A Royal Pain: Netflix Adds Disclaimer To The Crown Trailer After Judi Dench Criticizes TV Series | CBC News

Netflix’s crown jewel is back for a fifth season — but not everyone is happy with it The crown‘s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth and the royal family, and the streaming giant has taken note.

Just days after a former British Prime Minister released a statement about his portrayal in the series, British actress Dame Judi Dench wrote a letter expressing her displeasure with the hit series.

As The crown As its timeline progresses, its story will become increasingly familiar—perhaps even more personal—to those who have lived through the events it depicts, opening it up to further criticism.

Season 5 will mark the first time the show has aired since Queen Elizabeth’s death in September. Netflix added a disclaimer to the YouTube description of its new trailer to let viewers know the show is fictional.

“Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign,” the description reads. The new season will begin streaming on Netflix Canada starting November 9th.

CLOCK | Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana go toe-to-toe in Season 5 The crown:

Dench’s letter, published by British news site The Times, called the series “cruelly unfair” and “damaging” for its dealings with the royal family.

“The closer the drama gets to our present day, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism,” wrote the 87-year-old actor.

Former British PM calls series ‘malicious fiction’

Dench’s letter follows a statement by former British Prime Minister Sir John Major, who held the post from 1990 to 1997. The politician released a critical statement The crownin which actor Jonny Lee Miller will play a version of Major in Season 5.

Major made the statement after it was rumored that several storylines would feature conversations between himself and then-Prince Charles, including a scene in which the two plot to have Queen Elizabeth abdicate the throne.

“Sir John has – in no way – worked with him The crown. He was also never approached by them to fact-check script material in this or any other series,” his rep said in a statement.

Major isn’t the first prime minister to be pictured on the show. Sir Winston Churchill was played by John Lithgow and Harold Wilson by Jason Watkins in their dealings with the royal family.

The alleged storylines are “nothing more than harmful and malicious fiction” designed to create “completely false dramatic impact,” Major’s rep added.

In response, Netflix released a statement defending the show’s integrity.

“The crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events. The fifth series is a fictional dramatization that imagines what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family – one that has been scrutinized and well documented by journalists, biographers and historians,” the statement said.

Netflix has denied claims for a liability waiver in the past. In 2020, former UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden urged the streamer to add a disclaimer The crown before its fourth season.

“We’ve always presented ‘The Crown’ as a drama… As a result, we have no plans – and see no need – to add a disclaimer,” Netflix said in a statement.

Much-publicized moments from the royal family’s past

As the show’s timeline enters the 1990s, it could examine the most publicized moments in the history of the royal family, including the divorce of then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana and the death of Princess Diana.

Elizabeth Debicki, who will play Diana, said in an Oct. 18 interview that the show — and the tragedies it depicts — are carefully written and carefully thought out.

“The amount of research and diligence and conversation and dialogue that happens from a viewer’s perspective about something that you would probably never notice is just immense,” the actor said.

While she acknowledged Netflix’s trailer disclaimer, Dench said she worries that viewers will accept the show’s portrayal of events as fact, particularly those tuning in from overseas.

In her letter, she said the streamer should consider adding a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode “for the sake of a family and a nation that has recently suffered a bereavement” and “as a mark of respect for a sovereign who has done so for her people.” dutifully served for 70 years.”

This would preserve the streaming giant’s reputation with its UK audience, she said.