The Crown: Netflix Series Extended to Six Seasons!
Paul Dailly
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The Crown is ending later than planned.
Months after Netflix announced that the fifth season would be the end of the historical drama, the streamer has reversed course and ordered a sixth -- and final -- season.
The Crown was always eyed to wrap after six seasons, but fans were stunned in January when Season 5 was revealed to be the end.
"As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons," series creator Peter Morgan said in a statement to THR.
While there was chatter that latter seasons would bring the show closer to the present, the sixth season will not be bring us to the present ... or near to it.
"To be clear, season six will not bring us any closer to present day — it will simply enable us to cover the same period in greater detail," adds Morgan.
Added Cindy Holland, Netflix's vp of original content: "The Crown keeps raising the bar with each new season. We can’t wait for audiences to see the upcoming fourth season, and we’re proud to support Peter’s vision and the phenomenal cast and crew for a sixth and final season."
The Crown Season 4will launch later this year on Netflix with Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher.
Seasons five and six will take the story into the 2000s with Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, and Lesley Manville set to play Princess Margaret.
The decision to cut the show to five seasons initially came as a request from Morgan.
"At the outset I had imagined The Crown running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop," said Morgan in January.
"I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision."
Staunton was officially confirmed to be taking over the role that was originally played by Claire Foy earlier this year.
“I have loved watching The Crown from the very start," said Staunton.
"As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion."
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
