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

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.

  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 1,173

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Series 3, Episode 2 - Wild Laughter In The Throat Of Death

Upstart Crow. Image shows from L to R: Marlowe (Tim Downie), Lucy (Jocelyn Jee Esien), Kate (Gemma Whelan). Copyright: BBC
Will has been working on his masterpiece. His friends tell him it's his greatest comedy yet, but he insists that Hamlet isn't actually meant to be funny.

Further details

Will Shakespeare has been working on his masterpiece. His friends tell him it's his greatest comedy yet, but Will insists that Hamlet isn't actually meant to be funny.

In the meantime Greene has hit on an ingenious new way to destroy Will's reputation by excluding him from his high-brow literary set, and Marlowe's reputation is in such a bad way that he could really do with being dead for a bit. Only Will's dad John is pleased because now that Will has bought him a coat of arms he is officially a gentleman, even if none of his behaviour is in any way gentlemanly.

Meanwhile the players need another box office smash and it looks like Hamlet is going to need a bit more thinking about. As luck would have it, Will does have an idea for a new comedy - but there's something not quite right about the title for Love's Labour's Licked.

Broadcast details

Date
Wednesday 5th September 2018
Time
8:30pm
Channel
BBC Two
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Tuesday 16th March 2021 11:50pm Gold
Monday 10th May 2021 10:35pm Gold
Tuesday 11th May 2021 1:15am Gold
Sunday 7th November 2021 2:45am Gold
Friday 15th April 2022 11:00pm Gold
Sunday 22nd May 2022 10:30pm Gold
Tuesday 8th November 2022 11:45pm Gold
Wednesday 9th November 2022 2:50am Gold
Sunday 13th August 2023 11:40pm Gold
Monday 14th August 2023 10:55pm Gold
Sunday 22nd October 2023 11:00pm Gold
Monday 23rd October 2023 2:00am Gold
Tuesday 14th November 2023 11:00pm Gold
Wednesday 15th November 2023 2:00am Gold

Cast & crew

Cast
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
Jocelyn Jee Esien Lucy
Rosanna Beacock Judith
Joe Willis Hamnet
Guest cast
Peter Hamilton-Dyer (as Peter Hamilton Dyer) Bacon
Dan Tetsell Oxford
Writing team
Ben Elton Writer
Production team
Richard Boden Director
Gareth Edwards Producer
Chris Sussman Executive Producer
Andy Bennions Line Producer
Jake Bernard Editor
Julian Fullalove Production Designer
Alex Beverly Production Designer
Catherine Willis Casting Director
Leah Archer Costume Designer
Vanessa White Make-up Designer
Martin Kempton Lighting Designer
Grant Olding Composer
Paul Mottram Composer
Kate Daughton Commissioning Editor

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