
Actress Judi Dench (“Belfast”) has criticized the upcoming fifth season of “The Crown” series. In an open letter published by the London newspaper The Times, Dench accused the show’s producers of blurring “the lines between historical accuracy and raw sensationalism.”
Among the concerns raised by the actress in her letter is the possibility that the series will convince viewers, especially its international audience, that the drama seen on screen is an authentic portrait of the history of the royal family.
As a problematic example of this, Dench points to the report that season 5 would show Prince Charles plotting to overthrow his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and ascend the throne in the early 1990s. As true, the series is “cruelly unfair to the people and harmful to the institution they represent”.
Dench is an advocate of artistic freedom, but says Netflix’s claims that “The Crown” is a “fictional drama” aren’t enough to detract from the sense of historical reality the series conveys. Ideally, he said, the series should put a more explicit caveat before each episode.
The actress also urges Netflix to consider the feelings of the royal family and the United Kingdom, who are still mourning the death of the queen. According to Dench, Netflix’s taking on more responsibility would be a “sign of respect for a sovereign who has served her people so diligently for 70 years and a way to preserve her reputation in the eyes of her British subscribers.” .
Judi Dench had a very close relationship with the royal family. She was made mistress by the late Queen in 1988 and played both Queen Elizabeth I (in the movie “Shakespeare in Love”) and Queen Victoria (in “Her Majesty, Mrs Brown” and “Victoria and Abdul: The Queen’s Confidant” ).
In addition to her, former British Prime Minister John Major, played by Jonny Lee Miller in the series, also criticized “The Crown” for presenting the “malicious and malicious lie” that Charles had planned to expel the Queen.
In a statement to the Mail on Sunday, Major said the series’ decision to depict this false story is nothing more than “a barrel of nonsense thrown in to deliver maximum dramatic impact that is totally untrue.”
The fifth season of “The Crown” will debut November 9 on Netflix.
Read Judi Dench’s open letter in full below.
“Sir, Sir John Major is not alone in worrying that the latest series of ‘The Crown’ will present an inaccurate and painful account of history (News, Oct. 17). Indeed, the closer the drama comes to our modern times, the the more he seems freely willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and gross sensationalism.
While many recognize “The Crown” for its brilliant but fictionalized account of the events at stake, I fear that a significant number of viewers, particularly overseas, might consider its side of the story entirely true. Given some of the heartbreaking hints apparently contained in the new series – that King Charles plotted to get his mother to abdicate, for example, or that he once suggested that his mother’s paternity was so deficient that he might have deserved a prison sentence – this is cruelly. unfair to individuals and harmful to the institution they represent.
Nobody believes in artistic freedom more than me, but this cannot remain undisputed. Despite publicly claiming this week that “The Crown” has always been a “fictional drama,” the show’s creators resisted all requests to bring them a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode.
The time has come for Netflix to reconsider – for the sake of a family and nation so recently in mourning, out of respect for a ruler who has served her people so zealously for 70 years, and to preserve her reputation. in the eyes of its British subscribers. .
Mrs. Judi Dench
London W1 “
+The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Earth Newsletter. Click here!
Source: Terra

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.