First look: Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw are ex-lovers in A Very English Scandal
Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw are playing ex-lovers in a new Amazon series.
The streamer is co-producing the upcoming A Very English Scandal with BBC One in the U.K., the latest project of lauded British TV writer Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk, Doctor Who). The series, set in 1960s Britain with homosexuality only just decriminalized, traces the remarkable trial of Liberal party leader Jeremy Thorpe (Grant), who went to extraordinary levels of corruption and deceit — to the extent of conspiracy to commit murder — as former lover Norman Scott (Whishaw) remained around town and threatened to expose his secret.
It’s another high-profile co-production for Amazon with a British network; the Emmy-nominated Catastrophe, backed by Channel 4 across the pond, has emerged as one of the streamer’s signature comedies over its three seasons. A Very English Scandal is currently filming, and Amazon has just released a first-look image (above) of the series featuring Whishaw, Grant, and an adorable pup.
Davies has written the three-part drama, based on true events, and it’s directed in its entirety by Oscar nominee Stephen Frears (The Queen). Frears’ other TV credits include The Crown, for which he received an Emmy nomination earlier this year, and the HBO movie Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight. Alex Jennings (Victoria), Patricia Hodge (Miranda), Monica Dolan (Appropriate Adult), Adrian Scarborough (The King’s Speech), Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Michele Dotrice (Starfish), and Blake Harrison (Trust Me) co-star. Sony Pictures Television will distribute the series.
