I can’t remember exactly when it happened, but at some point I became a rabid fan of British crime/thriller series – limited series, they’re called.
As with many Americans, I love the history, the scenery and, yes, their accents – whether the quite proper Queen’s English as delivered by Olivia Colman in The Crown or the Northern accents in Stay Close and others in which I find myself using English subtitles to understand the English dialogue- I am usually hooked in the first episode.
The latest to have captured my fancy (is that how they say it?) is Anatomy of a Scandal
Ironically it was co-developed by noted American show runner David E. Kelley, but the crime and courtroom drama is drawn from the novel by Sarah Vaughan, a former courtroom reporter and political correspondent at The Guardian.
‘Anatomy of a Scandal” shows us what we think is an upstanding politician (if such a thing exists). He is Parliamentary Minister James Whitehouse (Rupert Friend), a well-liked, apparently happily married family man. Sienna Miller as his wife carries most of the weight of the show’s most demanding role.
One random night, the couple are informed that a story is about to break in the press. A story in which his loyal and much younger aide (Naomi Scott) accuses her boss of having raped her in the elevator.
This turn of events unearths even more parts of the story, many told in flashbacks from the characters’ Oxford University days. One biggie (don’t worry, no spoilers here) is that our accused Minister is longtime friends with the current Prime Minister. Uh, oh.
Don’t get me wrong-this series has many instances that defy logic. These shows are for mystery fans who don’t question every single element. Just go with it.
The cast are all veteran UK actors; you may have even seen them in other series like this one. We get a peek into the English legal system, as the opposing attorneys end up being important to the plot (I mean, it is a courtroom drama)
Not all of these series are top shelf, and I don’t care. I find the rhythm and fact that these are standalone3 seasons—they spend the last 4 episodes getting up primed for next year’s slate. Nope, this one runs 6 e3pisodes and has a satisfactory finish.
Other limited run series on Netflix that I liked include:
- Stay Close
- The Stranger
- And, as a bonus-here’s a comedy series that is as British as you can get. Unlike the aforementioned mysteries, it’s a limited run sitcom and I loved it: Like him or not, you gotta love this Ricky Gervais series.
More British productions that may not be 100% located in the UK or may not have 100% British casts:
Safe, Collateral, The Innocent, Hypnotic, and Intrusion. All are available to stream on Netflix