Reviews For Elizabeth the First

I was excited to start this podcast but unfortunately it’s just put together poorly. It’s choppy and very repetitive. Listening because it’s a great story but not sure I will finish all the episodes.

Having grown up watching stars of this era, this is so interesting to hear the true story. Thank you, Katy Perry, for bringing this to us. She was much more complex and amazing than the tabloids ever made her out to be!!

I want to LOVE LOVE this show but I found myself skipping ahead every time I hear the narrator…Katy Perry…speak. She does not add anything to this, especially when you hear the clips of Elizabeth. They should remake this and edit out Katy. Just let Elizabeth speak for Elizabeth!!!!

Throughly enjoyed this podcast. Combining interviews and quotes from Elizabeth’s friends, family, staff and Elizabeth herself I thought this was a focused, interesting well put together podcast. I liked the idea of looking at Elizabeth’s life through the lens of an influencer. This was not by any means an in-depth analysis of her career and life but nonetheless entertaining. Yes Katie Parry gets a bit gushy but she obviously respects and loves Elizabeth- who doesn’t.

I was totally on board with this podcast until I heard Katy Perry’s voice. Ugh. Hard pass. Elizabeth Taylor was and still is an icon. I don’t need KP to sell this as hard as she’s trying. The narration is pretty laughable.

A definite NO. Overtly saccharine, and far too solicitous. Katy Perry is bordering on worshiping Elizabeth Taylor. Yes, Elizabeth was beautiful and at most an average actress. Her best work was her AIDS foundation. Come on Katy, Elizabeth Taylor was human like the rest of us, flaws & all.

It’s so calming to hear about all of the positive messages that Taylor promoted through not only her words, but also her actions. Thanks to all the individuals that made this series possible! Gratitude!

This should have been a five episode podcast. Too much repitition about the damned jewelry (we get it already…), about her ‘brand’, and ‘influence’. This needs to be cut down to the specifics and get rid of most of the rambling interviews. This should have been a better show.

Other reviewers have commented on ‘cringiness’ of use of ‘influencer’ title, and while I understand that sentiment, have to say I disagree. This podcast shows how much more Elizabeth Taylor was SO MUCH more than anyone we’d assign that job title to currently. I had no idea, as much of her career predated me, although I recall bits and pieces of her before she died. This was an amazing podcast, lightly narrated by Katie Perry, highly relying on interviews and clips by those that knew her. Would suggest everyone ignore the ratings and give a listen to decide for themselves. Personally speaking, so illuminating, and a fantastic listen!!!!

The real Elizabeth I life story is way more interesting and I recommend it over this garbage

A beautifully produced podcast showcasing moments from Elizabeth’s life through her own words and the words of those in her life. If you are in any way a fan of Elizabeth and the amazing woman she was, I highly recommend giving this a listen!

I genuinely enjoyed this podcast about Elizabeth Taylor, she was an incredibly inspiring woman and I’m glad someone told her story, because it’s definitely something to be in awe of. Also I thought Katy Perry was a weird choice at first for narration but I think it turned out perfect. She has a nice voice to listen to and good delivery. I would listen to more stuff narrated by her.

I’m not crazy about Katy Perry, but she GOES THERE with Episode 6 (“War”). On behalf of all of us who lost loved ones in the dark years of Reagan-Bush: the passion and precision of this episode is right on. Thanks, Katy.

This is a lovely podcast but irritating. Katie Perry insists on referring to Elizabeth Perry as an influencer and it’s very cringey. She mentions influencer multiple times in each episode, shoving it down your throat. Wish someone else has narrated it.

Unnecessary to have Katy Perry as a part of this. Please work with experienced podcast hosts Vs celebrities to boost the podcast - we would have found this series without a celebrity presence. I found this podcast to be ok, could be even better.

This podcast has been so inspirational to me. It coincides with discovering the AIDS memorial page on Instagram. Through them both I have been processing that crisis that I somehow managed to escape but nevertheless changed me forever. I am so grateful to be able to gain greater insight into Elizabeth and her amazing life.

