PICK OF DIGITAL & ON DEMAND TV

THE CROWN, NETFLIX

NETFLIX’S award-laden drama about the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II has always flirted with controversy, but it embraces it full-on in this new, fifth series. The Crown has always played fast and loose with the truth, and now, in response to criticism from the likes of Dame Judi Dench and former Prime Minister John Major, the producers have added a disclaimer making explicit the fact that the royal soap is no more than a ‘fictional dramatisation’. With Imelda Staunton taking over the role of her majesty, we move into the 1990s, a decade for the royals that can be called turbulent, to say the least. The events surrounding the breakdown of the marriage of Prince Charles (Dominic West) and the years leading up to the death of Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki, pictured with West) are just the tip of the iceberg in a ten-part series that steadily simmers and occasionally explodes. Other big-name additions to the cast include Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, while Jonny Lee Miller plays Major and Bertie Carvel is Tony Blair.