The Crown

Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) will play Britain’s first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, while Emma Corrin (Pennyworth) will play Princess Diana.

The fourth series is set to cover Thatcher’s term and her relationship with Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman), as well as the courtship between Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) and Lady Diana Spencer and their wedding in 1981 where she becomes Princess.

Netflix has also released images of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh (Tobias Menzies), and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret.

A short trailer accompanied the announcement, in which Olivia Colman’s Queen Elizabeth II declares: “Something as important as the monarchy simply cannot be allowed to fail.”

The trailer also introduced the characters of Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana, played by Gillian Anderson and Emma Corrin.

The coming series will follow the arrival of Thatcher as Prime Minister and Diana’s turbulent relationship with Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor).

Debicki will take over the role from Emma Corrin, who will star as Princess Diana in the upcoming fourth series due later this autumn.

Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones) has also been announced to take over from Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip.

Pryce and Debicki will join the cast confirmed for series five and six including Imelda Staunton (A Confession), who will play Queen Elizabeth, and Lesley Manville (Mum) as Princess Margaret.

Whether it’s the spike in sales of canned Marks & Spencer gin and tonic or Google searches of priests – both inspired by season two of Fleabag – never underestimate TV’s power to influence people’s behaviour. Yet, sometimes, it is the smallest detail of a TV series that can effect a change in someone’s life.

Joining Netflix’s host of original podcasts, storytelling series Because I Watched looks back through the screen of the latest binge-watch and into the lives of viewers at home.

Morgan had originally planned for six series of the much-loved drama, but has decided that the fifth series “is the perfect time and place to stop”.

Morgan thanked Netflix and Sony for supporting his decision and described Staunton as an “astonishing talent” and a “fantastic successor”.

Staunton will be the final actor to play the Queen after predecessors Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, taking the series into the 21^st Century.

The Crown first aired in 2016 and with its big budget production spend, was hailed as a game-changing drama for Netflix.

Series binging over weekly releases has become the new norm, and brand new, high-quality TV content seems to be in endless supply.

The competition for viewers’ attention has intensified tenfold, and the leading broadcasters have risen to the challenge.

At the beginning of a new decade, we look back at some of the most memorable performances and series of the last ten years.

Based on a first-hand account of the Windrush scandal in 2016, the drama follows Anthony Bryan (Robinson) who is classed as an illegal immigrant despite living in the UK for over 50 years.

After deciding to visit his mother in Jamaica, Bryan is shocked to discover that there are no records of him at the Passport Office, requiring him to prove his citizenship to the Immigration Office.

Bryan is later forced to leave his job without the ability to claim benefits and is forcibly removed from his home when he is detained as an illegal immigrant.

The freelance producer and trainer gave a demonstration of the smartphone’s filming capability at an RTS London event in early November.

“No matter how big the tool, it comes down to the person who is actually using [it],” said Mulcahy. “Storytelling is about where the focus is – and understanding how you shoot.”

The series takes place during a rapidly changing Britain that faces a failing financial climate and the rise of political agendas against royalism.

The new trailer opens with The Queen reflecting on her reign and the inner tensions within the Royal family as they endure personal struggles in service of their subjects.

The late-September event was hosted by the University of Westminster, and chaired by media producer and consultant Aradhna Tayal. It featured Bloomberg media reporter Joe Mayes, London Centre Chair Phil Barnes and James Cordell, a London committee member and first-time attendee at the convention.

The panel noted that one of the key themes throughout was the rise of streaming and whether the already established subscription video on demand (SVoD) companies – with more set to enter the market – will dominate the UK broadcast industry.