When does ‘A Very English Scandal’ start on BBC One?

The BBC has confirmed when Hugh Grant’s new period drama series A Very English Scandal begins airing.

The darkly comic three-part mini-series tells the true story of an illegal love affair that threatened the life of one man and the entire British establishment in 1960s England.

Starring Hugh Grant (Bridget Jones) alongside Ben Whishaw (Spectre), Alex Jennings (The Lady in the Van), Patricia Hodge (Miranda) and Jason Watkins (W1A), A Very English Scandal is written by Russell T Davies (Doctor Who, The Grand).

Episode 1 will air at 9pm on Sunday 20 May on BBC One.

Watch the trailer:

The official synopsis reads: “It is 1960s England, homosexuality is illegal and the politician Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant) begins a whirlwind affair with a young stable hand, Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw). But when the relationship turns sour and Jeremy’s career goes from strength to strength, Norman becomes a secret that Jeremy is desperate to hide.

“In 1967, Jeremy becomes the leader of the Liberal Party and the youngest leader of any British political party in a hundred years, but as long as his ex-lover Norman is around, his brilliant career is at risk. Behind the oak-panelled doors of Parliament, Jeremy turns to his friends for decisive action. He can see only one way to silence him for good.”