This podcast struggles and unfortunately succeeds (for people under 30) in making one of the most fascinating, outsized, controversial characters of the 20th century into a vapid self-promoter, surrounded by lackeys. Elizabeth Taylor, according to this, sat around all day ordering her flunkies to get her more public attention. Actually, she LIVED. She didn’t have to court media attention like a Kim Kardashian. She had accomplishments, some great, some tawdry and outrageous, but the public chased her, not the other way around. Also, she wasn’t universally beloved as this podcast implies. She was astonishingly beautiful and talented, and also a sexual predator - or should I say a husband predator (other people’s husbands). She won numerous acting, and later humanitarian awards, lived ostentatiously, and gave the finger to society. This weak series (as much as I could manage to listen) portrays her as a benevolent ruler of a corporation whose goal was to keep herself in the public eye. Katie Perry tried to turn Taylor into another boring Instagram publicity hound. After her film and stage career ended, Taylor raised money for HIV research. She did develop and promote a perfume under the Revlon brand after a while. (Probably gave proceeds to her foundation, I dunno.) The premise and content of this is podcast very strained, trying unsuccessfully to fit Taylor into a bland, pedestrian celebrity seeker. I hope someone comes along and does a serious podcast on Taylor’s life. It could be very exciting. This project deserves to go to a landfill.

Podcast was long and boring. On the positive side, KP does have a very pleasant voice.

Katy Perry. thank you so much for bringing us Elizabeth Taylor! I am enjoying this series so much! She was such an amazing woman but I hadn’t realized how amazing. She really was incredible and her work with AIDS really changed lives. Thank you! Susan

A very interesting commentary on the definition of influencer to its true roots, plus tons of fun stories and amazing behind the scenes about Elizabeth from another modern icon Katy Perry!

All of the content that was gathered from Elizabeth Taylors real life friends and associates is wonderful. Really poignant and illustrative of who Elizabeth was and her legacy of empathy, luxury and survival. However, (while i like Katy Perry generally) , all of Katy’s dialogue is abysmal and totally unnecessary. Drawing dumb conclusions and bringing it back to Katy herself when she has no role in Elizabeth’a story. This podcast should be re-edited to remove all of Katy’s dialogue or they should rewrite her narration and recut it. At this point, I’m nearly through episode 6 and her elation at getting to refer to Elizabeth’s “Roar” was too much for me to handle. I have never written a review on apple before. I am not attempting anything other than to beg the creator to fix the horrific dichotomy between the two parts of the podcast.

Katy, thank you for reminding the world of Elizabeth, her life, lives, fights, struggles and bravery. One note, man that lived through the 80s. Great stories and commentary. Bad AD placement. We hear the tragedy, then we hear that we can buy diamonds. Maybe moves things around. Or get specific ad placement for such topics. Love your insight and narrative.

I’m probably not the demographic this is intended ( I actually have an attention span) - but this was good for those who have no clue who Elizabeth Taylor is. Again, maybe not for us older people - this is definitely one for the “millennials” as it is spoken by one in their language. “brand” “influencer” and etc. Nothing against the amazing Elizabeth Taylor- but she was not the first. Wallis Simpson, Jackie Kennedy, Barbara Paley - to name only 3 - major influencers before Elizabeth Taylor. Katy - I love you girl but I felt nothing from you. No love. No energy. You phoned it in. Good. Not great.

I was and am already a huge Liz Taylor fan. Although most of this information I already knew, this podcast gives you a first hand experience of her life with many of the stories told by Elizabeth herself. If you already loved Liz this podcast will make you love her more.

This podcast is well executed and produced. I love the overlay of Elizabeth Taylor’s voice to narrate her story. Katy Perry has a good voice for narration as well. I know that Elizabeth Taylor is super known for her jewelry but I find that the podcast just talks about it over and over and over again. I found it a bit dull and boring after the 2nd episode. Also, I don’t like that this podcast makes it seem like Liz Taylor was a god. It just seems too overly positive and ignores the nuances of her actual self. Honestly, after the 2nd episode I lost all interest. It was boring and repetitive.

This is AMAZING. INCREDIBLE. I am changed by listening to this podcast

I agree with the many other comments that the hyper focus on “first influencer” is unnecessary. They can SHOW-not-TELL us about that if they want to, but it’s clear that this is self-promotion rather than a nuanced and in depth look at someone who is a genuinely important and interesting cultural figure. Interview clips go on for too long unedited and there are very big gaps in the story and details. This script needed a serious workshopping before going to production.

So great and fun to listen to! Can’t wait to listen to them all. She is such an icon!

This podcast started off great, but now on ep 4 and really don’t understand why so much of this story ties to being the original ‘influencer’ and her ‘brand’. Bleh.

