A Very English Scandal is a 2018 British three-part historical drama created and written by Russell T Davies, based on John Preston's 2016 book of the same name. It is a dramatisation of the 1976âÂÂ1979 Thorpe affair and 18 years of events leading up to it.
The producers followed up A Very English Scandal in 2021 with the series A Very British Scandal, about the Argyll divorce case. On November 20, 2023, it was announced Blueprint would produce a third Scandal series, A Very Royal Scandal, based on the infamous Prince Andrew interview with Emily Maitlis.
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 NormanâÂÂs dog instead. Norman reports the crime, and ThorpeâÂÂs involvement is suspected.
The resulting 1976âÂÂ79 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, dying shortly after. Bessell dies in 1985, and Norman, still without a National Insurance card, lives with 11 dogs.
The first series was written by Russell T Davies and directed by Stephen Frears, with Hugh Grant starring as Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as Scott. The BBC television drama was first announced on 4 May 2017, with Grant already cast as Thorpe. Ben Whishaw was announced to join the cast in August, and the rest of the cast was announced in October. Along with the further casting announcement, Amazon took the US rights for the show.
Filming took place in London, Manchester, Buckinghamshire, Devon, Hertfordshire and South Wales. Although scenes were filmed outside the Houses of Parliament, the inner courts, interior hallways and staircase were represented by Manchester Town Hall, which is built in the same Gothic Revival style as the Palace of Westminster. The offices of Thorpe and other MPs were created at Bulstrode Park, a vacant country house in Buckinghamshire. The grounds of Bulstrode were also used for the night-time assassination attempt scene set on Exmoor.
The town of Hertford was used as a stand-in for 1970s Barnstaple, while Saunton Sands in North Devon stood in for the California beach where Peter Bessell (Alex Jennings) lives in a seaside shack. Bridgend in South Wales stood in for Dublin, while Norman's period living in Wales was filmed in and around Monknash in south Wales. The show was able to film in the lobby and exterior of the Old 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 in Kingston upon Thames.
The series premiered on BBC One on 20 May 2018 and on Amazon Prime on 29 June 2018. The DVD was released on 2 July 2018.
A Very English Scandal received very positive reviews. On Rotten 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 in A Very English Scandal, an equally absorbing and appalling look at British politics and society". Metacritic gives the miniseries a weighted average rating of 84 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". In 2019, the series was ranked 76th on The Guardians list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.
Norman Scott spoke out about the show's characterisation of him and its portrayal of his life. He told the Irish 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".