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A Very English Scandal with a very English touch of humour. A serious topic at the time, but has been turned into an extremely entertaining TV series. Thoroughly recommended, and Hugh Grant performs the part brilliantly.

Wow... what a transformation. Annoying bumbling mad-blinking Hollywood heartthrob to credible actor while still keeping his English charm. You can't not love Hugh Grant's portrayal. With faultless witty writing by Russell T Davies; his best in years - and the light comedic direction is just the cherry on top of a lovely cake!

Ben Whishaw's protrayal of Norman Scott is often light and innocent with a dark foreboding centre... much like the ending of the first episode!

We even get a glimpse into 1960s politics, but not to much mind, just a slice which prevents the story from becoming overly complicated.

All in all - a jolly good job!

I absolutely loved this series. Hugh Grant and the other actors are amazing. I laughed out loud many times, but was also touched by the story and issues as a whole. It flew by and I felt very satisfied when it was done. I highly recommend this if you're looking for something easy to follow, intriguing, and with some good humor thrown in as well.

Hugh Grant stars in this 3-part miniseries that looks at the political scandal that brought down Jeremy Thorpe in the mid 1970s.

Thorpe lives a freewheeling life as a member of Parliament in 1960s London. He eagerly pursues young men on the QT for one-nighters while maintaining his work in Parliament. He's part of a small circle of old Oxford students who share like sexual tastes and who can keep secrets.

When Thorpe meets young Norman (who works as a stable boy) he falls into a long-term, on-and-off-again relationship. The trouble is that Norman is a tad unstable and a big drama queen. Thorpe stupidly writes letters (it's the early 1960s), which Norman keeps. When Thorpe grows tired of Norman and tries to throw him over, the young man begins to make threats.

Norman grows more and more unstable and wanders around the country, falling in and out of relationships. Every now and then he sends a threatening letter (blackmail really) to Thorpe. As Thorpe becomes politically more successful, it becomes more and more important to shut Norman up.

Thorpe marries and has a son. He seems the very soul of a solid family man. Only a few know his secret past. Eventually Norman goes to the police and blurts out his accusations more than a decade after the fact. He starts babbling to anyone who will listen about how Thorpe used him. Desperate, Thorpe instigates a plan to kill Norman, but it gets botched and eventually the loose ends catch up with Thorpe when Norman files suit against him for attempted murder.

Grant is absolutely superb as the devious Thorpe. Over the 3-parts of the series he runs the gamut from randy man about town to serious husband and father, and finally to grim middle-aged man facing a serious threat. Ben Whishaw is also excellent as the loony Norman whose life is almost hysterically out of control.

Others in the cast that stand out are Alex Jennings as Peter, Patricia Hodge as Mrs. Thorpe, Adrian Scarborough as Carman, Michele Dotrice as Edna, Eve Myles as Gwen, and Monica Dolan as Thorpe's wife.

Beautifully done with a sharp sense of British wit and charm. Directed by Stephen Frears.

He should have ditched all those rom com tricks so long ago and stuck to actual actoral work...

Great casting, stellar acting. Hugh Grant is what seems to happen when a handsome rom/com darling is able to season and hone his abilities within his craft. I believe him to be a revelation here and have become an even bigger fan. I he receives the accolades deserved for this performance. The timing and nuance were a treat. Enjoy!

Luckily I was able to watch this all the way thought from start to finish in one sitting. At just under 3 hours, quite an easy feat. Hugh Grant and the superb writing of Russel T Davies made it easy and the time passed like nothing, that to me means it was entertaining, which it was.

Hugh Grant puts in a really good performance, well supported by Ben Whishaw, Michele Dotrice (Some Mothers Do Ave Em), Alex Jennings and Adrian Scarborough.

I enjoyed every minute of it and laughed more than once even though this is not billed as a comedy, the way it was written told a very serious story in quite an amusing way.

There were a few sad moments, but even these were told in an amusing way, not so much funny, but not at all serious or sad, which could be taken as a criticism by some.

Every time I saw the hat, I either laughed or smiled, you will have to watch to know what I mean, for me it symbolised the Hugh Grant characters whole attitude of the time.

A very entertaining BBC mini series and highly recommended.

An easy 9/10.

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.

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.

Sure, lots the film is accurate. But the movie is clearly biased in favor of the mentally ill Norman Scott.

