Historical series crowned 'most sumptuous period drama on Netflix'

This historical series has been hailed as the "most sumptuous period drama on Netflix" by Vogue. The Crown is a historical drama television series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It was created and principally written by Peter Morgan. Morgan developed the series from his film The Queen, released in 2006, and his stage play The Audience (2013), which also focused on Elizabeth. The Crown has a total of six seasons and an extensive cast list, including Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, and Matthew Goode, among many others.

The series synopsis reads: "Based on an award-winning play ("The Audience") by showrunner Peter Morgan, this lavish, Netflix-original drama chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. The series begins with an inside look at the early reign of the queen, who ascended the throne at age 25 after the death of her father, King George VI. As the decades pass, personal intrigues, romances, and political rivalries are revealed that played a big role in events that shaped the later years of the 20th century."

The popular series has been both praised and criticised by reviewers. The Telegraph described The Crown as "TV's best soap opera" and awarded it a five out of five rating. However, The Times raised concerns that some episodes are based on false premises.

The series has an overall score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus states: "Powerful performances and lavish cinematography make The Crown a top-notch production worthy of its grand subject."

In Vogue's rating of "10 Of The Most Sumptuous Period Dramas On Netflix", it said: "The OG - Peter Morgan's lavishly rendered, decades-spanning account of Queen Elizabeth II's tumultuous marriage and reign - is arguably still the best period drama on the platform. Yes, the later seasons were patchy, but the first two are almost flawless, spearheaded by a stoic Claire Foy alongside Matt Smith's mercurial Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby's devastatingly glamorous Princess Margaret. However, even when they pass the baton to the likes of the supremely talented Olivia Colman, Josh O'Connor, Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki in subsequent instalments, there are countless joys to be found in the intricacies of their performances, the jaw-dropping locations, the epic set pieces recreated from history and the meticulously detailed costumes, all the way from the former monarch's wedding gown to Princess Diana's unforgettable revenge dress."

The Crown is available to stream now on Netflix.