It portrayed the end of the sixties and the early seventies as a time of rampant republicanism which - although young at the time - I really don't remember. Yes, there were the occasional rent-a-quotes from anti-monarchist MP Willie Hamilton, who became famous for his views on the subject but this wasn't something I remember of the time. The population seemed more concerned with power cuts and industrial unrest between the government and the miners.
I think that Channel 4 are being quite brave with this series in choosing actors and actresses to communicate what was going on, rather than becoming obsessed with them looking exactly like the characters portrayed. Samantha Bond (normally thought of these days as Miss Moneypenny!) did bear more than a passing resemblance to HRH of the time but the actors playing Wilson and Heath were plainly there to communicate the respective PMs' roles rather than to do an impression. It worked.
I'm not at all convinced by the scenes of HRH turning to brush away a tear. I'm not saying she doesn't cry but I very much doubt she'd do it in the presence of a Civil Servant or a politician!
Looking forward to tonight's portrayal by Susan Jameson.
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