FICTION LABEL FOR THE CROWN? U.K. culture secretary Oliver Dowden wants Netflix‘s hit royal drama The Crown to be labeled as “fiction.” “I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact,” he said, adding that while it was a “beautifully produced work of fiction,” it “should be very clear at the beginning it is just that.” He said that he plans to officially make the request to Netflix. Speaking to the BBC, former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter criticized the series for “stretching dramatic license to the extreme,” accusing it of being a “hatchet job on Prince Charles and a bit of a hatchet job on Diana.” Online, people seemed unconvinced. “The Culture Secretary’s 'intervention' over The Crown is the funniest thing I've heard in ages,” said one Twitter user. “I look forward to his letter to Hilary Mantel author of Wolf Hall, a fictional depiction of the court of King Henry VIII.”
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL CONFIRMED FOR SEASON 2: ViacomCBS‘s UK broadcaster Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece have confirmed that All Creatures Great and Small will return for a second six-part season. Nicholas Ralph and Samuel West are starring on the new take on James Herriot‘s adventurous tale of a young country vet.
NETFLIX ANNOUNCES NEW ANIMATED TITLE: Netflix has recruited Isla Fischer, Tim Minchin, Eric Bana, Guy Pearce, Miranda Tapsell, Angus Imrie, Rachel House, Keith Urban, Celeste Barber, Wayne Knight, Aislinn Derbez, Diesel Cash La Torraca, Lachlan Ross Power, and Oscar-nominee Jacki Weaver for Back to the Outback, an animated comedy that will drop in 2021. Said director Claire Knight: “I have always been touched by stories of hidden beauty. Maddie is both uniquely beauty and beast, and to get to present that message in comedy is the icing on the cake.”
THE UNDOING BEATS GAME OF THRONES: Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant have won a surprise battle against Game of Thrones in terms of ratings across the pond. David E. Kelly directs HBO‘s psych drama. The Undoing also had solid ratings in the U.S., but appears to be a bigger hit overseas.
