The Crown (Netflix) ★★★★★
When a friend suggested over dinner that I watch Netflix’s The Crown, I responded with an earthier version of ‘Ten hours about an unelected monarch? Nope.’ It made sense, of course, for the US streaming giant to drop $100ish million on a television drama about Her Maj: Wolf Hall did well, Downton Abbey was finished, and America had just gone all King George and elected a lunatic in a golden palace. But I didn’t think it was for me.
Then I was reminded that, while I don’t think our head of state’s qualification should be ‘How posh is your dad?’, I admire Her Maj as a person. Then I learned Claire Foy – who played Anne Boleyn so exquisitely in Wolf Hall – plays the queen. And then I heard John Lithgow plays Winston Churchill. ‘John Lithgow?’ I spat, misting gin across the table. ‘3rd Rock From the Sun, American John Lithgow?’ This, I thought, I had to see. So I toddled off and switched it on.
Reader, it was glorious. I felt a like a 100-kilo 6 foot 4 Lizzie Bennet standing shocked, Darcy’s letter in hand, realising the prejudice that had blinded me to wonder.
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