A Very British Scandal: Miniseries | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

89% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 73% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings The story of events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and duch*ess of Argyll in 1963. Read More Read Less

A Very British Scandal — Miniseries

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Critics Consensus

Claire Foy and Paul Bettany are delightful as a loathsome couple in A Very British Scandal, a sordid saga that's so juicy it'll leave viewers wishing the too-short runtime had afforded them a few more bites.

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Critics Reviews

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A Very British Scandal: Miniseries | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Matthew Gilbert

Boston Globe

An entertaining, beautifully filmed, and dynamically acted portrait of the tumultuous and infamous marriage of Margaret Sweeney and Captain Ian Campbell.

May 4, 2022

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A Very British Scandal: Miniseries | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

A Very British Scandal is a handsome and compulsive series about a captivating moment in history.

May 4, 2022

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A Very British Scandal: Miniseries | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

John Doyle

Globe and Mail

In three parts, it is taut and fraught, with a good blend of high comedy and low morals on show, and it sticks to the core story of the marriage that went spectacularly awry.

Apr 27, 2022

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A Very British Scandal: Miniseries | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Natalia Trzenko

La Nación (Argentina)

Foy and Bettany elevate each scene and discourse from the uneven script. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/4

Aug 17, 2022

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A Very British Scandal: Miniseries | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Marah Eakin

The Playlist

“A Very British Scandal” is well shot, well-acted, and Scotland looks lovely, but the show doesn’t really tell us anything about life in ‘50s and ‘60s Britain that we couldn’t have already guessed.

Rated: C

May 15, 2022

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A Very British Scandal: Miniseries | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Susan Granger

SSG Syndicate

Sordid sex scandal re-visited - sans humor - but with impressive performances by Claire Foy and Paul Bettany.

Rated: 6/10

May 10, 2022

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Audience Reviews

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Rhianna J I felt this deep in my bones. Claire Foy is such a force and I can't keep my eyes off her. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/13/23 Full Review Rita B I found it an interesting series but dark in every sense of the word. A lot of the film is in half light and it becomes most annoying after a while. I did think the Scottish scenery was beautifully filmed, stark and wonderful but the interior shots badly lit.The acting was excellent but don't expect to come away with anything but a feeling of sadness at how two human beings went about destroying each other. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review mike m An inside view of a dysfunctional aristocratic family (yes, another one of them - the UK specialises in producing them). Fascinating to watch two highly dislikeable people (the Duke and the duch*esse of Argyll) tear each other to pieces in a story where everyone comes out badly. A true testament to the hypocrisy and dysfunctionality of the British aristocracy. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review jo-anne m Absolutely loved it. The acting is superb, especially Claire Foy and Paul Bettany. Not often, does a movie of this standard, come along. Well written! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/11/22 Full Review Lee C Well produced and acted, with only a couple of noticeable anachronisms, but also quite humorless. Maybe that makes it faithful to the real world events and people it depicts, but it doesn't make it much fun to watch. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/05/22 Full Review Audience Member A Very British Scandal (TV 2021): Argyll v. Argyll, the trial of the century, 1963. The marriage and divorce of the Duke and duch*ess. Both unsympathetic characters, at first exploiting each other cooperatively, then at each other's throats, literally. Deliciously scandalous. B+ Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Very British Scandal — Miniseries

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Cast & Crew

Claire Foy Margaret Campbell, duch*ess of Argyll Paul Bettany Ian Campbell, Duke of Argyll Julia Davis Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava Camilla Rutherford Diana Napier Sophia Myles Louise `Oui Oui' Campbell Richard McCabe George Whigham

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Dec 26, 2021 Episode One Once considered the most beautiful debutante of the 1930s, heiress Margaret Sweeny is in the midst of a divorce when she meets the dashing -- and married -- Ian Campbell, future Duke of Argyll. Details Episode 2 Aired Dec 27, 2021 Putting aside gnawing doubts about her marriage, Margaret continues with her plan to secure her claim to Inveraray Castle; however, a private photograph has the potential to destroy everything for which she has worked. Details Episode 3 Aired Dec 28, 2021 As the most scandalous divorce trial of the century looms over Margaret's life and reputation, she must decide if she is to go away quietly or fight for her side of the story to finally be heard. Details

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