A Very English Scandal

Full of sly humor, poignant commentary and bizarre twists, it's almost like the perfect marriage of "The Crown" and a Coen brothers movie.

One of the tightest and brightest and most sublime miniseries--running at a meager three hours, one hour per episode--that you're likely to see on television in 2018. ... Grant's performance is a tour-de-force. ... Whishaw is also fantastic in bringing multiple shades to his portrayal.

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.

There’s a light touch to the material, but a deceptive one, as the wit of the script and charm of the performances mask the real pain and trauma within lives ruined by deception and bigotry.

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.

Superb miniseries. ... Grant is a revelation. ... What’s not surprising is that Ben Whishaw--so memorable in “London Spy” and “The Hour”--is spectacular as Scott.

A sharp, incisive and (above all) funny script and direction to match. ... Whishaw's brilliant here, and almost effortlessly steals the entire miniseries.

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.

As an autopsy of one of the darker moments in recent British political disgrace, A Very English Scandal is a spry and surprisingly funny work. In under three hours, it includes all the relevant tabloid focal points (the “sick dog” comment, the witless petty criminals, the infernal National Insurance card). But it’s most effective at rendering how tragic and needless the whole Thorpe affair was.

Davies’ script is light and witty, and Frears doubles down on jokes by often both showing and telling, to fantastic effect. ... Thorpe is thoughtful and careful, with Hugh Grant as inscrutably charming as ever.

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.

In an era of TV bloat, seeing “A Very English Scandal” choose zippiness over ponderousness is a blessing, but one that occasionally feels more like a compromise than a plan. Length aside, the rest of “English” is precise bordering on surgical.

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.

Better still for viewers is the Englishness of the series, which, in keeping with the brevity of many U.K. series, takes a mere three installments to elegantly make its points. Three hours is enough time for two great actors to craft performances whose collision--and an enmity that comes to look a bit like love--is some of the more edifying fun around.

With rare economy over three witty and jauntily devastating episodes, writer Russell T Davies and director Stephen Frears adapt John Preston's book. [25 Jun - 8 Jul 2018, p.11]