The Windsors

The Windsors
Genre Soap opera/parody
Written by George Jeffrie
Bert Tyler-Moore
Directed by Adam Miller
Starring Harry Enfield
Haydn Gwynne
Hugh Skinner
Composer(s) Ian Masterson
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 1
No. of episodes 6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Robert Wulff-Cochrane
Camilla Campbell
Producer(s) Izzy Mant
Running time 23–25 minutes
Production company(s) Noho Film and TV
Release
Original network Channel 4 (HD)
Picture format 16:9 (1080i HDTV)
Audio format Stereo
Original release 6 May 2016 (2016-05-06) – present

The Windsors is a British soap opera and parody of the British Royal Family, the House of Windsor, shown on Channel 4, starting in April 2016 and starring Harry Enfield, Haydn Gwynne, Katy Wix, Hugh Skinner, Louise Ford, Morgana Robinson, Richard Goulding, and Ellie White.[1]

Written by the co-creators of Star Stories, Bert Tyler-Moore and George Jeffrie, The Windsors puts the British Royal Family into the comedy spotlight in the form of the soap opera of what their lives and loves might just be like. The series has been criticised for such storylines as Kate Middleton catching ebola and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice getting radicalised. "The Windsors was rude, crude — and a real blast of punk comedy", said The Daily Telegraph after the first episode.[2]

Series overview

The Windsors tells the story of the much-loved British Royal family but re-imagined through the lens of a soap opera. Although the stories are completely fictional, they are inspired by real events.[3]

Taking their cue from tabloid tittle-tattle and caricature, Camilla becomes a cartoon villain who is hell-bent on becoming Queen, while Pippa Middleton, played by 33-year old Robinson, is catty and highly envious of her older sister. "I honed my Pippa skills through the medium of boarding school; I channelled all the girls I went to school with and basically put them all into one character," says Robinson who also appears in comedies House of Fools and Toast of London. "There's only one interview I've seen and she's very nervous – so much lovelier and very sweet compared to my version of her." Prince Andrew is a failure; his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie are, according to Tyler Moore, "slightly dim girls", and the Queen and Prince Philip are physically absent but frequently mentioned by the other characters.[4]

Kate Middleton is portrayed as a gypsy traveller who doesn't fit in but wants to whilst her sister Pippa is portrayed as a jealous attention seeker who sleeps with Harry and tries to seduce William as well. Husband Prince William is a well meaning character and probably the most normal. Prince Harry, who enjoys partying and is very naive and illiterate, loves Pippa Middleton's bum. Edward is an alcoholic. Prince Charles, a lover of his Royal Dutchy biscuits, is said to be the most realistic of the impressions and characters in the show. Princess Beatrice and Eugenie (played by Ellie White and Celeste Dring respectively), are a couple of useless rich Sloanes searching for purpose in life, in the fringes of the family. Until they get radicalised, that is.[5]

Channel 4 described the show, in a statement: “The series is a wry take on what the soap opera of their lives (and loves) might just be like. Delving behind the headlines and gossip columns, The Windsors lets our imaginations run riot in this ludicrous parody. "Imagine, who really controls the sceptre in Charles and Camilla’s marriage? What do the Royals really think of Kate? Does Wills really want to be King? Will Harry ever take Pippa up the aisle or will they end on a bum note? And what do Beatrice and Eugenie actually do for a living?" C4’s head of comedy Phil Clarke added: “In The Windsors, our much-loved Royal family is re-imagined through the lens of a soap opera, and although the stories are completely fictional, some are inspired by real events. As a result, writers Bert and George have outdone even the funniest, most ludicrous issue of Hello! magazine ever.”[6]

Reception

The first episode of the series had mixed reviews.

