"The Crown," which follows the life of England's Queen Elizabeth II, is one of the most popular series worldwide — as well as the most expensive Netflix series of all time. It became so influential that the British royal family has even pointed out the differences between the cinematic portrayal and real events. A fifth season is currently in the works.

US football coach Ted Lasso becomes the coach of a moderately successful English Premier League team soccer team, although he has no experience with the sport. Throughout the series, the American has to prove himself in the motherland of European soccer and win over skeptical players and fans. Apple TV+ series offers a feel-good comedy that plays with cultural differences.

Beth Harmon wants to become a world champion in a male dominated chess world of the 1950s. Growing up in an orphanage, she struggles with addiction to a mysterious pill, which creates problems while intensifying her obsession with the game. The Netflix miniseries was one of the streaming provider's biggest successes in 2020.

Oscar winner Olivia Colman has been playing Queen Elizabeth II since the third season of "The Crown." At the 73rd Emmy Awards, the British star was both delighted and surprised to receive the award for best leading actress in a drama series.

Colman wasn't the only person involved with "The Crown" to win big this year: Josh O'Connor shines as Prince Charles in the series. His talent was rewarded with the Emmy for best leading actor in a drama. The British up-and-coming star has also appeared in "Peaky Blinders," "God's Own Country" and the BBC miniseries "Les Misérables."

Jean Smart, star of the HBO series "Hacks," took home the award for best comedy lead actress. Rife with black humor, the HBO series focuses on the story between an ageing Las Vegas diva and a young comedy writer.

Jason Sudeikis picked up the award for best male lead in the comedy series "Ted Lasso." "This show's about families and mentors and teammates, and I wouldn't be here without those things in my life,'' he said while accepting the award.

The 12 acting Emmys for leading and supporting acting this year all went to white people, thus the sign of more equal rights for minorities that many had hoped for failed to materialize. Some exceptions were Debbie Allen who won the Governor's Award for her work with marginalized youths, and actor Michaela Coel who won for best screenplay in a miniseries ("I May Destroy You").

Two years ago, the ancient game, invented around 600 AD, experienced a revival thanks to the 2020 Netflix series "The Queen's Gambit" about Beth Harmon, an orphan who becomes an internationally successful chess player. Internet searches for chess rules exploded, while there were reported record sales of chess sets and beginner books.

Worldwide, restrictions during the COVID pandemic lured more people to the chess board. A welcome change of pace during lockdowns, people soon became hooked on the humble chess game. Most people play in private, much to the regret of the German Chess Federation, which would have liked to see more members in the clubs — where future professional competitors might be discovered.

Maybe like Garri Kasparov? He held the title of World Chess Champion from 1985 to 1993, after which he parted company with the World Chess Federation (FIDE) because of a dispute. The Soviet-born player officially ended his career in 2005, still at the top of the world rankings. He helped out behind the scenes in "The Queen's Gambit": He designed the games and acted as an advisor.

Although the series is largely set in the US, most scenes were shot in Canada and Germany. Berlin in particular served as a filming location due to its various backdrops. The orphanage where Beth grew up and learned chess was not located in Kentucky, but rather in the outskirts of the German capital. Filming also took place in the Friedrichstadt-Palast, the Bode Museum and the Altes Stadthaus.

Most of the cast couldn't play chess before filming began, so a hand double was desperately needed. However, leading actress Anya Taylor-Joy became an ardent chess fan during production — probably because she learned the game from one of the best chess players of all time.

The hand double for lead actress Anya Taylor-Joy, who played Beth Harmon, also lives in the German capital. Chess grandmaster Filiz Osmanodja (12 years old in this photo dated 2008) provided the right moves on the board in close-ups of the hands. The now 24-year-old had to learn 18 chess games by heart for the role she garnered via an invitation on Facebook.

The series was based on a novel under the same title. The book has also benefited from the series' success. Written by American author Walter Tevis, it made it onto the New York Times bestseller list 37 years after its original publication once more. Tevis, however, did not live to witness his book’s renaissance. He died of cancer in 1984 - one year after "The Queen's Gambit" was published.

Long before Netflix discovered "The Queen's Gambit," the late Heath Ledger had been planning a film based on the book. It would have marked the Australian actor's debut as director. An avid chess player himself, Ledger was fascinated by Tevis' novel. He had intended to cast Elliot Page for the role of Beth Harmon. Ledger died in 2008, before the project even took off.

The role of Benny Watts — Beth's competitor, mentor and lover — and Beth's rise to fame are both reminiscent of US chess prodigy Bobby Fischer's life. He defeated Russia's Boris Spassky in the 1972 "Match of the Century," effectively ending Soviet dominance in chess. It was perhaps the last time the game thrilled so many people worldwide — until now.

The title of the novel and series is based on a chess opening of the same name. The Queen’s Gambit is one of the oldest proven move combinations of its kind. It was mentioned in the late 15th century in the "Göttingen Manuscript" and is still played today by chess players worldwide. Beth Harmon also plays this opening in the series finale.