A Very British Scandal shares first trailer with Claire Foy and Paul Bettany
The series unpacks one of the most "extraordinary" divorce cases in British history.
The BBC has released the first trailer for A Very British Scandal – the unconnected follow-up to A Very English Scandal – which makes its debut on Boxing Day.
The three-part series, written by Sarah Phelps (Dublin Murders, The Pale Horse) charts the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in the 1960s, described by the broadcaster as "one of the most notorious, extraordinary and brutal legal cases of the 20th century".
The Crown's Claire Foy stars as Margaret, Duchess of Argyll and WandaVision's Paul Bettany appears alongside her as Ian Campbell, Duke of Argyll.
"Watching any relationship break down is deeply sad but also really fascinating from the outside because you always want to know where it went wrong," Foy said at the press Q&A. "At what point was there no return?
"And I think what’s interesting about the end of their relationship is it plays out in the public domain. The end of their relationship is not those two in a room being able to look each other in the eye and go, ‘At one point we loved each other. What happened?’
"It was just messy and so underhand and cruel, and the only way she could reach him was via the newspapers, and that’s how they basically communicated, it felt like."
In a statement, Phelps said: “Writing the story of Margaret’s life and the events leading up to and including her divorce from the Duke has been a passion project of mine since 1993 when I first heard her name and started learning about her.
"I felt very strongly that she’d been punished for being a woman, for being visible, for refusing to back down, be a good girl and go quietly. This drama is my tribute to her."
Watch the trailer below.
Speaking at the Q&A, Phelps also drew parallels between Margaret and Meghan Markle.
"I think a lot about Meghan Markle and about how much the press hate her, how much they absolutely go for her all the time compared with Kate Middleton,” she said.
“And there’s a kind of prevailing idea that if you’re in the public eye, you’re fair game, you’re meat. If you put yourself out there, you’re meat, and if you get bruised, so what? That’s your job. Your job is to be ripped apart by us.
"That’s who I thought a lot about when I was writing this.”
A Very British Scandal will premiere at 9pm on Boxing Day on BBC One, with all three episodes available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer from that time. The series also continues across the following two nights on BBC One.
While you wait, take a look at our other Drama coverage, or find out what else to watch with our TV Guide.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
