SummaryThe three-part miniseries written by Sarah Phelps, focuses on the 1963 divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll (Paul Bettany and Claire Foy). [Premiered originally in the UK on BBC One on 26 Dec 2021; in the US on Prime Video on 22 Apr 2022]
Created By:Sarah Phelps
A Very British Scandal
Season 1 Premiere:
Dec 26, 2021
Metascore
Generally Favorable
70
User score
Generally Favorable
6.3
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
53% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
47% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Mar 28, 2022
100
A Very British Scandal is a sophisticated piece of television that delivers in every department. Phelps' exquisite turn of phrase is flexed to full capacity throughout as she seamlessly straddles both high drama and comedy.
Apr 21, 2022
80
Ms. Foy keeps one entranced and is abetted by the work of the series’ makeup artists (the designer was Catherine Scoble; the supervisor was Suzi Long) and costume designer Ian Fulcher. ... Mr. Bettany, who’s a little young for the term “beloved,” is an extremely likable actor, but he’s also good at being morally dubious. He makes the allegedly high-born Ian convincingly dissolute, insouciant and seedy.
Apr 18, 2022
70
Over the three-episode trajectory, Foy and Bettany are at the top of their games with emotional performances that will undoubtedly garner attention come awards season. Their driving takes, along with the beautiful cinematography and world-building that went into the period piece are indeed the main reasons to watch. ... However, if the point is to remind viewers of the people and motives at the heart of this story, there’s a failed opportunity to expand the characters beyond previously spilled ink.
Mar 28, 2022
60
While [A Very English Scandal] was an effervescent, almost feelgood trot through Thorpe's Old Bailey trial, this feels bleaker and sadder. ... [A] series which gets better with each episode.
Apr 25, 2022
50
[Bettany's] depiction of Ian's cruel frigidity is a match by Foy's sharpness, as she trades the distant stateliness she brought to "The Crown" for fumes of aristocratic entitlement. Together they duel with a restrained sadism that prevents the story from whirling into melodrama, even when his temper explodes. ... "A Very British Scandal" exists to illustrate the double standard society applies to men and women in measuring individual culpability, although the Argylls' tenacious rancor submerges that point too often.
Mar 28, 2022
40
There isn’t a single sympathetic note. ... It is effective as an invitation to gawp at the upper classes, and reassure ourselves that we are better than them. And it looks beautiful – the costumes, the make-up, the interiors. The high production values and the quality cast give the impression of a premium product. But the period tropes are lazy.
User score
Generally Favorable
44% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
44% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
11% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
May 1, 2022
6
This drama revolves around the glamorous (at first) marriage of the Duke of Argyll (Paul Bettany) to a wealthy socialite (Claire Foy wearing lovely fashions). The scandal arises when he files for divorce in 1963, based on her alleged affairs with numerous men. While the first 2 episodes establish their relationship, things move slowly. It's not until the final chapter, when the scandal takes off, that the drama escalates. Even so, the locales and period spice add some enjoyable visuals. Anglofiles and history buffs might find this story interesting, but it lacks any real emotion to make it involving. (Three one-hour episodes)
Production Company:
- Blueprint Pictures
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
- Amazon Studios
- BBC Television
Initial Release Date:Dec 26, 2021
Number of seasons:1 Season
Rating:TV-MA
Awards
BAFTA Awards
• 1 Win & 4 Nominations
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
British Film Designers Guild Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
