Movies and TV Show Reading List by Jayne

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The Royal Family vs ‘The Crown’: Separating Fact from Fiction by Catherine Curzon

Uncover the truth behind Netflix’s The Crown with this guide separating royal fact from dramatic fiction.

For six seasons, royal watchers across the globe have been hooked on Netflix’s smash-hit factual drama, The Crown. Over sixty episodes, multiple casts and headline-grabbing storylines, The Crown has promised to throw open the closed doors of Britain’s palaces to reveal the deepest secrets of the House of Windsor. From the last days of George VI to the accession of Queen Elizabeth II and into the twenty-first century, it has told the story of the monarchy in an ever-changing and turbulent world.

The Royal Family vs ‘The Crown’ turns the spotlight on the glittering Netflix series and lays bare what’s fact and what is very definitely fiction. Season by season, episode by episode, The Royal Family vs ‘The Crown’ digs deep into history to examine the plots, the trivia and the characters who have stepped out of the throne room and into the living room, telling the real stories behind the drama that has thrilled and scandalised audiences worldwide. From the abdication of a king to Princess Diana’s infamous Panorama interview, the marriage of Charles and Camilla and everything in between, this is your indispensable guide to the true stories behind the streaming phenomenon.

Review

It might come as a shock, but I have to confess that I didn’t watch a single episode of “The Crown” while it was first airing. Then I watched the first episode and wasn’t impressed. But something made me take another look before I removed it from my watchlist in Netflix and after another episode, I was hooked though well aware that I was watching a drama rather than a documentary. When I saw this book I thought hey, why not get the scoop on what was real and what was made up. One thing to note – Curzon hasn’t spoken to any production people about the choices made and only offers possibilities to explain why the show made these decisions and changes. Most of the book is just pointing out where events in the show don’t match historical facts.

Curzon starts with the various cast members for the first, second and ending twenty episodes then goes through each episode of each season. There is a brief recoup of what was on the show and then the section labeled The Truth where she separates fact from fiction.

For the first twenty shows, it seems that mainly timelines of actual events were tweaked. There are things such as Prince Philip’s fictitious gate building at Gordonstoun that get called out, though. Some main themes that will be seen and hammered home repeatedly such as tension between the Queen and her sister and Philip’s perpetual brooding are mentioned. Also how the show, although ostensibly about the Queen, seemed to focus more on the women in the show as seen through the male gaze.

In later episodes, fact seems to get looser and goosier as needed to hype the drama. Curzon points out real things that could have been used – the difference in the tabloids’ treatment of Diana and Sarah Ferguson, how it was the Queen Mother who helped get Diana ready for royal life although Diana wasn’t the gaffe making person portrayed as she’d been around royalty for years, how most of Princess Anne’s life during the 70s is skipped including her wedding and the kidnapping attempt – but weren’t.

Naturally as the show heads into the last season the already hyper focus on Charles and Diana since mid series lasers tighter to what we know is coming. Were the behind the scenes conversations and actions in August 1997 real? Did Mohamed al Fayed ruthlessly matchmake? For many of these questions we’ll obviously never know the truth.

Most of what is pointed out as incorrect in the long run isn’t really earth shattering: people who couldn’t have done this or that because they were not there, had already retired, or were dead, timelines off by a year or so, things or events being surprises on the show to people who actually knew about them for months, etc. For the sake of drama, fewer actors to hire, and continuity for viewers with known characters, I can see why some choices were made. At the end, the book is highly readable with a dash of humor and quick to get through. B-

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The Real Pink Panther: Stories Behind the Classic Films by Robert Sellers

Unveils the untold story of the iconic franchise, exploring its origins, secrets, and the complex legacy of Peter Sellers.

The Pink Panther series is one of the most enduring and financially successful franchises in movie history, beginning with 1963’s The Pink Panther, which introduced audiences to the iconic Inspector Clouseau, unforgettably played by Peter Sellers.

Drawing on previously unseen material and ‘exclusive’ interviews with stars of the films and crew members, along with friends and colleagues of Peter Sellers, Robert Sellers presents, for the very first time, the untold story and some of the secrets behind the Pink Panther films.

The original Pink Panther movie proved popular enough to spawn eight sequels. The films also inspired a popular animated TV series based on the pink panther cartoon character that appeared in the film’s credit sequences. There were also spin-off toys, games, clothes, even breakfast cereal. In the 2000s, comedy legend Steve Martin twice stepped into the role of Inspector Clouseau.

But behind the laughs, there was madness and darkness, and at the series’ heart was one of cinema’s most tragic figures: Peter Sellers. A comedic genius, Sellers could be temperamental, unprofessional, and unpredictable. Add to that a heart problem Sellers feared could kill him at any moment.

This book reveals many of the Pink Panther’s secrets for the first time, shining a spotlight behind the scenes at the making of some of the most beloved comedies of all time, and the extraordinary personalities that brought them to life.

Review

Reading this book is really an indulgence for me. I have decades worth of very fond memories of the first three Panther films (The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, Return of the Pink Panther) and sentimental “just because it’s a Panther move” of The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Sadly at that point, I could see that the best days were behind the series.

But I was intrigued by the chance to get behind the scenes information about (mainly) Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers – the two main geniuses behind the franchises’ best days. There is a great deal of interesting stuff to delve into with candid memories of the stars and behind the scenes production crews. There is, sadly, a lot of the darker side of these films with Blake and Peter often being on the outs with each other as well as Peter Sellers’ mental and physical health issues.

As I had never seen any of the post Sellers’ death entries to the franchise, I wanted to see if perhaps I needed to give them a look, even after all these years. Frankly, I’ve decided no, as these films seem to be little more than money grabs by most involved. One chapter here is even titled “Flogging a Dead Panther.” Enough said.

I did learn some neat facts such as the impetus for “All in the Family” probably came from someone being in London at the time the original British show aired and making a call to a pal in the US about this great show. The recollections of people involved in the Panther franchise were (mainly) good and interesting to read. Given the issues and struggles that lurked in the background, I’ll remain thankful for the films I enjoy and, yes, skip the rest. B-

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