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- Prime Video
- May 20, 2018
- Prime Video
- May 20, 2018
Summary The three-part BBC miniseries set in 1960-70s follows member of Parliament Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant) as he seeks to permanently hide his affair with stableboy Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw) to protect his political career in Russell T Davies's adaptation of John Preston's book of the same name.
- Prime Video
- May 20, 2018
- Prime Video
- May 20, 2018
Summary The three-part BBC miniseries set in 1960-70s follows member of Parliament Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant) as he seeks to permanently hide his affair with stableboy Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw) to protect his political career in Russell T Davies's adaptation of John Preston's book of the same name.
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Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
84
94% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
84
94% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
[Stephen Frears] does his best work in over a decade. ... He brings the absolute best out of Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, who give riveting performances in the telling of one of the U.K.’s most shocking political scandals. This is a must-see.
Although A Very English Scandal will probably best be remembered for the two incredible performances at the heart of its narrative, it is also a careful study in how to balance a story in which the truth is almost certainly stranger than any fiction.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 62 User Ratings
6.0
63% Positive
39 Ratings
39 Ratings
8% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
29% Negative
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 62 User Ratings
6.0
63% Positive
39 Ratings
39 Ratings
8% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
29% Negative
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
Hush money to quiet someone over sexual escapades, crooked politicians; this could be today (and American) rather than English from 50 years ago. This is very well done, and very factual. Hugh Grant steals the show.
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SEASON 1
This rollicking, sublimely written work of countless tones leaves no doubt that Thorpe was guilty of plotting obsessively to kill his once-adored younger lover, Norman Scott. ... Among its tones, the show manages a tender note or two for the character of Thorpe, which leads, in the end, to a convincingly complex portrait.
While Dotrice and others add dimension to the story, the miniseries’ success comes down to the two main characters. Grant is oily and confident; Whishaw is seductive and afraid. The combination is combustible and quite watchable when the two appear in court together.
Real life does not always lend itself to dramatic adaptation, but Davies and Frears manage to make of it something both thoughtful and antic, historical but only in the brief asides a history lesson. They fill up the corners of the story with a roster of British eccentrics fit for an old Ealing Studios comedy who, paradoxically, make "A Very English Scandal seem more lifelike than not.
Sharply paced, A Very English Scandal doesn't make the mistake of overstaying its welcome. The story is told in three tightly packaged installments that cover the endlessly curious ground efficiently and elegantly.
[A Very English Scandal] never settles on a tone. One moment, it’s delivering sly, savage moments worthy of Ricky Gervais’ “The Office.” Then it becomes earthquake serious as one heterosexual politician reveals why he wants to decriminalize homosexuality.
The title should read: "A very satirical English scandal." Choosing to slather on the satire changes the tone of the real story. It allows the viewer to enjoy what was a tragedy and thus miss the deeper message. Power corrupts. That should not be a laughing matter. From Jeremy Thorpe's seduction of a naive fan through his insistent demands that the fan be "silenced" and ending with the Judges extremely biased instructions to the jury (motivated I can only presume by the need to save the face of the governing class) the decks were stacked against the victim. The victim however gets no sympathy in the story. Without a victim the perpetrator gets off the hook as well. And we get entertained.
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SEASON 1
Nothing extraordinary beyond a salacious scandal being brought to life. By teo great perfomers . Brn winshaw steals the show but high grant isn't far behind.
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SEASON 1
Cringeworthy, Kevin Spacian theater. Smart acting cannot numb me to the fact that that I am be asked to watch what I would immediately look away from in my day to day life.
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SEASON 1
