THE CROWN SEASON THREE & THE MORNING SHOW

The Crown Season Three sees the three principal characters — Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and Princess Margaret, previously portrayed by Claire Foy, Matt Smith, and Vanessa Kirby respectively— recast with older actors. So now, Queen Elizabeth is portrayed by Oscar winner Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies (who many would know fromOutlander, Rome and Game of Thrones) plays Philip, and Helena Bonham Carter plays Princess Margaret. All three are pretty brilliant, I think they’re more effective than the previous cast, mainly because of the gravitas and weight they can bring to the characters but also because they are just really solid actors with a ton of experience.

This season of The Crown focuses predominantly on the period during which Harold Wilson was the U.K. PM. The unexpectedly warm relationship that develops between the Queen and the fiercely socialist politician (played by Jason Watkins) is – I think - one of this season’s most fascinating elements, simply because he gives voice to the perspective that the existence of the monarchy is something that’s debatable. So the interactions between the Queen and her PM are very blunt and frank – but also quite endearing in the way that he sees he simply as his equal - a fellow human being doing a tough job.

 There’s also the recurrent theme that to be born into a royal family is something of a poison chalice, where the personal cost is high and the life one leads erodes ones free will until it’s basically evaporated.

Overall it’s still the sumptuous, stylish and well-crafted show that it’s been over the last two seasons – though I think I prefer Olivia Coleman’s Queen to Claire Foy’s – if only because this interpretation of the character benefits from the years of experience and the years of the burdens of public duty. She’s flawed, cantankerous but also fascinating.

Apple TV + has recently released The Morning Show, which stars Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell. It follows a morning news program that is thrown into disarray after its lead anchor Mitch Kessler (played by Steve Carell) is accused of sexual assault and fired from the show, leaving his long-time partner Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) high and dry as she fights to remain in her role as host on the show. Reese Witherspoon, who executive produces along with Aniston, stars as Bradley Jackson, who is a small-town conservative news reporter vying for her own role on the morning show. The series also stars Mark Duplass and Billy Crudup as a network big wig – the showrunners have shied away from comparisons to the Matt Lauer scandal and his firing from the Today show – but I mean, come on! It’s pretty obvious that’s the inspiration.

It’s snappy, entertaining and certainly gets better by the second and third episodes but it still feels like an Aaron Sorkin ‘West Wing’ style drama in search of a writer of that calibre to really lift the material. Still, I really enjoyed it, for what it is. It’s not Broadcast News but more The Newsroom-lite but it’s still really entertaining.