JONATHAN PRYCE

LOS ANGELES — (AP) — When "The Crown" returns Wednesday after a two-year absence, the splintering marriage of Charles and Diana and more woes for Queen Elizabeth II are in the drama's elegant but intrusive spotlight. The death of Queen Elizabeth, 96, in September adds an uneasy dimension: We speculate freely about the famous before and after they're gone, but is more owed a country's beloved and longest-serving monarch? Among the prominent critics is Judi Dench, an Oscar-winner for her role as Elizabeth I in "Shakespeare in Love." It's a demand that Netflix has heard before and continues to resist, framing the series as drama inspired by historical events. “I'm looking forward to King Charles' reign, and seeing what he can do to change things.”Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

“The Crown” returns Wednesday after a two-year absence from Netflix.

When “The Crown” returns Wednesday after a two-year absence, the splintering marriage of Charles and Diana and more woes for Queen Elizabeth II are in the drama’s elegant but intrusive spotlight. There’s swirling off-stage drama as well for the Netflix series that began with Elizabeth’s marriage in the late 1940s and, in its fifth season, takes on the British royal family’s turbulent 1990s. The death of Queen Elizabeth, 96, in September adds an uneasy dimension: We speculate freely about the famous before and after they're gone, but is more owed a country’s beloved and longest-serving monarch?

This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Babyface, Arctic Monkeys and a Taylor Swift original, a documentary about the last known ship to bring African captives to the American South for enslavement and “Doc Martin” gets a proper farewell on Acorn TV.

“The Crown” will return to its Netflix throne in early November.

An intimate, sold-out production of “Cabaret” was the big winner at British theater's Olivier Awards.

Queen Elizabeth II has used her birthday honors list to celebrate those at the forefront of the U.K.’s rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines over the past few months, which has been credited with turning around the country’s pandemic response.