Former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies’ next big project is finally kicking off, with period drama A Very English Scandal beginning filming today.


And with the start of shooting the production has released its first official image, showing star Hugh Grant as MP Jeremy Thorpe, the first British politician to stand trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder after he allegedly attempted to have his ex-lover Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw, also pictured) killed to keep his silence over their past affair.

Though Thorpe was acquitted in 1979, it ended his political career and scandalised the nation, and now the entire torrid story is being dramatised by writer Davies and director Stephen Frears for broadcast next year.

“Hugh won’t mind me putting words in his mouth, I think both Stephen and Hugh have genuinely been fascinated by Jeremy Thorpe for a long long time,” Davies told RadioTimes.com of the new drama, which marks Grant’s first TV acting gig since the 1990s.

“It was a project they were dying to do. So it’s very exciting – and Ben Whishaw as well. It’s just a dream casting. It’s so exciting, I can’t begin to tell you. It’s very, very exciting.”

And that dream cast is only growing this week, with newly-announced additions to A Very English Scandal including Monica Dolan (W1a, Strike: The Silkworm), Alex Jennings (The Queen, Victoria), Jason Watkins (Line of Duty), Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Adrian Scarborough (Gavin & Stacey) and Patricia Hodge (Miranda). Sounds like this is a TV event not to miss.


A Very English Scandal will air in 2018