A Very English Scandal

2018

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
7.7| TV-14| en| More Info
Released: 20 May 2018 Ended
Producted By: BBC
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p065sk93
Info

It's the late 1960s, homosexuality has only just been legalised and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party, has a secret he's desperate to hide.

Genre

Drama

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BBC

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A Very English Scandal Audience Reviews

ThiefHott Too much of everything
Wordiezett So much average
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
burnham-73094 I did enjoy this very much very fresh for BBC for a change not another repeat but can someone tell me what was that tune Jeremy thorpe and his mother played in the first episode when he took scott to his mothers and she was on the piano and he on the violin ? that was great I played over and over
Jim Mullen Tate (TheFearmakers) Has a nice binging style for half of the series, after which it becomes much too obvious what the agenda is i.e. whose side the creators are on. The supposed hired killers are keystone cops, shown so vapid and clumsy it's impossible to believe they'd ever be considered for the assignment had it been... assigned in the first place. Hugh Grant seems to be doing an imitation of Jeremy Thorpe or of the memory of Jeremy Thorpe being a hypocritical English Liberal Party member who is gay while trying to kill his former gay lover. If Grant played the role more naturally or likeable, it might seem like he was taking the wrong side in the matter and playing him contrary to the ultimate conclusion that, once you see the old, contented, real life, openly-gay "victim" Norman Scott smiling into the camera, it's obvious that A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL was, all along, one man's story and his story alone. The problem is: The best moments, in the show's rudimentary stages, had both characters shown as flaky, flawed, desperate human beings (despite ones power and the others lack of) and, for that, both were initially and equally intriguing.
lwgoodrich An engaging, sometimes hyper kinetic retelling of an alleged murder plot by a high-ranking member of the British Parliament in the 60s and 70s. Jeremy Thorpe, successful, cocky, and in the closet, begins a discreet affair with an ingenuous but emotionally unstable young man. He believes he can end the affair just as discreetly when he tires of Norman. Unfortunately, Jeremy doesn't realize what he's in for. Norman is anything but circumspect - flighty, thoughtless, and outspoken about his homosexuality - and his affair with Jeremy Thorpe. When Norman broadcasts that he's been the victim of a murder attempt by Jeremy, all hell breaks loose and the two of them end up facing each other down in court.Hugh Grant is a revelation in this, as a powerful political leader brought low by the scandal - we see his ego and his arrogance deflate the longer Norman hangs on like a terrier, publicly seeking justice for the wrongs done him by Jeremy.Ben Whishaw, an actor who couldn't give a bad performance even if he tried, is absolutely perfect as Norman - unpredictable, attention-seeking, by turns charming and weepy, but with a surprisingly dogged determination and fierce resentment at the treatment of gays - which he doesn't hesitate to trumpet to both the court and the press. An outstanding supporting cast and a whimsical musical score add more than a touch of humor to the proceedings; this is a series that shouldn't be missed.
Evil_Herbivore A Very English Scandal tells the story of an attempted murder of Norman Josiffe (later known as Norman Scott) by his ex-lover, Jeremy Thorpe MP. The story which only now, after Thorpe's death, can be told without the threat of him suing defamation of character. The strongest suit of the mini-series is the acting, particularly on the part of its two stars, Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw. Both give magnificent performances. Hugh Grant's Jeremy Thorpe is charming, highly intelligent, ruthless and manipulative. It is quite a contrast to the type of roles Grant usually gets cast in and it is really satisfying seeing him depart from his typecast. Ben Whishaw's Norman Josiffe is unstable, emotional and broken by the many hardships he has experienced.Minor characters as every bit as compelling as Jeremy and Norman. Thorpe's friend and fellow Member of Parliament, always willing to help his friend in times of need. An intelligent and very scrupulous young woman tasked with retrieving a lost suitcase. An eccentric lord, who lets badgers into his house and is deeply concerned with the anti-gay legislation. A Liberal MP willing to do anything to destroy Thorpe and take his place as the leader of the party. A man tasked with killing Norman, who is anything but professional. A pub owner, who gives Norman not only a job, but also friendship and support. It feels like each of these characters would make an interesting protagonist if a movie had been made about them instead of Thorpe and Josiffe.It is quite a pity that the writing as a whole is not as good as these minor characters. Although the plot is quite compelling and it is hard to make any accusations concerning the events as the story really happened, there are moments where the construction of the mini-series seems to be missing something. This is most visible when the plot focuses on Thorpe and leaves Norman's side out only to jump forward in time and find him in a completely different place and situation that we've last seen him. Explaining such changes by the means of short dialogue is truly unsatisfying. Another thing that needs to be mentioned is the music. Even though I usually don't pay much attention to the music - often I don't really notice it at all - in the mini-series it is used so cleverly that in a number of scenes I had to applaud the director's choices in the matter. It really feels like the music is an integral part of the production, sometimes underlining characters' emotions and sometimes acting almost as a kind of comic relief in this pretty sad story.In general, the mini-series is a solid piece of television telling an interesting story. The acting and the production are high quality, as can be expected from the BBC. The writing could have been better, as the plot often takes big leaps which are then only briefly mentioned in the dialogie. Sadly, this takes away some of the characters' believability and makes the pacing quite uneven.