The Hollow Crown, a BBC period drama featuring an A-list cast, is available on Prime Video and has been lauded as a 'masterpiece'. The show, which first aired in 2012 and ran for two seasons, adapts William Shakespeare's historical plays, including Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Henry V, and Henry VI Parts 1 and 2, as well as Richard III.
Star-Studded Cast and Critical Acclaim
The series follows various monarchs and their tumultuous reigns amid power struggles and political intrigue. The second season, titled The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, focuses on the English civil wars between 1455 and 1487, where the House of York and the House of Lancaster vied for the throne.
Each episode features top British acting talent, including Ben Whishaw, Patrick Stewart, Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo, and Judi Dench.
Audience Reviews Praise Accessibility
The Hollow Crown currently holds a 98 percent fresh rating, while Downton Abbey has a 92 percent rating, with the Shakespeare adaptation surpassing the Julian Fellowes ITV series. Online reviews have been glowing, with one Amazon five-star review calling it 'Shakespeare for the 21st Century: a triumph and a masterpiece,' adding, 'Overall: fabulous, brilliant, a feast for the eye, the ear and the mind.'
Another top-rated review says it is 'Highly Recommended Shakespearean Set - Essential viewing!' A third viewer noted, 'Watching this series was my first experience of Shakespeare. I had to concentrate at the beginning because of the old English but soon got used to it & then found it riveting.'
Availability on Prime Video
On IMDb, viewers have commended the show for making Shakespeare accessible. One 10/10 review states, 'To watch it, performed by actors who really know and understand Shakespeare, and can convey that in their work, is to enter a world of majesty, of subtle innuendo, of humour and of total understanding of the work of the Shakespeare who used his gift to allow 'the common man' to discuss and understand the goings-on and political machinations of his age.'
Another fan wrote, 'They have pulled off what many have tried and failed to do: make good cinema out of the plays. The necessary realism is there, without detracting in any way from the source material.' The Hollow Crown is available to rent on Prime Video.