I’d rate this podcast a 3.5 overall after only listening to the first two episodes. If you are a fan of Elizabeth Taylor this is a very interesting podcast that looks at her life in an interesting way. I enjoy the fact that they integrate her own words into the podcast so Taylor feels present in telling her own story. I do wish that they would stop reiterating that she was the first influencer and that she was a star. To me this seems redundant and pretty self explanatory. Regardless its a fun listen and I am looking forward to the book that this podcast was crafted to promote.

A lot of time is spent on the build up, but then leaves out major details. Such as Elizabeth buying her mom a brooch on layaway. It cost $25 in the 40s,Narrator goes on to say it was sold at an auction for $75,000. Yet they never tell you what the brooch made out of? Its never described it at all. Gold, Rubies, cheapo rhinestones? I almost didn’t make it past the opening drivel about influencers and somehow making that into a thesis. Wordy but not specific. Did she have siblings? Where did she ride her horse in LA?It’s never explained.

Great podcast/ but just use ads like other great podcasts. I won’t listen to the fourth.

I’ve not really looked deeply in Elizabeth Taylor’s life, as I have other actresses from her era. But I’m loving this podcast; particularly as it compares her choices to those of influencers of today. I find particular relevance in hearing Katy Perry’s take on Elizabeth’s fame and how it affected her life. Katy knows whereof she speaks, having experienced the power and isolation of fame. Can’t wait for the next episode - kinda wish I’d waited till they all came out so I could just binge them all!

There’s so much about influencer culture and Liz Taylor at the end of her career that I couldn’t get into this as the beginning of a story. Moving on.

I hope producers don’t take disparaging comments from younger generations too seriously. For me, Taylor was this older bad actress, often crude, drunk and ostentatious. This podcast recreates the beauty that Taylor understood as an artist. NOW I get her. My past Taylor experience was a gross cognitive dissonance. Myself, having struggled so hard in life, now I see ETaylor’s efforts, life force and deliberate journey. The coping demands put on this woman never let up. She didn’t buckle under her influencer role of the times. But I’m older. I respect effort and intention. Not accomplishment. Not things that depend on luck. In the beginning I could not quite distinguish Perry’s voice from Elizabeth’s. Didn’t know quite when it was Elizabeth who was speaking. But the podcast educated me how to listen to the format. I expected a Taylor myth buster. Instead got a whole, and unique; remarkable woman and survivor. She had no role model.

I was excited about this until I started listening to the constant reference to “influencers” on social media. I understand the barely relevant comparison, and am completely uninterested. Was looking forward to the real story, not a pop culture narrative. 🤮

Not sure why the podcast is so intent on relating it to current pop culture terms: “influencer” “boss” and celebrity couples/status. Would be better if it just told the story of her life. Also gets a bit repetitive with the recapping. Was super interested to hear about her life but it’s confusing who these current pop culture references are geared towards.

Richard Burton was Welsh a proud Celt. Viking is not the right term. Please…

Okay, so I’m a 20-something college student, so before her passing I never really understood the importance of her passing when I was a child. Now as an “adult” I see why she was SO revolutionary in media and film. Such an amazing docu-podcast and I cannot wait for the rest of the episodes!!!

Cut the Influencer Culture fluff and get to the story. Subsequent episodes have quite a bit of review and unnecessary ‘splaining’ as well.

I was so excited for this. Such a disappointment.

Just pointless

Honestly, I almost turned it off at the beginning of episode one because all they were talking about was social media influencers and I have zero interest in that. But I decided to give it a chance since they started going into Liz Taylor‘s life, which is what I thought the podcast was about. And then I heard that it was Katy Perry narrating/hosting. Not a fan at all. She’s a rude elitist and i can’t stand her (her appearance on the SmartLess podcast is what solidified this for me).

The first 5-10mins of episode 1 was annoying & childish. I don’t need a explanation of the current “influencer culture”. I’m not the type of person who would only listen, if you define Elizabeth Taylor with juvenile terms like “influencer” or “rock star”. I’m not interested in Elizabeth Taylor because she was “the first influencer”. That title, that definition, is a sophomoric attempt at grasping the attention of people who’ve never heard of Elizabeth Taylor. Most of us know who she is, we are already interested, we just want to learn more.

Hats off to Stephanie Koff who excels in character development and tells a great story with brilliant historical context. Like the World Beneath this is binge worthy listening. Elizabeth the First knocks it out of the ballpark. How do I purchase a gift subscription?

I absolutely loved the first 2 episodes! The story isn’t just examining her life, it also deals with themes that are uber relevant today. I loved learning about her ability to stand up for herself and fight against unfair systems and the patriarchy. She was most definitely a woman ahead of her time.