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People will start to believe it! Veteran broadcaster John Sergeant fears fans of Netflix hit The Crown will think fictionalised scenes are accurate accounts of history
- Broadcaster says he is concerned how Royal Family is portrayed in The Crown
- John Sergeant suggests ‘blockbuster’ dramatisations may not be appropriate
- He said timelines and events are ‘massaged and altered’ to assist the drama
- It comes after Queen’s ex-press secretary called imagined scenes ‘distasteful’
John Sergeant has hit out at Netflix’s The Crown, saying he fears fans are being led to believe fictionalised scenes are accurate representations of past events.
The broadcaster said he is concerned about the show’s portrayal of the Royal Family, warning the public is now ‘asking too high a price’ of its members.
And the 75-year-old suggested such ‘blockbuster’ dramatisations of the Windsors’ lives might not be appropriate at all.
Olivia Colman is pictured above portraying the Queen in the drama. The broadcaster said he is concerned about the show’s portrayal of the Royal Family
John Sergeant has hit out at Netflix’s The Crown, saying he fears fans are being led to believe fictionalised scenes are accurate representations of past events
‘These are dangerous times for the Royal Family,’ the veteran political journalist told Radio Times.
‘In the past there has been an implicit deal between us and them. We expect them to be royal and distant, and they in turn are not expected to answer back and complain if the media coverage is excessive or plain wrong.
‘This “deal” now seems to have broken down and I’m concerned about the way the family is portrayed in The Crown. I’m not sure they should be portrayed at all in a multi-million-pound blockbuster of this sort.’
He said timelines and events are ‘massaged and altered’ to assist the drama, adding: ‘The more skilful the casting, the more adept the direction, the more stunning the costumes, the greater the danger that people will believe they’re being told the truth.’
He added: ‘I think we’re now asking too high a price of the royals.’
‘These are dangerous times for the Royal Family,’ the veteran political journalist told Radio Times. Josh O’Connor is pictured above as the Prince of Wales in the Netflix hit
It comes after the Queen’s ex-press secretary Dickie Arbiter branded the show’s imagined scenes – including those in which it is implied the monarch had an affair with Lord Porchester – ‘very distasteful’.
Mr Arbiter, 79, said: ‘Not only is this muckraking, this is gossip that’s been washing around for decades. It’s got absolutely no substance.’
Buckingham Palace has said it has ‘never agreed to vet or approve content’ in The Crown.
Erin Doherty, left, plays Princess Anne. Veteran political journalist John Sergeant, right, suggested such ‘blockbuster’ dramatisations of the Windsors’ lives might not be appropriate at all
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