The Hollow Crown, a BBC costume drama with an A-list cast including Tom Hiddleston and Judi Dench, is streaming on Prime Video and is ideal for a weekend binge-watch. The series first aired in 2012 and ran for two series, adapting Shakespeare's historical plays Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; Henry V; Henry VI, Part 1; Henry VI, Part 2; and Richard III.
Plot and Inspiration
The drama follows the lives and turbulent reigns of monarchs amid power struggles and political scheming reminiscent of Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones, drew inspiration from English history for his A Song of Ice and Fire novels, set in a medieval, feudal society.
The second series, titled The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, focused on the English civil wars from 1455 to 1487, known as the War of the Roses, where the House of York and the House of Lancaster battled for the throne.
Cast and Reception
Each episode featured top British acting talent, including Ben Whishaw, Patrick Stewart, Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo, and Judi Dench, plus Keeley Hawes, Anton Lesser, Tom Sturridge, Benedict Cumberbatch, James Fleet, Hugh Bonneville, Lindsay Duncan, and Rory Kinnear.
The Hollow Crown holds a 98 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, surpassing Downton Abbey's 92 percent. Viewers have praised it online, with one five-star Amazon 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 said, "Highly Recommended Shakespearean Set - Essential viewing!" A third noted, "Watching this series was my first experience of Shakespere [sic]. I had to concentrate at the beginning because of the old English but soon got used to it & then found it riveting."
Accessibility and Availability
On IMDb, viewers praised the show for making Shakespeare accessible. One 10/10 review said: "To watch it, performed by actors who really know and understand Shakespeare... 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.
