Hugh Grant shines in ‘English Scandal’
Hugh Grant feasts on the role of a heartless cad in “A Very English Scandal” (TV-14), now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Based on a real story, it stars Grant as Jeremy Thorpe, a powerful member of the U.K. Parliament who, in 1979, became the first British politician to stand trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder. Combining period details with a tragic reminder of prejudices of the recent past, “Scandal” provides Grant (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”) with one of his most rewarding roles in decades.
The story begins in the early 1960s, when Thorpe, a deeply closeted gay man who lives with his mother, begins an affair with Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw, “The Hour”), a stablehand who works for one of Thorpe’s posh friends. While Thorpe’s activities were hardly rare among his set, homosexuality was a criminal act in Great Britain until 1967, subjecting the politically ambitious Thorpe to threats of blackmail and ruin.
Long after their affair, Thorpe goes on to lead Britain’s Liberal Party and becomes obsessively worried about his former lover’s loose lips. Scott emerges as a surprisingly humble, unintentionally funny character who just wants help getting his National Insurance card and perhaps a little recognition and respect.
Alex Jennings, who plays the disgraced Duke of Windsor on “The Crown,” stars here as Peter Bessell, Thorpe’s friend and political confidant. Directed by Stephen Frears (“The Queen”), “Scandal” does a great job of presenting careerist scheming and political tragedy in a whimsical tone. As such, it may remind some viewers of the original, superior British version of “House of Cards.” Highly recommended.
HANDMAIDS OF A DIFFERENT ERA
“GLOW” (TV-MA) begins streaming its second season on Netflix. Set in the 1980s world of the Glamorous Ladies of Wrestling, it revels in its cheesy costumes and production values. On one level, it’s about overlooked actresses demeaning themselves in a modern minstrel show. But as season two begins, the show has never seemed surer of its message.
Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) may be delusional that she’s really an equal partner to sleazy director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), but she’s always ready to rally her fellow wrestlers. “GLOW” sports one of the most diverse casts on television, with women who are fully conscious that they are playing racist stereotypes for an audience willing to repeatedly fall for the same emotionally charged narratives.
For a half-hour comedy, “GLOW” asks viewers to keep up with a huge cast and any number of personal stories and subplots. Featuring a pitch-perfect take on the style, music and “look” of its period, “GLOW” may be the most bingeable series around. It’s also a reminder that smart satire doesn’t always have to be painful. Viewers following a shot of “The Handmaid’s Tale” with a chaser of “GLOW” may come to see that they are telling similar stories in a very different fashion.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Former NBA stars face off in BIG3 basketball (8 p.m., Fox), live from Chicago.
› Alex investigates a military contractor on “Quantico” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
› “Great Performances” (PBS, TV-PG; 11 p.m. on GPB, 2 a.m. on WTCI) presents “Ellis Island: The Dream of America With Pacific Symphony.”
› Cher, Christine Baranski, Rupert Everett and Natalie Dormer appear on “The Graham Norton Show” (11 p.m., BBC America, TV-14).
› Dean Cain hosts two helpings of “Masters of Illusion” (8 and 8:30 p.m., repeat, CW, TV-14).
› Ethical dilemmas abound on “What Would You Do?” (9 p.m., ABC).
› “Dateline” (10 p.m., NBC).
› “20/20” (10 p.m., ABC). Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin. tvguy@gmail.com.