Nitrate

Upstart Crow

  • 2016–2018
  • 3 seasons
  • Comedy, Drama
  • 7.3

Comedy about the life and times of William Shakespeare as he starts to make a name for himself in London, whilst also trying to balance life as a husband and father for his family in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Episodes

It's 1592 and Will Shakespeare is at the beginning of his career. His early work is looked down on by the literary establishment, and he's not taken seriously at home. Follow the Bard's fictional early life and the rather surprising stories about where his best ideas came from.

6 episodes
  1. 1Star Crossed Lovers

    30 minMay 9, 2016

    Episode one sees Will struggle to find inspiration for Romeo while having to deal with an angry actor, a very annoying house-guest and his family’s not terribly helpful script suggestions.

  2. 2The Play's the Thing

    30 minMay 16, 2016

    Just when Will’s controversial new play is about to be presented to Queen Elizabeth, it goes missing. As the finger of suspicion points to his best friend Marlowe, can Will come up with a way to recover his stolen masterpiece? Given its politically sensitive content, is he really wise to want it back?

  3. 3The Apparel Proclaims The Man

    30 minMay 23, 2016

    Will hopes to move up in the world when he is invited to a high-society party hosted by Lord Southampton, but is unsure what a poorly-educated country boy should wear to one of London's most upmarket events. The playwright's rival Sir Robert Greene offers him some fashion tips, but is it a double bluff, a triple bluff, or something even more fiendish?

  4. 4Love is Not Love

    30 minMay 30, 2016

    Will has completed his final sonnet and senses literary immortality just around the corner. But will the fair youth and the dark lady like them as much as he hopes? And is Anne likely to be impressed that her husband’s 154 hot new love poems don’t contain much about her?

  5. 5What Bloody Man is That?

    30 minJun 6, 2016

    The plague leads Will and his friends to escape to the family home in Stratford. On the way, they meet three witches who have some surprising predictions to make about Will’s future, leading to a very serious case of house envy.

  6. 6The Quality of Mercy

    30 minJun 13, 2016

    When Will's savings go missing, he is forced to make an unusual bargain with his rival. Kate's frustration with the lack of roles for women leads her to make a dramatic intervention.

Where to watch Upstart Crow

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Availability from JustWatch, via TMDB. Full listing for United States

Series cast

David MitchellWill Shakespeare18 episodes
Liza TarbuckAnne Hathaway18 episodes
Helen MonksSusannah18 episodes
Gemma WhelanKate18 episodes
Rob RouseBottom18 episodes
Paula WilcoxMary Arden17 episodes
Harry EnfieldJohn Shakespeare17 episodes
Spencer JonesKempe17 episodes
Mark HeapSir Robert Greene17 episodes
Steve SpeirsBurbage17 episodes
Dominic ColemanCondell17 episodes
Tim DownieMarlowe17 episodes
Jocelyn Jee EsienLucy10 episodes
Rosanna BeacockJudith10 episodes
Joe WillisHamnet10 episodes
Tom EddenClerk2 episodes
Jake J. MenianiAntonio (uncredited)2 episodes
Alex GillisonRobert Greene's Guard2 episodes

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