A Very English Scandal
Created by John Preston, Russell T Davies
On BBC One
A taut, paranoid political thriller about a closeted public figure whose secret threatens to destroy him, built on the tension between public facade and private desperation.
It's the late 1960s, homosexuality has only just been legalised and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party, has a secret he's desperate to hide.
Genres
Where to watch
- StreamPrime Video
Questions people ask
Is A Very English Scandal easy watching? Barely. Less comforting than 88% of series.
Does A Very English Scandal leave you hopeful? Barely. Less hopeful than 88% of series.
Is A Very English Scandal sad? Yes. More sad than 84% of series.
Is A Very English Scandal scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 66% of series.
Is A Very English Scandal violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
- The Shows That Know They EndFinding
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like A Very English Scandal, and what each one shares →
Like A Very English Scandal
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as A Very English Scandal
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like A Very English Scandal, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like A Very English Scandal, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like A Very English Scandal, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
