The story of events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll during the 1960s.The story of events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll during the 1960s.The story of events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll during the 1960s.
- Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 6 wins & 7 nominations total
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Summary
Reviewers say 'A Very British Scandal' delves into the scandalous marriage of Margaret and Ian, Duke of Argyll, exploring themes of privilege and class. The series highlights the double standards faced by women in the 1950s and 1960s, marked by infidelity and public humiliation. Claire Foy and Paul Bettany's performances are lauded, though some find the characters unlikable. The production is praised for its period detail and costumes, but opinions on the narrative's depth and character portrayals are mixed.
Featured reviews
I'd like to know two things:
1) why didn't her father (or she) sue the Duke for all the money?
2) how many affairs did the Judge have before and after the trial?
1) why didn't her father (or she) sue the Duke for all the money?
2) how many affairs did the Judge have before and after the trial?
A lot of money has been spent on this - with great locations, lavish sets and fine acting. But ultimately it's pretty boring. Unpleasant posh lady marries unpleasant posh man and they spend three episodes being unpleasant to each other. Neither character has any redeeming qualities, there is little insight into those characters, and when it comes to the big court scene at the end it's really neither here nor there who wins.
A visual feast. A snooze of a story that didn't really merit a three part series.
A visual feast. A snooze of a story that didn't really merit a three part series.
Nicely done, well acted but it could have been done as a 90 minute tv movie instead of being drawn out over 3 episodes. The filler made it boring so I ended up wishing for it to conclude.
Margaret, sometime Duchess of Argyll, was a rich, beautiful, and utterly entitled woman; her marriage to the Duke, a spendthrift drunk, was a disaster. We know about it because their divorce became a matter of media scandal and was even brought into the enquiry that followed the Profumo affair. The way our society shamed (and continues to shame) women for their sexuality is appalling; nonetheless, it is hard to avoid concluding that someone who beleives in their absolute right to do as they please is ultimately going to face consequences (even if, in a decent world, these would have been entirely private). As Duke and Duchess, Paul Bettany and Clare Foy are both really good in this reconstuction of events; although the theme of the story is essentially that it's a matter of public interest that something of no legitimate public interest was treated as if this was not the case. Amazingly, wholly no-fault divorce is only going to become a reality in British law in 2022.
Clare Foy is a joy to watch. It's very hard to take one's eyes of the screen when she is present. I thoroughly enjoyed the drama I just wished it had more of their back story. Why was the Dutchess the way she was etc.
Did you know
- TriviaPROLOGUE: "The following is based on a true story. Some elements have been created or changed for dramatic purposes."
- How many seasons does A Very British Scandal have?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Дуже британський скандал
- Filming locations
- Inveraray Castle, Argyll & Bute, Scotland, UK(Inveraray Castle)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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