Many are looking forward to season 5 of the popular Netflix series “The Crown”, which has become a success worldwide. But the series, which portrays the lives of the British royal family, has also been criticized for blending fiction and fact. Recently, actress Judi Dench came out strongly against the series in a comment in the British newspaper The Times. Dench, known among other things from “James Bond”, writes that the series is cruelly unfair to the royal family and that it cultivates the sensational. Now Netflix has said that they will come up with a warning at the start of the new episodes that makes it clear that the series is fiction. IMITATORS: There are many different actors who have had the honor of playing Queen Elizabeth through her various stages of life. Here is a picture of Queen Elizabeth (th) side by side with Olivia Colman who plays her in season four of “The Crown”. Photo: NETFLIX / AP It is only two years since the streaming giant rejected the idea of such a warning. Now they have turned around. Pointless warning But royal biographer Tore Rem thinks such a warning has little meaning. – I’m afraid it won’t do. Rem believes that many viewers have built up a strong belief in the series as truth. Then it is difficult to reverse the impression. FACTS: Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1984. In Diana’s arms lies a newborn Prince Harry. Photo: AP – When you use historical figures and stick closely to true events, you create a contract with the audience that I think is difficult to get out of by simply saying that “this is fiction”, he says and adds: – Because everyone knows that it’s not just fiction. FICTION: Prince Charles and Princess Diana as portrayed in season four of the Netflix series “The Crown”. Josh O’Connor plays Charles, while Emma Corrin breathes new life into Diana. Photo: Des Willie / Netflix This is how the series’ presentation also affects how we perceive British royal history, he explains further. Research from Washington University also shows that we humans tend to remember fiction as fact. Gossip and sensation The new season deals with the relationship and divorce between Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The attention surrounding Charles has grown since he took over the crown. DRAMA: In season 5, we get to see more of the drama that unfolded in the relationship between Diana and Prince Charles. Photo: KEITH BERNSTEIN / Netflix Speculation in gossip and sensationalism is also an important reason why the series engages, reminds Rem. – It remains to be seen whether the series manages to strike a balance between what is historically justifiable and the appeal to our desire for sensation. In any case, it is challenging for the public to distinguish between what is real and what is fabricated, he emphasizes. Building on reality Rem is supported by media researcher Vilde Schanke Sundet at the University of Oslo. Nor does she believe that a warning will have much effect. MONARCH IN CRISIS: Imelda Staunton plays Queen Elizabeth in the upcoming season. There she has to deal with a family life that is falling apart, among other things. Photo: Keith Bernstein / Netflix – This is about people living today disagreeing about how they or their close family are portrayed. If you get a warning that this is fiction, I don’t think it helps. Sundet believes that the warning can contribute to the same action being taken for several series, but that the treatment of ethics and facts is about much more. – This is also about who will own the stories about themselves. Fiction and emotions The warning can nevertheless function as a reminder for the public who have tended to view the series a bit like a documentary, believes news’s culture commentator Inger Merete Hobbelstad. SERIES SUCCESS: “The Crown” has become one of the world’s biggest series since the first season was released on Netflix in 2016. At the time, actress Claire Foy was to be seen in the role of a young Queen Elizabeth. Photo: Robert Viglasky / AP – Netflix has repeated the events more or less exactly as they took place. But they have also put a lot of emotion into the royals who they simply cannot know were there, she says. Season five of “The Crown” premieres on Netflix on November 9.
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Don’t believe the Netflix warning – news Culture and entertainment