"For example, the series omits this very significant detail: He began to feel marginalised by Thorpe, and in December 1962, in a fit of depression, confided to a friend his intention to shoot the MP and commit suicide. The friend alerted the police, to whom Josiffe gave a detailed statement of his sexual relations with Thorpe, and produced letters to support his story. None of this evidence impressed the police sufficiently for them to take action, although a report on the matter was added to Thorpe's MI5 file."

So, Scott had threatened to shoot the MP...why is this omitted!

I never relized Hugh Grant had this amazing ability as an actor. This true story account along with the remarkable cast is spellbinding. The story takes the viewer on the full range of emotions from tragedy to humor. Simply brilliant!

His performance is a revelation. After a long cinematography, the role of Jeremy Thorpe is a real fascinating change of what you expect as viewer. First, for the performance near Ben Whishaw who, not surprising, gives one of his precise performances , exploring each detail of his character traits. More than story, not always the best, the performances are the basic motif for see this mini serie about a large spider webb of interests, fear, cruelty, lies, manipulation and manner to assume the past. A film about a delicate affaire. Great chance for Hugh Grant to show , in different manner, his authentic skills.

High Grant was amazing in this role. The historical depiction of the characters was fast paced and engaging.

"A Very English Scandal," directed by Stephen Frears, explores the true story about a murder-for-hire scandal and sensational criminal trial in England in 1979. In the 1960s, Liberal MP Jeremy Thorpe (an excellent Hugh Grant in a performance that is both restrained and emotionally complex) was ambitious, striving for a Cabinet position, and deeply protective of his public image and social status. All of this is gravely jeopardized when his relationship with a much younger, penniless, somewhat unstable man named Norman Josiff (later Scott) goes sour and Thorpe tries to distance himself from his ex-lover. Norman (Ben Whishaw) tries to out Thorpe, as well as blackmail him. At the time, homosexual relations were illegal in the U. K. and Thorpe would have lost his career and faced severe legal repercussions, so he becomes increasingly desperate to keep their past relationship secret-which leads him to try to take drastic steps to shut Norman up for good.

This would have been better as a tighter, two-hour film than a three-part miniseries, as it seems too long and convoluted, and drags in the middle episode. But the performances are all excellent, especially Grant, who expresses the pathos and anguish of a man who is forced to live a double life, denying his identity not only to society but to many people close to him, and even himself through lies and rationalizations. Whishaw is very good as Norman, showing his vulnerability, desperation, petulance and, ultimately, pride and determination to stand up for his rights. Both Jeremy and Norman are seen as complex, often contradictory characters, neither entirely sympathetic nor blameworthy. The supporting cast is filled with fine character actors who all deliver good performances.

"A Very English Scandal" details an era when same-sex relationships were forbidden by English society and had to be kept clandestine at all costs, which seems tragic and bizarre to us now. The series also mocks and derides the upper-crust establishment figures in their stiff waistcoats and silly wigs, controlling society in the halls of Westminster or their cushy private clubs. They are seen as corrupt liars, hypocrites, eccentrics and thugs, trampling over the law and any working-class people who threatened their power and elite social status.

Not sure how this ended up on Amazon Prime, as I usually don't expect this level of quality for free, but this three part series is truly excellent. Great cast, great story, great writing. Make sure you set enough time to watch all three episodes in one sitting, because you're not going to want to put this one down.

This series is done as only the English can do them! The actors all deliver their roles well and the era and its problems are well portrayed. The hypocrisy and double standards of the times are very well done and the moments of comedy (though possibly unintended) are also very good. The result of a well written script. The only issue is that the story appears to be told in a very rushed manner as if to meet the 3 episode limit. The editing is therefore sometimes a bit choppy and continuity suffers a bit. Overall, it's well done!

Not remarkable, but it was entertaining. As it's only three episodes long, the story takes place rushly, but even so the pace was okay. The performances were outstanding though. And the costumes and settings captured the era well.

Serious & funny... Heartbreaking & heroic, I believe Mr. Scott was a brave soul.

The first episode is excellent, but then the tone shifts dramatically in episode 2 and it loses its footing. Redeems itself a bit in the last episode but the slapstick and dumb-guy jokes suck the air out of the drama.

Started well. The second episode is like Allo Allo.Ridiculous characters and unbelievable dialogues.And overacting everywhere.