The Crown, season 3

Since I gravitate toward genre material or comedy, even I can’t fully understand why “The Crown” is one of my favorite shows. But it is.

The cast turned over in season three and somehow this group is even better than the cast from seasons one and two (that’s no snub; the original cast is fantastic).

Olivia Colman is remarkable as Queen Elizabeth. Colman is able to capture the range of Elizabeth’s emotions within the limitations of the Queen’s expected and allowed expressions (when she doesn’t cry you see how agonizing that is to her).

Tobias Menzies (Philip), Erin Doherty (Princess Anne), and Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret) are also great.

But the breakout star is Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles. He make you feel for Charles–a thoughtful and empathetic young man burdened with absurd expectations.