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With the creators of “Big Little Lies” and “House of Cards” at the helm, “Anatomy of a Scandal” should have been an absolute slam dunk. The Netflix limited series, developed by David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson, had the potential to be part thriller, part courtroom drama, and full (as the title would suggest) of scandal. Instead, it’s a soap opera burdened by clunky handling of sensitive subject matter.

We begin our story in London, with happily married couple Sophie and James Whitehouse (Sienna Miller and Rupert Friend). James is a member of parliament and a close friend to Prime Minister Tom Southern (Geoffrey Streatfield), while Sophie supports him and cares for their two children. Their lives appear perfect until news breaks of an affair James had with a younger coworker, Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott). He tells Sophie it meant nothing, that it ended recently, and that he made a mistake.

Rupert Friend and Sienna Miller star as James and Sophie Whitehouse, a well-off and seemingly happy British couple who are rocked when James, a Minister in Parliament, is accused of rape. The scandal threatens to destroy their marriage and ruin James’ political career in the official trailer for Netflix’s “Anatomy of a Scandal.”

“Downton Abbey” star Michelle Dockery plays Barrister Kate Woodcroft, whose prosecution of Whitehouse may threaten the entire British Parliament.

The series, which is based on the novel by Sarah Vaughn, premieres globally on Netflix on Friday, April 15.

Netflix bills it as “a psychological thriller and gripping courtroom drama” that “infiltrates Britain’s elite through personal and political scandal, where the truth lies between justice and privilege.”

The six-episode series costars Naomi Scott as Olivia Lytton, Josette Simon as Angela Regan, Geoffrey Streatfeild as Tom Southern, Joshua McGuire as Chris Clarke, Liz White as Ali Conlon, Nancy Farino as Holly,...