The Crown

Number of seasons	6
Number of episodes	60
Episode length	minutes
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Rating Kinopoisk • IMDb	/10 • /10
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"The Crown" is a large-scale historical drama television series dedicated to the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The series was created for the streaming platform Netflix in collaboration with Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television. The creator and lead writer was Peter Morgan, who previously explored the British monarchy in the feature film The Queen (2006) and the stage play The Audience (2013).

The series spans six seasons and covers nearly sixty years of British history—from the marriage of the young Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten in 1947 to the union of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005. Each season focuses on key political, family, and social events of the respective period.

The first season follows Elizabeth's journey from young heir to queen after the death of George VI, as well as the complex relationships within the royal family and the political climate of the Winston Churchill era. The second season moves on to the Suez Crisis and the political upheavals of the late 1950s and early 1960s, touching on the succession of prime ministers and the birth of the royal couple's youngest children.

The third season focuses on the changes of the 1960s and 1970s: Harold Wilson's rise to power, the transformation of British society, Edward Heath's reign, and the lead-up to the Queen's Silver Jubilee. The fourth season explores the Margaret Thatcher era, Prince Charles's meeting and marriage to Diana Spencer, and the tense events of the late 1980s.

The fifth season unfolds against the backdrop of the 1990s—the time of John Major's premiership, the marital crisis of the heir to the throne, and the tragic events that impacted the monarchy's reputation. The final, sixth season shifts the action to the reign of Tony Blair, detailing the aftermath of Princess Diana's death, the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II's reign, the deaths of key royal figures, and the events leading up to the monarchy's generational transition.

The series' cast was renewed every two seasons, allowing for a seamless portrayal of the characters' maturation and aging. In the early seasons, Claire Foy portrayed the Queen, Olivia Colman in the middle seasons, and Imelda Staunton in the final seasons. Prince Philip has been played over the years by Matt Smith, Tobias Menzies, and Jonathan Pryce. The role of Princess Margaret has also alternated between Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lesley Manville. Key characters in later seasons included Emma Corrin, Elizabeth Debicki, Josh O'Connor, Dominic West, and Gillian Anderson.

Filming took place primarily at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, along with numerous locations in the UK and abroad, giving the series visual authenticity and scale.

The first season premiered in November 2016, with the final episodes airing in December 2023. The production budget was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars, cementing The Crown's status as one of the most expensive series in television history.

Critics praised the series for its acting, direction, writing, and production values, as well as its attention to period detail. Despite debate about artistic license in later seasons, the series has won dozens of prestigious awards. The Crown has received multiple Emmy Award nominations, winning Outstanding Drama Series, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Single Series.

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Plot

A Brief Description of the Series Events

The Crown TV series is an exquisitely crafted chronicle of the lives of the British royal family and their inner circle. Each episode independently reveals individual aspects, delving into both personal and socially significant events in the lives of the monarchs.

The central plot line is the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and her husband and the ongoing internal conflict between devotion to royal duties and the desire to follow her sincere desires. The characters in the series regularly face difficult choices and various challenges. However, despite all the difficulties, preserving family traditions and loyalty to the foundations remains a priority for them.

The work is admired for its ability to show how the heavy burden of monarchical power inevitably leaves its mark on the life of each member of the royal family. For Elizabeth herself, duty becomes an obstacle to true personal happiness; her husband, Prince Philip, loses not only his official status, but also a sense of professional fulfillment and life purpose. Similarly, dynastic obligations force Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret, and later Prince Charles to break ties with those close to them.

Special attention should be paid to the reflection of the contrast between the external image of the monarchy, symbolizing stability and greatness, and the inner world of its members, where alienation and a deep sense of dissatisfaction sometimes reign. The series masterfully demonstrates how complex human dramas hide behind a carefully constructed façade of luxury and titles, contrasting the public illusion of consent and harmony with private suffering.

Season-by-season overview of the series' episodes

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Seasons		Episodes
Season 1		1	2	3
Season 2		1	2	3	4
Season 3		1	2	3	4	5	6
Season 4		1	2	3	4	5	6
Season 5		1	2	3
Season 6		1	2	3

Characters

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Interesting pages

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