Upstart Crow

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Upstart Crow is a British sitcom which premiered on 9 May 2016 at 10pm on BBC Two as part of the commemorations of the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. Its title quotes "an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers", a critique of Shakespeare by his rival Robert Greene in the latter's Groats-Worth of Wit.

It is scripted by Ben Elton and is set from 1592 (the year of Greene's quotation) onwards. Shakespeare is played by David Mitchell; his wife, Anne Hathaway, is played by Liza Tarbuck; and Greene himself by Mark Heap. All episodes are directed by Matt Lipsey.

The first series follows the writing and preparation to stage Romeo and Juliet after William has gained some early career notoriety for his poetry, Henry VI and Richard III. Events in each episode allude to one or more Shakespeare plays and usually end with Will discussing the events with Anne and either being inspired or dissuaded from using them in a future work. Along with the many Shakespearean references (including the use of asides and soliloquies) there are also several references to the television shows Blackadder and The Office. There are running gags in many episodes: the casual sexism towards Kate's attempts to become an actress, Shakespeare's coach journeys between London and Stratford which refer to modern motorway and railway journey frustrations, Shakespeare (and in one episode Marlowe) demanding ale and pie from his servants or family, and Shakespeare frequently claiming credit for quotes that predate Elizabethan times (many of them now commonly misattributed to Shakespeare).

In June 2016 the BBC announced that a Christmas Special would be produced, and that a second series had been commissioned: this began broadcasting on 11 September 2017, followed by the Christmas special, on Christmas Day 2017.

In October 2017, after the second series had finished, the BBC commissioned a third series and a second Christmas special to air in 2018.

Video Upstart Crow

Series overview

Maps Upstart Crow

Cast

• David Mitchell as Will Shakespeare, aspiring playwright who wishes to overcome his humble origins. He commutes between his family's home in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, where he does most of his work. Recurring humour is drawn from parallels between Will's travels and frustration with modern day transportation.
• Liza Tarbuck as Anne Hathaway, wife of Will, an older and commoner woman.
• Paula Wilcox as Mary Arden, Shakespeare's mother, who looks down on Anne.
• Helen Monks as Susanna, daughter of Shakespeare and Anne. According to her mother, "a grumpy little bitchington."
• Harry Enfield as John Shakespeare, father of Will, formerly wealthy but less educated than his son. Will bases the Falstaff character on him.
• Gemma Whelan as Kate, daughter of Shakespeare's London landlord; she yearns to become an actress.
• Tim Downie as Kit Marlowe, playwright and spy. The series makes a recurring joke on the Marlovian theory of Shakespeare authorship, making Shakespeare the actual author of some of Marlowe's plays. Downie's portrayal resembles Lord Flashheart from Blackadder.
• Rob Rouse as Bottom, household servant of Shakespeare.
• Mark Heap as Robert Greene, Master of the Revels and author of Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit. Shakespeare's nemesis.
• Dominic Coleman as Henry Condell, actor, prominently of female roles.
• Steve Speirs as Richard Burbage, actor and leader of Will's acting company.
• Spencer Jones as William Kempe, comic actor; his portrayal is a parody of Ricky Gervais.
• Jocelyn Jee Esien as Lucy, pub landlady and former slave.

Guest stars

• Adrian Edmondson as Sergeant Dogberry
• Noel Fielding as Thomas Morley
• Peter Hamilton Dyer as Sir Francis Bacon
• Adam Harley as Lord Southampton, Shakespeare's "Fair Youth"
• Ben Miller as Wolf Hall
• Nigel Planer as Lord Egeus
• Dan Tetsell as the Earl of Oxford
• Emma Thompson as Queen Elizabeth

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Music

The theme music is a 17th-century English country dance tune called "Jamaica". This was first published in the 1670 4th Edition of John Playford's The Dancing Master, after Shakespeare's death.

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Reception

Upstart Crow was positively received by critics. It was described as a return to form for the writer, besides being a return to the historical sitcom genre that made Elton's name when he worked on Blackadder. The acting by David Mitchell and supporting cast including Harry Enfield, Liza Tarbuck and Mark Heap has also received praise.

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References

src: ichef.bbci.co.uk

External links

• Upstart Crow at BBC Programmes
• Upstart Crow at British Comedy Guide
• Upstart Crow on IMDb
• Upstart Crow at TV.com
• Upstart Crow at epguides.com
• Only snobbish, elitist Britain could say that Shakespeare didn't write his own plays Ben Elton on the show's historical background. Radio Times

Source of article : Wikipedia