‘Doctor Who’ alum Matt Smith, John Lithgow sign on for Netflix’s ‘The Crown’

Netflix loves prestige projects these days, and with that there is no better example than their upcoming “The Crown.” This series will revolve around the story of Queen Elizabeth II, with Claire Foy of “Wolf Hall” fame playing the part of Her Majesty. We know that there are many other royal family stories out there, but this one does carry with it some impressive names. For one, Peter Morgan of “The Queen” is one of the creative giants behind the ten-episode production.

Now, the streaming service has announced a number of other key castings. For example, “Doctor Who” alum Matt Smith is going to be playing Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh; meanwhile, John Lithgow of “3rd Rock from the Sun” and “Dexter” fame will be the part of Sir Winston Churchill. With a cast like that, this is definitely a drama series worth remembering. (Then again, we’d watch Lithgow and Smith do a production of a school play written by a four-year old. Both have that kind of instant magnetism.

We will have a little more news on “The Crown” as it comes out, but it is joining an extremely robust Netflix lineup. Sure, you know about “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black,” but you’ve also got “Longmire,” a new “Arrested Development,” comedy specials, and then some other new series like “Between” and “Sense8.” Few other providers are giving you as much in the way of bold new content these days, and we’re happy that Netflix is taking the risks.

As for Smith, we’re just thrilled to see him on TV again.

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