Kenneth Branagh Channels Boris Johnson in 'This England'

This England, with all six episodes arriving on BritBox to kick off November 2023, is a bit of a trainwreck, just like Boris Johnson’s government which failed the English people so badly in the COVID-19 crisis of 2020. You have to wonder why co-director/co-writer Michael Winterbottom (The Look of Love) made the choices he did; why, with six episodes to play with, he rushed to the finish line and omitted Partygate and the subsequent disgrace of Boris Johnson and the rest.

Queen Elizabeth II: “I hope in years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.”

This England is not easy viewing, and warning, there are some wrenching scenes of despair and loss. Why did Winterbottom think now was the time to revisit the worst of COVID? It’s too much, too recent, and, as we are all aware, COVID has not magically disappeared. Under Johnson’s leadership, Britain experienced more COVID deaths than any country in Europe, and suffered the worst financial loss of the G7 nations.