TV Review: The Crown. Seasons 1-4. (Netflix).

For those few who aren’t already aware of it, The Crown is Netflix’s recent somewhat fictionalized depiction of the reign of Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. 

Thus far, over the first four seasons, it has covered the period from her youth growing up during World War II during the reign of her father, the popular King George VI, through her ascension to the throne in 1952, her marriage to Prince Phillip, and many of her better-known personal and political experiences as the sovereign of Great Britain and head of the Royal Family from the early 1950s, through the 1960s and 1970s, and into the era of Margaret Thatcher and the young Princess Diana in the 1980s.

The actors in all the principal roles changed after season 2, in order to put older faces and personalities on screen that would better reflect the real-life characters as they aged and changed over time. However, what has been consistent is the quality of the actors in the leading roles, particularly Claire Foy and Matt Smith as the youthful Elizabeth and Phillip, and Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies as the middle-aged Queen and Prince, all of whom turn in impressively authentic and convincing performances.

It makes for fun entertainment, especially for those who just can’t get enough of the lives of English royalty, but there has been a growing uproar around the show's historical accuracy and perspective in season 4, perhaps because the plot timeline is moving closer to our own times, where many of us already have well-formed memories of some of the actual events, and opinions about the personalities from mass media and news coverage.

The portrayal of Prince Charles' behavior toward Diana and of his character, which is fairly odious in the show in season 4, has particularly come in for sharp protests. Many reviewers have now added their caveats that this series should not be taken at face value in terms of the truth of its presentation of the times, the events, the various personalities and their relationships. 

Nevertheless, if seen as art, interpretation and entertainment rather than a slavish portrayal of historical lives and events, it’s a very interesting and enjoyable series. Recommended.