The Crown

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.

The Crown is simply a brilliant piece of television. It's one of the most expensive shows ever made and you can tell because the production and attention to detail is amazing. I originally put off watching this because I thought it was a show aimed from women but I couldn't have been more wrong. It is for everyone! Even when they changed the main characters in Season 3 because of the time jump it didn't lose a beat. Both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman both lead amazing casts who all deserve all the praise this show gets!

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?

The Crown boasts no action sequences or big movie stars, and yet it is one of the most expensive shows of all time. Why? Because of the sheer attention to detail. Aside from the fully historically accurate costumes and locations, the show is just gorgeous to look at. The lighting, the cinematography, and everything else visual about it is on point. It's quite apparent none of that money went to waste.

The show doesn't just look gorgeous, though. It is also compelling, well written, and well performed. In fact, almost every element is perfectly executed, which means that no single one stands out above the rest, but rather they work in harmony. And that is the show's greatest success; the fact that it all comes together smoothly into a neat, binge-able, high quality package.

Mind you, the reason I enjoy the Crown so much is that I knew what to expect when I went into it. This is NOT a fast-paced, action-packed, edge-of-your-seat experience. It is a character drama about the royal family. It runs at a slow pace. Yet it is gripping all the same.

That's why it is so good to know that Netflix made such a large investment in this series; they're taking chances and funding original and unusual things in an era when Hollywood is afraid to do anything that isn't already an existing intellectual property. I hope that the Crown blows up like Stranger Things. I hope it gets all the attention it deserves.

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!