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Episode 1

Politician Jeremy Thorpe begins a whirlwind affair with a stable hand, Norman Scott. But when the relationship turns sour, Norman becomes a secret Jeremy is desperate to hide.

Series Synopsis - Adapted from John Preston’s book “A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment” by Russell T Davies (Dr Who, Queer As Folk, Cucumber) and directed by Stephen Frears (Florence Foster Jenkins, Philomena, Dangerous Liaisons), starring Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe and Ben Whishaw as Norman Scott. A Very English Scandal is the shocking true story of the first British politician to stand trial for conspiracy to murder. It's the late 1960s, homosexuality has only just been decriminalized, and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party and the youngest leader of any British political party in a hundred years, has a secret he's desperate to hide. As long as Norman Scott, his vociferous ex-lover is around, Thorpe's brilliant career is at risk, and eventually Thorpe can see only one way to silence Scott for good. The trial of Jeremy Thorpe changed politics forever as the British public discovered the darkest secrets of the Establishment and the lengths they’d go to conceal them.

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56 minutes

Audio described

Last on

Mon 10 Dec 2018 22:00

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Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:48

    The Easybeats

    Friday On My Mind

Credits

Role Contributor
Writer Russell T Davies
Jeremy Thorpe Hugh Grant
Norman Scott Ben Whishaw
Peter Bessell Alex Jennings
Lord Arran David Bamber
Emlyn Hooson Jason Watkins
Ursula Thorpe Patricia Hodge
Messenger Chris Ashby
Sergeant-at-arms Andrew French
Norman Van de Water Nicholas Blane
Diana Stainton Naomi Battrick
Leo Abse Anthony O'Donnell
Lord Kilmuir John Bett
Countess of Arran Susan Wooldridge
Returning Officer Nick Malinowski
Mike Steele Morgan Watkins
BBC Radio Interviewer Ben Moor
Lyn Michelle Fox
Luke Mackenzie Daryl McCormack
Caroline Allpass Alice Orr-Ewing
Author John Preston
Director Stephen Frears
Producer Dan Winch
Executive Producer Russell T Davies
Executive Producer Diarmuid McKeown
Executive Producer Graham Broadbent
Executive Producer Peter Czernin
Executive Producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins
Executive Producer Lucy Richer
Executive Producer Stephen Frears

Broadcasts

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Learn more about the key players in A Very English Scandal based on true events.

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BBC News: The letter that stopped Jeremy Thorpe from giving evidence

Why did Jeremy Thorpe not defend himself from charges he vehemently denied?