Upstart Crow

Comedy about the life and times of William Shakespeare as he starts to make a name for himself in London, whilst also trying to balance life as a husband and father for his family in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Upstart Crow (2016-2018) is a British period sitcom created by Ben Elton for BBC Two. David Mitchell plays William Shakespeare, a rising playwright in Elizabethan London who is trying to make a name for himself while still being a husband and father back home in Stratford-upon-Avon. Liza Tarbuck plays his wife Anne Hathaway, a sharp and unimpressed partner who keeps his feet on the ground, while Paula Wilcox and Harry Enfield add comic friction as his mother Mary Arden and father John Shakespeare. The engine of the show is the gap between Will's ambitions and his domestic obligations, with each half hour built from rival playwrights, theatre company politics, money worries, and household squabbles. Across three seasons of six episodes each, it stays a light, self-contained comedy with recurring characters rather than a continuing plot. The tone is breezy and satirical, poking fun at literary pretension and the theatre world with anachronistic wit and mock-earnest bawdiness. Fans of Blackadder, Horrible Histories, and The Vicar of Dibley will find a similar mix of period costume farce, cheeky wordplay, and warm domestic comedy.

Audiences broadly rate the series positively as a light, witty historical sitcom, with ratings gently easing across its three seasons.

• Blackadderwitty historical sitcom satirizing a famous figure, period costume farce, anachronistic humor
• The Vicar of Dibleybritish sitcom with mild satire, domestic family comedy, cringe comedy tones
• Horrible Historiesperiod romp with bawdy wit and clever dialogue about historical figures

Created by

Ben Elton

Release Date

2016-05-09

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

7.7 / 10 (57)

What is Upstart Crow about?

A bawdy British sitcom imagining William Shakespeare juggling his rising theatre career in London with a turbulent family life in Stratford-upon-Avon.

What is Upstart Crow like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Upstart Crow as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Upstart Crow violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Upstart Crow.

What did critics think of Upstart Crow?

Audiences broadly rate the series positively as a light, witty historical sitcom, with ratings gently easing across its three seasons.

Which shows are like Upstart Crow?

Shows with a similar feel include Blackadder, The Vicar of Dibley, and Horrible Histories.

How long is Upstart Crow?

Upstart Crow: 3 seasons, 18 episodes.

Is Upstart Crow still running?

No, Upstart Crow was canceled.

Where can I watch Upstart Crow?

In United States, Upstart Crow streams on Britbox Apple TV channel, BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel, Wonder Project Amazon Channel.