Netflix’s “The Crown”: Fact or Fiction?
Britain’s culture minister thinks the Netflix series “The Crown” should come with a disclaimer: It’s a work of fiction.
“It’s a beautifully produced work of fiction. So as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said in an interview.
Questions of historical accuracy were not a major issue during earlier seasons of the show, which debuted in 2016 and traces the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which began in 1952.
But the current fourth season is set in the 1980s, a divisive decade that many Britons remember vividly. Characters include Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the late Princess Diana. The troubled relationship between Princess Diana and her husband, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, is a major storyline in the series.
Steven Fielding, a professor of political history at the University of Nottingham, said the suggestion that “The Crown” carry a disclaimer was “reasonable and yet pointless.”
“Mixing historical fact and fiction has been around since Shakespeare. This is not new to films, it’s not new to TV,” said Fielding. “Nobody’s bothered if fact and fiction are all mangled up, so long as it’s saying nice things.”
Vocabulary:
culture minister – (noun) a government official who is in charge of national heritage, the arts, media, and cultural affairs, “The culture minister announced a new government grant to support local museums.”
disclaimer – (noun) a formal statement that limits responsibility or explains that something might not be completely true or accurate, “The book has a disclaimer at the beginning stating that all characters are purely imaginary.”
work of fiction – (expression) a book, movie, or story that is made up by an author and is not based on real events or people, “Although it is set in a real city, the novel is entirely a work of fiction.”
beautifully produced – (expression) created, filmed, or designed with high artistic quality and great attention to detail, “The historical drama was beautifully produced with gorgeous costumes and impressive sets.”
historical accuracy – (noun) the quality of being true, correct, and faithful to real past events or history, “Many scholars criticized the movie for its lack of historical accuracy regarding the war.”
major issue – (expression) a very important, significant, or serious problem or topic of discussion, “The rising cost of housing has become a major issue for young people living in the city.”
debuted – (verb) performed, broadcasted, or shown to the public for the very first time, “The new television series debuted last Friday and immediately broke viewership records.”
traces – (verb) describes, follows, or details the development, history, or progress of something over time, “The documentary traces the life of the famous singer from her childhood to her rise to fame.”
long reign – (expression) a lengthy period of time during which a king, queen, or ruler governs a country, “During her long reign, the queen witnessed many historic changes in her kingdom.”
divisive – (adjective) causing strong disagreement, arguments, or split opinions among a group of people, “The decision to build a new highway through the park proved to be highly divisive.”
remember vividly – (expression) to have a very clear, detailed, and strong memory of a past event, “I still remember vividly the first time I saw the ocean as a child.”
late – (adjective) used to describe a person who has died, especially recently, “The museum is hosting an exhibition of paintings by the late artist.”
heir to the British throne – (expression) the person who is legally next in line to become the king or queen of the United Kingdom, “As the oldest child, Prince Charles was the heir to the British throne for many decades.”
storyline – (noun) the plot or main narrative of a novel, play, movie, or television show, “The movie had an exciting storyline with a very surprising twist at the end.”
pointless – (adjective) having no purpose, meaning, or useful result; a waste of time, “It is pointless to argue about the weather when we cannot change it.”
mixing – (verb) combining different things, ideas, styles, or elements together, “The author enjoys mixing historical facts with fantasy in her novels.”
not new to – (expression) already familiar with or having a long history of experiencing something, “The city is not new to heavy snowstorms during the winter months.”
mangled up – (phrasal verb/idiom) mixed together, twisted, or confused in a messy and disordered way, “The dates in his essay were completely mangled up, making the history hard to follow.”
so long as – (idiom/conjunction) on the condition that; as long as, “You can borrow my car so long as you promise to bring it back by tomorrow morning.”