| A Very English Scandal | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | A Very English Scandal byJohn Preston |
| Written by | Russell T Davies |
| Directed by | Stephen Frears |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Murray Gold |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Dan Winch |
| Editor | Pia Di Ciaula |
| Running time | 55–58 minutes[4][5][6] |
| Production company | Blueprint Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 20 May (2018-05-20) – 3 June 2018 (2018-06-03) |
A Very English Scandal is a 2018 Britishhistorical dramaminiseries created and written byRussell T Davies, based onJohn Preston's2016 book of the same name.[7][8][9][10][11] It is a dramatisation of the 1976–1979Thorpe affair and more than 15 years of events leading up to it.
The producers followed upA Very English Scandal in 2021 with the seriesA Very British Scandal, about the Argyll divorce case.[12] On November 20, 2023, it was announced Blueprint would produce a thirdScandal series,A Very Royal Scandal, based on the infamousPrince Andrewinterview withEmily Maitlis.[13]
In 1965, Jeremy Thorpe, a Liberal MP, faces blackmail from his unstable ex-lover, Norman Josiffe, whom he met in 1961. After years of a tumultuous relationship, Thorpe grows tired of Norman and cuts ties. Norman, unable to keep a job and with a penchant for drama, threatens to expose their affair. Thorpe's fellow MP, Peter Bessell, silences Norman with money, but Thorpe refuses to help him get a new National Insurance card.
By 1968, Thorpe becomes the youngest-ever Liberal Party leader, marries Caroline Allpass, and has a child. Norman, now known as Norman Scott, is increasingly erratic and contacts Caroline, revealing his past with Thorpe, which shocks her. Caroline dies in a car crash in 1970, and Thorpe mourns her loss. Meanwhile, Bessell flees to the U.S. to avoid financial troubles.
Norman continues his attempts to get a new National Insurance card and to expose Thorpe. Thorpe, now married to Marion Stein, considers having Norman killed. In 1973, an attempt to murder Norman fails when the assassin kills Norman’s dog instead. Norman reports the crime, and Thorpe’s involvement is suspected.
The resulting 1976–79 Thorpe affair sees Thorpe resign as Liberal leader and lose his seat in Parliament. Thorpe and his co-conspirators are tried for attempted murder, but they are acquitted. Thorpe's political career ends, and he never holds public office again. He remains married to Marion until her death in 2014, passing away shortly after. Bessell dies in 1985, and Norman, still without a National Insurance card, lives with 11 dogs.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.K. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1[4]" | Stephen Frears | Russell T Davies | 20 May 2018 (2018-05-20) | 5.93 |
| 2 | "Episode 2[5]" | Stephen Frears | Russell T Davies | 27 May 2018 (2018-05-27) | 5.14 |
| 3 | "Episode 3[6]" | Stephen Frears | Russell T Davies | 3 June 2018 (2018-06-03) | 5.80 |
The first series was written byRussell T Davies and directed byStephen Frears, withHugh Grant starring as Thorpe andBen Whishaw as Scott. TheBBC television drama was first announced on 4 May 2017, with Grant already cast asThorpe.[14] Ben Whishaw was announced to join the cast in August,[15] and the rest of the cast was announced in October.[16] Along with the further casting announcement,Amazon took the US rights for the show.[16]
Filming took place in London,Manchester,Buckinghamshire,Devon,Hertfordshire andSouth Wales.[17] Although scenes were filmed outside theHouses of Parliament, the inner courts, interior hallways and staircase were represented byManchester Town Hall, which is built in the sameGothic Revival style as the Palace of Westminster.[17] The offices of Thorpe and other MPs were created atBulstrode Park, a vacant country house in Buckinghamshire. The grounds of Bulstrode were also used for the night-time assassination attempt scene set onExmoor.[17]
The town ofHertford was used as a stand-in for 1970sBarnstaple, whileSaunton Sands inNorth Devon stood in for the California beach where Peter Bessell (Alex Jennings) lives in a seaside shack.[17]Bridgend in South Wales stood in forDublin, while Norman's period living in Wales was filmed in and aroundMonknash in south Wales. The show was able to film in the lobby and exterior of theOld Bailey in London, where the show's climactic scenes take place.A Very English Scandal was the first production ever to be granted permission to film in Court One of the Old Bailey but they had to decline because of tight time restrictions and filmed the court scenes at a courthouse inKingston upon Thames.[17]
The series premiered onBBC One on 20 May 2018 and onAmazon Prime on 29 June 2018.[18] The DVD was released on 2 July 2018.[19]
A Very English Scandal received very positive reviews. OnRotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 97% based on 68 reviews, with an average rating of 8.80/10. Rotten Tomatoes's critical consensus reads, "Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw impress inA Very English Scandal, an equally absorbing and appalling look at British politics and society".[20]Metacritic gives the miniseries a weighted average rating of 84 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[21] In 2019, the series was ranked 76th onThe Guardian's list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.[22]
Norman Scott spoke out about the show's characterisation of him and its portrayal of his life. He told theIrish News that "Artistic licence is fine but this isn't my story. And there's nothing funny about someone trying to kill you...I'm portrayed as this poor, mincing, little gay person ... I also come across as a weakling and I've never been a weakling".[23]
3 months left to watch; 56 minutes
3 months left to watch; 55 minutes
3 months left to watch; 58 minutes; Last on: Tue 11 Dec 2018 22:00
