‘Quiz’ Trailer: Matthew Macfadyen Becomes a Millionaire in AMC’s New Limited Series

Kristen Lopez
·3 min read

Click here to read the full article.

After garnering a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy for leading man Ben Whishaw in “A Very English Scandal,” director Stephen Frears is back with another look at the peppy darkness of British life with “Quiz.”

The three-part limited series, airing on AMC, tells the story of Charles and Diana Ingram (Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford, respectively) and what happens when Charles is accused of cheating on his way to winning 1 million pounds on Britain’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

More from IndieWire

There’s no doubt that Charles is a millionaire, as we see it in the first seconds of the 20-second teaser dropped by AMC today. The problem is what happens when it’s presumed something nefarious has gone on. But things don’t seem too dire, if the lively music that plays over the trailer is any indication. If anything, the tone of this series feels a bit looser and more comical, a la “A Very English Scandal.”

Outside of Clifford and Macfadyen, hot off Clifford’s run on “Fleabag” and Macfadyen’s on “Succession,” Michael Sheen plays a prominent role as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” host Chris Tarrant. In IndieWire’s interview with Sheen earlier this year the actor said, “I’ve been more resistant to playing real people for a while now, because I sort of became so known for it. But this project, I just loved the story.”

In that same interview Clifford said her and Macfadyen did as much research as they could on their roles. “We wanted to make it feel like a heist. We really build to that point,” Clifford said. “Matthew and I watched hours and hours of footage, as much material as we could get. More to absorb something of them rather than an impersonation.”

And while the series focuses on the Ingrams and their scandal, writer James Graham said in the January interview that they tried to keep things balanced.

“We present both sides and we do the classic ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ ask the audience. We ask the audience to make up their minds whether they’re innocent or guilty. Ultimately, I think it’s meant to be an entertaining forensic analysis of the criminal justice system, where the guilt was so laced into the popular imagination way before they went on trial.”

Watch the teaser below.

“Quiz” premieres May 31st on AMC.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.