If you've already binged The Crown season 4 and are feeling withdrawals from watching this stellar cast, head to Gillian Anderson's Instagram page (never a dull place). There, on the last
slide of her most recent post, you'll find a video of her co-stars singing "Mr. Sandman," the 1954 song by The Chordettes. It's joyous enough to watch them bop along to the popular tune, but it's all even more fun because they're wearing their makeup from "Ibble Dibble," the parlor game in episode 2, "The Balmoral Test."
Marion Bailey, who plays Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, seems to lead the group in the song, and Olivia Colman, Erin Doherty, and Helena Bonham Carter are her backup singers.
"Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream, make him the delicious, like peaches and cream," Bailey sings. The song typically goes, "make him the cutest that I've ever seen," but her cast members seem to get a kick out of this change.
"I like it!" one of the chorus members (it sounds like Colman or Bonham Carter) chimes in about the lyric switch.
This delightful moment is exactly the kind of boost we need during a season when many of us are opting out of gathering with our families for the holidays. Remember when we could all gather together and sing while playing old-school English parlor games? Okay, maybe not all of that. But I'd definitely sing "Mr. Sandman" with Helena Bonham Carter any day.
The royal version of the song is not dissimilar from this Golden Girls performance, featuring Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Bea Arthur.
Anyway, that just gave me my serotonin boost for the entire week.