'The Crown': four more seasons of the Netflix hit are looking seriously likely

At this month's Golden Globes, 'The Crown' picked up two major awards – best actress for Claire Foy and best drama series overall. So it's not surprising that when Time Out spoke last week to the series's producer, Stephen Daldry, he was predicting a long future for the Netflix show about the royal family.

'We're in the middle of negotiations right now,' Daldry told Time Out when asked whether the world can expect many more episodes of 'The Crown'.

We already know that there will be a second season later this year – they're shooting it now – but Daldry is already looking forward to the three seasons that will follow.

'We're negotiating seasons three, four and five with Netflix even as we speak. I'm very excited about getting on to Harold Wilson [the British Prime Minister] and the 1960s. The show is a huge gift to a history freak like me.'

So, by our calculations, 'The Crown' could be with us at least until 2020 – assuming they make one series a year – and possibly way beyond that. Season one only managed to cover about five years of the Queen's life, and the show was pitched to Netflix by Daldry and writer Peter Morgan as running for ten seasons.

It might seem distasteful, but that does raise an inevitable question: will the Queen, currently 90 years old, even be alive by the time the series ends? And might 'The Crown' have the most natural end-point imaginable? Her funeral.

More entertainment news:

✚ Tom Hardy is a bit of an animal in his new BBC show 'Taboo'
✚ George RR Martin thinks you'll get to read the next 'Game of Thrones' book this year
✚ Fans sob after watching what could be the final 'Sherlock' episode ever