The Guardian was more favourable when it said "High-brow humour this is not. But, despite a number of cast and crew comparing the show to Spitting Image, The Windsors doesn’t feel like satire: more a comic drama that makes the odd comment about monarchy."[7]

"The Windsors was low-budget, crude and rude. But it was all done with such cacophonous relish that resistance was useless. There’s not much of this kind of punk comedy around on television at the moment, where deep, mordant, The Office-style irony has long been the dominant mode. But who doesn’t like a little mischief? You can be a fan of Beethoven and the Buzzcocks too."[8]

"A pitiful ‘parody’ of life down Buck House way!. If you were writing a sitcom about the Royal Family, would you have Harry coming over as a bit thick, Fergie being rather attention-seeking and Camilla as a cartoon villain? Of course you wouldn’t, as that would be way too obvious; though maybe you could go down that road and put a spin on it somehow? Not Jeffrie and Tyler-Moore as they do the obvious and a whole lot less, such as making Edward out to be a lost soul with an empty diary, having William as a square-jawed helicopter hero and Pippa enjoying people constantly gazing at her ‘fantastic arse’. And most incredibly of all, the Duke of Edinburgh is, wait for it, a little bit racist. It’s certainly gratifying to see some upcoming Fringe comedy acts landing parts, such as Ellie White and Celeste Dring as the all-too predictably shallow Beatrice and Eugenie while Katy Wix has a blast as their tragically pitiable mum. But, sadly, all the talent on show are let down by a woefully predictable and utterly laugh-free script. Off with their heads!"[9]

Its content was criticised: "The new series, which stars Harry Enfield as Prince Charles, will air on Channel 4 in May and is already causing outrage among royalists over its explicit and ‘offensive’ comedy. Details about the show were revealed in The Sun today and storylines will include Kate Middleton catching Ebola, Prince Harry sleeping with Pippa Middleton and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall falling pregnant, aged 68. Other 'jokes' in the series will include Kate Middleton being tricked into wearing a one-legged pirate costume to an amputee war veterans event and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice planning to escape to Syria and wearing burkas. The controversial plots have been defended by the writers, who say the show’s tone is "plainly silly" and "ridiculous". Prince Philip and The Queen will not appear in the series, except in explicit emails and letters to the rest of the family. Alongside Harry Enfield, the rest of the cast includes Haydn Gwynne (Drop the Dead Donkey) as Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall. Hugh Skinner (W1A) is heralded as Prince 'Wills' William, Duke of Cambridge with Louise Ford (Crashing) his Queen consort-in-waiting, 'Kate', the Duchess of Cambridge. Morgana Robinson (The Morgana Show) will star as Kate's sister, Pippa and Richard Goulding (Fresh Meat) takes his place fifth in line to the throne as Prince Harry.[10]

Cast

Episodes

No. Title Original air date Viewers
(millions)
1"Episode One"6 May 20162.37
Charles tries to keep his family in order, but Wills wants to mingle with the people and work as an air ambulance pilot. Beatrice and Eugenie plan to start a business demonstrating make-up on social media. Kate volunteers to help Harry with his fancy dress charity ball, but makes a disastrous faux pas when she is persuaded by Camilla to wear a Long John Silver oufit.
2"Episode Two"6 May 20161.56
Kate and Wills visit a centre for asylum seekers but Kate contracts ebola and is hospitalized. Fergie thinks her two daughters have been radicalised and Harry starts developing feelings for Pippa, after she flirts with him at home alone using her bum.
3"Episode Three"13 May 20161.52
Charles finds out that he fathered a son by one of The Three Degrees during the 1970s. William and Kate move to a semi-detached house in Rickmansworth.
4"Episode Four"20 May 20161.82
Kate meets Archbishop Justin Welby, they get on almost too well and share a kiss. Wills wants to modernise the Royal Variety Show, while Harry goes on a bender when he learns that Pippa is getting married. Beatrice tries to solve her money problems by getting a job, and Camilla's plans suffer a setback.
5"Episode Five"27 May 20161.42
William calls for a referendum on the abolition of the monarchy.
6"Episode Six"3 June 20161.56
The Windsors deal with the outcome of the referendum; Wills and Kate plan to renew their vows; Camilla has a plan.

References

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