting the Duke of Windsor to make another return trip. He clashes with Elizabeth's Private Secretary Tommy Lascelles
when he asks Edward not to attend the upcoming coronation and informs
him that his wife Wallis will not receive an invitation. Elizabeth
places Philip in charge of her coronation,
and he upsets most of the committee with his insistence that it should
be a modern affair, notably deciding to televise the event. He also
requests that he should not have to kneel to Elizabeth while she is
being crowned, a request which she refuses, causing unrest between the
couple about the line between Queen and wife. Elizabeth is crowned at Westminster Abbey, while Edward hosts a viewing of the coronation from his house in Paris.
Rating - 8.1/10.0
Episode 6 - Gelignite Aired - 4 November 2016
Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend ask the Queen's permission to marry, but Tommy Lascelles and the Queen Mother
are against it. A newspaper gets wind of the story, and starts
publishing articles about the relationship. The Queen originally
promises to support Margaret, but on reflection explains that it must
wait until Margaret is 25, thanks to the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Elizabeth and Philip take Peter with them on a trip to Northern Ireland
to show their support, before he is due to head to Brussels on duty.
But the popularity shown to Peter by the press and public causes Tommy
Lascelles to recommend that the posting to Brussels happen early, before
Margaret returns from a trip to Southern Rhodesia. This affects the Queen's relationship with her sister forever.
Rating - 8.0/10.0
Episode 7 - Scientia Potentia Est Aired - 4 November 2016
The Soviet Union detonates their first hydrogen bomb, sparking an international crisis. With American President Dwight Eisenhower
planning to visit Britain, Churchill urges an international summit to
avert tension, but falls victim to a stroke which inhibits his ability
to govern – and which his aides keep secret from the Queen. Elizabeth
ponders whether to replace the retiring Tommy Lascelles with her
preferred choice, Martin Charteris, or Michael Adeane,
Lascelles's senior deputy, as her private secretary. She also engages a
private tutor (Alan Williams) to improve her practical education in
science and related subjects, with a positive relationship being formed
so that she is encouraged to dress down both Lord Salisbury and
Churchill for hiding his illness from her.
Rating - 8.1/10.0
Episode 8 - Pride And Joy Aired - 4 November 2016
With Elizabeth and Philip away on a stressful tour of the Commonwealth,
Margaret takes on more royal engagements, with mixed results. The Queen
Mother goes to Scotland to reflect on her new position in the Royal
Family, and ends up buying a castle. Elizabeth (King George's pride) and Margaret (King George's joy) declare their mutual envy.
Rating- 8.1/10.0
Episode 9 - Assassins Aired -4 November 2016
Philip begins spending more and more time out of the house, while
Elizabeth begins to spend more and more time with her old friend Porchey,
a horse manager and old friend of the Royal Family who many had
expected and even arranged for Elizabeth to marry. As tension arises,
including Elizabeth having a direct line put in for Porchey to call
Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth and Philip have an angry confrontation.
Afterwards, Elizabeth tells Philip that, although a marriage with
Porchey had been more desired and perhaps would have even worked out
better, the only person she had ever loved in her entire life was
Philip. Following a moving speech at a dinner at Downing Street for
Churchill's 80th birthday, Philip silently apologises to Elizabeth, but
the tension continues. Graham Sutherland paints Churchill's portrait
as an 80th birthday gift from Parliament, but Churchill hates it,
because of its honesty, and after a confrontation with Sutherland,
admits his pain at what his age has done to him. The painting is later
destroyed on the instruction of his wife, Clementine.
Rating - 8.2/10.0
Episode 10 - Gloriana Aired - 4 November 2016
Elizabeth faces a climax to Margaret's relationship with Peter Townsend.
The Queen learns that, contrary to her expectation, Margaret's marriage
requires consent of Parliament even after she reaches the age of 25,
conflicting with Elizabeth's pledge to support their marriage. Torn
between the public's support for Margaret, opposition from Parliament
and the Church of England
and her own conflicted feelings towards her sister, Elizabeth tries
persuading Margaret to end the relationship. The Queen Mother complains
to Elizabeth that Philip dominates and is too hard on Charles.
Elizabeth, at the suggestion of Tommy Lascelles and the Queen Mother,
asks Philip to open the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne in order to adjust to life in Elizabeth's shadow. Anthony Eden becomes Prime Minister upon Churchill's resignation and becomes trapped in an escalating dispute with Egypt's Abdel Nasser (Amir Boutrous) over rights to the Suez Canal.
A five month long royal tour is added to Philip's trip, Elizabeth
suggests he be thankful that everyone is trying to help but Philip tells
Elizabeth not to disguise a betrayal as a favour.
Rating - 8.0/10.0
DEVELOPMENT
Peter Morgan, who wrote the 2006 film The Queen and the 2013 stage play The Audience, is the main scriptwriter for The Crown. The directors of the television series who were also involved in the stage production are Stephen Daldry, Philip Martin, Julian Jarrold, and Benjamin Caron. The first 10-part season was the most expensive drama produced by Netflix and Left Bank Pictures to date, costing at least £100 million.A second season has been commissioned, with the series intended to span 60 episodes over six seasons.The series is expected to recast each role with older actors every two seasons, as the series progresses to present day events.
FILMING
Filming for the series takes place at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood,
Hertfordshire. It was estimated that 25% of the first season was filmed
at Elstree Studios, with the remaining 75% filmed on location, with the
season filmed over 152 days. Sets for private quarters, the interior of
a private jet, the cabinet room, and the exterior of 10 Downing Street were built at Elstree Studios, while Lancaster House, Wrotham Park and Wilton House were used for scenes to double as Buckingham Palace. Ely Cathedral stood in for Westminster Abbey, while filming in South Africa doubled as Kenya in the season.Additional filming locations in the United Kingdom included, Eltham Palace, the Royal Naval College, Goldsmiths' Hall, Shoreham Airport, New Slains Castle, Balmoral Castle, Cruden Bay, Lyceum Theatre, Loseley Park, Hatfield House, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Southwark Cathedral, Ardverikie House, Englefield House, and Glenfeshie Estate. Filming on the second season began in early October 2016.
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