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    Netflix hit series “The Crown” taps its new and last queen

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1682 Views
    This combination photo shows actress Imelda Staunton on the red carpet for the movie "Downton Abbey" at the Rome Film Fest in Rome on Oct. 19, 2019, left, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London on May 17, 1996. Staunton has been tapped to be the last actress to play the British monarch in the Netflix series "The Crown." She will take the crown in the fifth and final season of the series. (AP Photo)

    By Mark Kennedy, Entertainment Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    "The Crown," Netflix's hit drama series about the British royal family, will end earlier than expected and has revealed its next and last queen.

    Show creator and showrunner Peter Morgan had said he expected to create six seasons, but now thinks five is the "perfect time and place to stop."

    Imelda Staunton has been tapped to be the last actress to play Queen Elizabeth II. She will take the crown in the fifth season from Olivia Colman, who, in turn, succeeded Claire Foy. "Imelda is an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor," Morgan said in a statement Friday.

    Staunton is an Olivier Award-winner whose films include "Vera Drake," "Nanny McPhee" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." She played Lady Maud Bagshaw in the "Downton Abbey" movie.

    "The Crown" has won a Golden Globe for best TV drama and both Foy and Colman have won best actress Globes in the royal role. Season three arrived on Netflix in December.

    Tags:Imelda StauntonNetflixPeter MorganThe Crown



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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