Netflix’ portrayal of Wales in the Crown is a lesson for the BBC

Good that at least the portrayal of Wales is at least fairly representative of the times in which the series is set, but does rather posit some rather large questions as to why it has been left to a multinational based in California, USA to do it. Don't get me wrong, it's excellent news that such attention to detail is present in the series, but don't you think it's somewhat odd that this foreign made TV series is getting the accolades for doing this? If nothing else, this series should be making us question why our country doesn't have any kind of home produced profile in terms of film/television. It's not that we can't deliver the goods, there are TV series and films that have been made in Wales that are seen once and then disappear into an archive somewhere, rarely to be seen again by the general public anywhere, Why is it when a country such as Iceland can manage to have an online streaming presence, delivering to the world the opportunity to see Icelandic films and TV programmes? Iceland has a population barely larger than that of Cardiff, therefore Wales is a country ten times bigger, but yet without any kind of streaming service showcasing series such as Yr Heliwr, Craith, Y Gwyll or Bang. FIlms such as Solomon a Gaenor, Gadael Lenin, Un Nos Ola Leuad or my personal favourite Gwenoliaid remain unavailable to Welsh people, let alone a wider international audience who would pay to see this output, especially if prompted to wish to know more about Wales by the apparently excellent portrayal of the country in this Netflix series. Dylan Wyn Williams also misses something that should also give us pause for thought: would those fictionalised scenes of Tedi Milward and Carlo have been so detailed, not to say somewhat politically charged were this series to be made primarily for UK consumption with money coming from, say, the BBC? It's not as if we can't say there isn't self-censorship going on when touchy subjects are broached. Granted, things are getting better, and even S4C commissioned and broadcast a documentary about Caradoc Evans some years ago, which probably didn't please the deacons one bit, and yes, The Prince and the Bomber was an excellent docu-drama, but where can these be accessed so that they are constantly available to educate, inform and entertain? A couple of years ago we witnessed a the total farce of someone warned over breach of copyright because they intended uploading the entire series of 'The Dragon has Two Tongues' the iconic, (an overused word it ever there was one, but in this case accurate) TV history series to YouTube so that the current generation of Welsh people would have access to at least one interpretation of their own history, which politicians can't even agree whether or not should be taught in the nation's schools. The Dragon has Two Tongues is still not available to watch online, though of course if someone wants to trundle up to Aberystwyth they are free to watch it at the Llyfrgell Genedlaethol... But, really, how many people do want to trundle up to Aberystwyth to do that? To be fair though, it's not as if we, as Welsh people seem to be that bothered on the whole. The Llyfrgell Genedlaethol YouTube channel is a bit threadbare, with very little content, and the Wales in the Movies YouTube channel only has just over 2,500 subscribers and new content hasn't been posted in the past six months. Perhaps both channels have a paucity of content due to the national apathy towards the moving image portrayal of our nation? But top marks to the producers of The Crown for at least making an effort and avoiding the use of lazy stereotype, and actually promoting Wales. Hopefully this will serve as a cic yn y din to TV production in Wales, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

It is charming a foreign company grants Cymru recognition. But are you so naïve to think that the BBC, when HM Government casts an ever greater shadow upon it as we pass through the gates of the valley of Brexit, will ever grant such mercies in kind as Russian ideas are unleashed upon the British population? Hold on. Survive the darkness that comes. Your Mab Darogan is coming, it is just that he has been and will be preceeded by many prophets.

BBC productions are aimed at an audience residing mainly in England, and they have to take care to avoid upsetting the more Cymrophobic elements. [Wikipedia:--- Recent examples of anti-Welsh sentiment in the media include the journalist A. A. Gill (born in Scotland to English parents) who in the Sunday Times in 1997 described the Welsh as "loquacious, dissemblers, immoral liars, stunted, bigoted, dark, ugly, pugnacious little trolls."[17] The English writer A. N. Wilson said: "The Welsh have never made any significant contribution to any branch of knowledge, culture or entertainment. They have no architecture, no gastronomic tradition, no literature worthy of the name." (Evening Standard, 1993)[18] In 2000, a cross-party group of Members of the National Assembly of Wales, representing all four political parties in the Assembly, called for an end to what they termed "persistent anti-Welsh racism" in the UK media.[19] ] In contrast Netflix, with a world wide audience, appears to make a genuine effort to portray minor cultures fairly, and I was impressed by Llio Milward's account of this. Things will not change until we take responsibility for broadcasting in Wales.

Yes Netflix portrayed Wales in a relatively good light but the overal theme is still there - the investiture. We want no more of them. No more English prince of Wales thank you.

Just to say that The Prince and the Bomber will be repeated over the Xmas period so will go back onto iPlayer for 30 days.

Netflix Carlo propaganda and as far as 'Cymraeg' is concerned nothing changed since Caerwys Eisteddfod, 1715 and 1745, so on. If you really want to be a 'NATIONALIST' forget the Crachach Cultural Crap as we know where that leads to Bradwr Dafydd Iwan. Gethin.