What is Anatomy Of A Scandal about?
Anatomy Of A Scandal follows a British court case involving a parliamentary minister, named James, who is accused of a terrible crime. His wife, Sophie, is convinced of James' innocence, which she desperately tries to help prove while barrister and prosecutor Kate Woodcroft is equally convinced of his guilt.
The subsequent court case "threatens to tear into Westminster, the Whitehouse marriage, and her own personal esteem," a description from Netflix reads.
The official synopsis also describes how "the series infiltrates Britain's elite through personal and political scandal, where the truth lies between justice and privilege".
You can get a proper taste for the series in the first trailer, which reveals all of the main characters in action—and yes, it's convinced us that it'll be the next Pieces Of Her. Watch the full trailer above.
Who will star in Anatomy Of A Scandal?
Several major names have joined the cast of the Netflix series, including Sienna Miller, best known for her roles in Layer Cake, The Loudest Voice and The Girl. She will play Sophie, the desparate wife of the disgraced minister.
Meanwhile the latter will be played by Rupert Friend (known for Homeland and Pride & Prejudice) and playing Kate is Michelle Dockery, who you'll no doubt recognise from Downton Abbey and The Gentleman.
Rounding out the cast are Josette Simon who plays QC Angela Regan and Naomi Scott as Olivia Lytton.
S.J. Clarkson is director on the series, while it was written by Melissa James Gibson and David Kelley, who was also behind the book to TV adaptations of Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers.
In a joint statement about the new project, the writers shared: "Sex. Power. Privilege. Based on Sarah’s addictive book, the show tackles entitlement, truth and the boundaries of consent. It’s been a joy to partner with Netflix on this and see SJ bring it to such a rich and nuanced life."
When will Anatomy Of A Scandal be released?
The six-part series is set to drop on Netflix on April 15, 2022, per a statement from the streaming service on Twitter.
Is Anatomy Of A Scandal based on a true story?
While the court case in Anatomy Of A Scandal isn't based on a specific true event, the book's author Sarah Vaughan has described that her experience as a reporter inspired the key themes of the novel.
In an article for popular UK book store Waterstones, Vaughan details how she reported on murder and sexual abuse trials which gave her "first hand the inherent drama, the high stakes and extremes of emotion that could be played out in court".
Later, she became a political reporter, where she covered several shock resignations of cabinet ministers and, "also saw how sex scandals involving politicians broke and played out. I was in the lobby when the Home Secretary David Blunkett was exposed by the News of the World for having an affair with the publisher of the Spectator; and I saw Boris Johnson colourfully deny and later admit to lying over, his affair with Petronella Wyatt."
Covering these news stories made her realise the power of media in its ability to generate and drive the news agenda, and how that coverage can impact the political expediency of certain ministers when they become embroiled in scandal.
"All of this fed into my writing Anatomy of a Scandal—a novel I couldn’t have conceived without that experience of working in the lobby, or those early years of court reporting, when I sat, straining to capture each choice quote in 110wpm shorthand," she wrote.
