The political scandal of the 1970’s when Jeremy Thorpe the Leader of British Political Party went on trial for planning to kill his younger lover Norman Scott seems relatively tame compared to the outrageous shenanigans of today’s politicians.  However, at the time, it threatened the very existence of the Liberal Party that Thorpe had successfully transformed into a credible 3rd Party in the UK Parliament. 

Back then Thorpe, who was married to the former Lady Harewood, denied everything including the fact he was gay, had an affair with Scott and had plotted to kill him.

The case took three years to get to Court and  Thorpe chose not to give evidence on the grounds that the prosecution had not established its case.  After a six week trial, he was completely acquitted, and the world was shocked (a la O J Simpson magnitude). It left very many questions unanswered and Thorpe’s career in ruins.

Now, this hard-to-believe real-life story is being turned into a fictionalized TV mini-series by the BBC written by openly gay Russell T Davies (Queer As Folk) and directed by Oscar-nominated  Stephen Frears.   Openly gay actor Ben Whishaw will play Scott and Thorpe will be played by Hugh Grant.  It’s not Grant’s first time playing gay as at the very start of his career he played another posh Brit trying to keep his homosexual tendencies firmly in the closet in the 1987 film Maurice.

A Very English Scandal premieres in Britain on the BBC this month. and Americans will get to watch it when it comes to Amazon Prime later this year.