A Very British Scandal

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.

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.

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.

... Foy & Bettany were-are their usual outstanding selves ... the production was very good, the only criticism might be the length ... 1st & 3rd parts were reasonably paced ... the middle dragged a bit as if to fill time ... overall a worthwhile effort even if a bit too lengthy.

Foy and Bettany kick acting arse in their depictions of two dislikeable people in a marriage from hell. Excellent supporting performances from the rest of the cast make this drama a 'must watch'. Acting awards for the 'Duke and Duchess' to follow please!