TV Show review
November 4, 2016 · TV-MA
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Crown is a historical drama series that follows Queen Elizabeth II across decades of her reign, showing her family life, dealings with prime ministers, and major events that shaped post-war Britain. It centers on the personal price of royal duty and the monarchy's struggles with change. The story includes some dramatized looks at the institution's old rules and private tensions, but these stay tied to real history and do not push modern identity politics or activist ideas in a clear way.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Crown.
Woke representation / casting
Period-appropriate casting for historical British royals and leaders with no visible forced diversity or identity signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Focuses on historical events and duty talks; lacks modern activist language or ideological lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Covers royal family strains and era-specific gender expectations around duty; handled as personal history, not current identity messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Shows the monarchy under pressure from personal lives and social shifts, with some scenes viewed as questioning its traditional authority; framed as historical drama rather than modern activist attacks on norms or institutions.
Woke character or canon changes
Invents private talks and events with real figures like prime ministers; criticized for dramatic license but involves no fictional canon or identity swaps.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Major conservative pushback on bias and inaccuracy from figures like John Major; minimal specific woke or identity complaints, so targeted backlash evidence stays weak.
Creator track record context
Peter Morgan has expressed anti-monarchy views that fit the show's critical tone on royal institutions; listed technical crew show no such pattern.
Production
