Upstart Crow
- 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: 1,350
Episode menu
Series 1, Episode 5 - What Bloody Man Is That?
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 6th June 2016
- Time
- 10pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
| David Mitchell | Will Shakespeare |
| Rob Rouse | Bottom |
| Gemma Whelan | Kate |
| Liza Tarbuck | Anne Hathaway |
| Harry Enfield | John Shakespeare |
| Paula Wilcox | Mary Arden |
| Helen Monks | Susanna |
| Steve Speirs | Burbage |
| Tim Downie | Marlowe |
| Dominic Coleman | Condell |
| Mark Heap | Sir Robert Greene |
| Spencer Jones | Kempe |
| Mina Anwar | Weird Sister |
| Sarah Finigan | Weird Sister |
| Christine Ozanne | Weird Sister |
| Jonathan Watson | MacBuff |
| Geoffrey McGivern | Sir Thomas |
| Tom Edden | Servant |
| Ben Elton | Writer |
| Matt Lipsey | Director |
| Gareth Edwards | Producer |
| Myfanwy Moore | Executive Producer |
| Jake Bernard | Editor |
| Julian Fullalove | Production Designer |
| Grant Olding | Composer |
Video
A deathly plot at bedtime
Anne wonders if Will might be up for a spot of murder.
Featuring: David Mitchell (Will Shakespeare) & Liza Tarbuck (Anne Hathaway).
Press
Review: Upstart Crow, episode 5
I couldn't see a co-writing credit alongside Ben Elton's name for William Shakespeare, but as anyone with a basic grasp of English literature will spot this week's episode is a comical rewrite of Macbeth. And a pretty nifty one, with David Mitchell as the bard convinced that he has committed murder at the behest of his scheming wife so that they can move to the big house in Stratford before prices rise out of reach.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 6th June 2016Blackadder character to appear in Upstart Crow
We won't ruin the surprise by telling you who it is, but we can say that the person playing the character is the same performer who acted the part way back in early 1986, more than 30 years ago and is something of a fan favourite.
Ben Dowell, Radio Times, 6th June 2016