| Upstart Crow | |
|---|---|
 Title screen, based on contemporary map art such as the Visscher panorama and John Norden's map of London. | |
| Genre | Sitcom Period piece |
| Written by | Ben Elton |
| Directed by | Matt Lipsey Richard Boden |
| Starring | David Mitchell Liza Tarbuck Rob Rouse Gemma Whelan Mark Heap |
| Composer | Grant Olding |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 21 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Myfanwy Moore |
| Producer | Gareth Edwards |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes (series), 40 minutes (Christmas specials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 9 May 2016 – 21 December 2020 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Upstart Crow is a British sitcom based on the life of William Shakespeare written by Ben Elton. The show premiered on 9 May 2016 on BBC Two[1] as part of the commemorations of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. Its title quotes "an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers", a critique of Shakespeare by his rival Robert Greene in the latter's Groats-Worth of Wit.[2]
The show is set from 1592 (the year of Greene's quotation) onwards. Shakespeare is played by David Mitchell; his wife, Anne Hathaway, is played by Liza Tarbuck; and Greene himself by Mark Heap.[3] Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, is played by Harry Enfield. The first series was directed by Matt Lipsey, with subsequent series being directed by Richard Boden.
- ^ "Upstart Crow". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 April 2016.[failed verification]
- ^ "David Mitchell to play Shakespeare in new BBC sitcom". RadioTimes. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ "David Mitchell to star as Shakespeare in new BBC Two sitcom by Ben Elton". BBC Media Centre. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2020.