Upstart Crow - BBC2 Sitcom - British Comedy Guide

TV sitcom
BBC Two
2016 - 2020
21 episodes (3 series)

Sitcom about the life of jobbing playwright William Shakespeare, struggling to find inspiration in Tudor London. Also features David Mitchell, Rob Rouse, Gemma Whelan, Liza Tarbuck, Harry Enfield and more.

Streaming rank this week: 1,100

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Upstart Crow. Will Shakespeare (David Mitchell). Copyright: BBC

Genre

Sitcom

Broadcast

2016 - 2020

Channel

BBC Two

Episodes

21 (3 series)

Stars

David Mitchell, Rob Rouse, Gemma Whelan, Liza Tarbuck, Harry Enfield, Paula Wilcox, Helen Monks, Steve Speirs and more

Writer

Ben Elton

Directors

Matt Lipsey and Richard Boden

Producers

Gareth Edwards, Myfanwy Moore and Chris Sussman

Company

BBC Studios

It's 1592 and Will Shakespeare is just at the beginning of his extraordinary career. The series focuses on both Will's family and professional life and include the surprising stories of where many of his ideas came from.

Also featured are his wife Anne and his extended family, his servant Bottom, his friends Kate and Marlowe, his theatrical troupe, and his rival Robert Greene.

In the series, Will finds inspiration for Romeo from an unlikely source; mislays a nearly treasonous masterpiece; gets tricked into a very embarrassing pair of tights; has a spot of bother with the wife over some sonnets; meets three witches who predict great things for him; and borrows some money on some rather unusual conditions.