The Crown: Should Netflix do more to ensure viewers know it’s fiction?
The fifth series of The Crown to be launched on 9th November by the streaming giant Netflix is facing criticism as some believe they are not doing enough to ensure viewers know that the lavish royal drama is a work of fiction.
Sir John Major is said to have described upcoming scenes, which reportedly depict the King, then the Prince of Wales, plotting to oust the Queen, as “malicious nonsense”.
The new series is expected to show Charles cutting short a holiday with Diana, Princess of Wales, to host a secret meeting with former prime minister Sir John at Highgrove in 1991.
Imelda Staunton as the Queen
A spokeswoman for The Crown said: “The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events.
“Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family – one that has already been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians.”
A spokesman for Sir John, played by Jonny Lee Miller in the series, previously told The Times that if the scenes are broadcast “they should be seen as nothing other than damaging and malicious fiction”.
It has also been previously revealed that series five of the show would delve into Diana’s now infamous Panorama interview with journalist Martin Bashir.
However, Netflix has said the sixth and final series of The Crown will not depict the Paris car crash that killed Diana in August 1997, contrary to media reports.
It is understood that the series will show the lead-up to the fatal incident as well as its aftermath, but not the crash itself.
Olivia Williams as Camilla and Dominic West as Charles
Netflix has previously rejected the proposal to add a disclaimer to episodes saying:
Although there is no disclaimer on the individual episodes, when viewers tune in on the service the show is labelled with a “log line” as a fictional drama based on historical events.
Do you believe that Netflix should add a disclaimer to each episode? Do you think they may be doing damage to the Royal Family if they don’t make it clear that The Crown is a drama? Or do you think that viewers just see it as entertainment and not anything more than that?
