The Crown begins as the story of Queen Elizabeth II of England’s succession to the throne. It’s a Netflix original series that begins in the late 1940’s, into the 50’s as she is coronated and begins her reign. This is categorized as her true story…

Story: I wonder what the Queen actually thinks of this? Clearly, the story is based in real life, but, how much of it is really the truth? If they’re stretching the truth, the writers are doing an absolutely fantastic job of creating depth-of-character. It feels authentic, the characters are believable as real people. Sometimes television exaggerates characters for effect; The Crown doesn’t feel exaggerated as all.

And it’s refreshingly revealing. We all know the royals are real people, but, to see them in their element and have a first hand view of how they’re affected by their world is captivating. We get to see the Queen as a wife and a sister and a daughter instead of just THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND. It’s the throne with the ominousness removed…

Performances: Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II and Matt Smith as Prince Philip are the central characters. Claire Foy has me convinced she is the Queen. She is very mild mannered and very reserved. And Matt Smith as Prince Philip is exactly as I imagine him to be. He’s a bit pompous at times… He likes to forget he’s the Queens husband. The writers highlight his struggle with his role beautifully.

The only other performance of note is John Lithgow as Winston Churchill. Truly outstanding. There has been some comment about an American playing such an iconic British figure, but, Lithgow puts those words to bed definitely.

Visual: It’s a period piece masterpiece. The British royal family, even to this day, has an image to uphold. It’s well tailored and it’s buttoned-up. The Crown doesn’t disappoint. There’s even discussion of the Queen’s wardrobe as she travels and discussion of being aware of the appearance of indulgence with her wardrobe.