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'Fake history is fake news entrenched' (Nov 2020)

Does historical drama need to make more effort to be accurate?

In the UK there is currently much discussion over Series 4 of The Crown, which follows the lives of the UK Royal Family under the current Queen Elizabeth.

As the Netflix drama has moved towards the near-present, focusing on events from the 1980s, and in particular the relationship between Princess Diana and the Royal Family, there has been an outcry from royal supporters that this most recent series includes 'wild cruel distortions' (Royal biographer Penny Junor)  and stretches 'dramatic licence to the extreme' (Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter).

Other critics argue that it is 'reality hijacked as propaganda, and a cowardly abuse of artistic licence' (Simon Jenkins, The Guardian).

So does any of this matter as long as The Crown creates good drama and entertainment?

Read the attached article from The Guardian which raises interesting issues regarding the role of historical drama and fiction.

In particular discuss the extent you agree with Jenkins' assertions that:

  • There is a difference in how we can treat modern history and distant history
  • There cannot be one truth for historians, and journalists, their apprentice draftsmen, and another truth called artistic licence.
  • 'Fake history is fake news entrenched'

The Crown's fake history is as corrosive as fake news | Simon Jenkins (the Guardian)

The popular TV series about the royal family is reality hijacked as propaganda, and a cowardly abuse of artistic licence, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

The issues raised here are also covered in another TOK in the News page: Do we have a Hollywood view of History?

So you may want to revisit that page and discuss the questions that we have posed there on movies based on historical events.

Do we have a Hollywood view of History? (June 2018)

History is a great topic for movies and a great way for people to find out about historical events…or is it?

 

 

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