Sex + spies + politics = scandal
This true story of how showgirl Christine Keeler brought down the British government, is a must-watch
OMG, have you been watching The
Trial of Christine Keeler?
I’ve been addicted to the drama since it aired on BBC First, three weeks ago. The casting is ingenious. Every actor plays their part with commendable dexterity.
And the writing is just incredible. What can I say, I’m a sucker for masterfully-penned lines, especially those that border on witty and sarky. Of course, Sophie Cookson’s blessed with some real gems as the lead in the six-part series.
Cast as Christine Keeler, the aspirant model and showgirl finds herself entangled in a sex scandal with two prominent married men: John Profumo (Ben Miles), a Conservative MP and Secretary of State for War, as well as Yevgeny Ivanov (Visar Vishka), a Soviet naval attaché.
Her tumultuous relationships with exes, Johnny Edgecombe (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and Lucky Gordon (Anthony Welsh), played an unwitting hand in exposing the Profumo Affair, which is documented in Britain’s historical analogues.
Thrust into the spotlight, an observant newshound from the Mirror newspapers approaches Keeler to tell her story. At first, she’s oblivious to the value of the information she has, having been privy to many clandestine conversations during her pillow talk moments; and, thanks to her close relationship with Stephen Ward (played by James Norton), an osteopath who is very deeply entrenched in the world of politics. He knows all the key players and has forged close relationships with many of them by throwing adult parties and arranging “dates” for his affiliates. In other words, he’s a sort of pimp albeit a nice one to Keeler and his other impressionable recruit, Mandy RiceDavies (Ellie Bamber). His pet name for them both is, “Little baby”.
I already commented on the script. Every episode opens with a poignant harsh truth by Keeler.
In episode two, she noted: “The men in my life taught me many things, though you could say some things in life don’t need to be taught. When I met John Profumo, we gave in to the most natural instinct there is, the love of a powerful middle aged man for a penniless teenage girl. Is that a crime?”
It’s rather telling.
When Ward tries to warn his political “friends” of the possible threat, they don’t take it too seriously until the papers are about to run an exposé. Then several cages start rattling, including that of Valerie Hobson (Emilia Fox), the actress wife of Profumo.
When Christine left her small town for a bustling city life in
London, she was expecting fame, fortune and perhaps a Prince Charming.
It just so happened that she got famous for all the wrong reasons. And her Prince Charmings turned out to be vengeful frogs.
Towards the end of the episode, Keeler added: “Stephen may have been a puppet master but he wasn’t pulling the strings anymore, not mine anyway, and the people who were, were sent to destroy us all.” Intrigued much, now?
This wonderfully enacted drama, underpinned by a scandalous truelife story, is riveting as it charts the downfall of a political bigwig.
If you are looking for something a bit lighter, catch The Last O.G.
It stars Tracy Morgan, who is also an executive producer on the show. Of course, it is great to see Morgan returning to his comedic roots, especially since his car accident in 2014. I love that it has Tiffany Haddish. Since bagging her breakthrough film role as
Dina in Girls Trip, she’s been on a roll for projects on the big screen, small screen and online streaming platforms. Interestingly, she’s also on Kids Say The Darndest Things With
Tiffany Haddish on 1Magic, every Friday. She is incorrigible with her sassiness, even in this show, where she plays Shannon “Shay-Shay” Birkeland, the former girlfriend of ex-con Tray Barker (Morgan).
Having spent 15 years behind bars, he returns to the hood only to find it is unrecognisable thanks to gentrification.
Rekindling his romance with his ex is also not an option. She is married to a white guy, who is raising his twin kids, Amira and Shahzad.
The show is good for a few laughs. Don’t go expecting it to be on par with 30 Rock.
◆ The Trial of Christine Keeler airs on BBC First (DStv channel 119) on Thursdays at 8pm. The Last O.G. airs on 1Magic (DStv channel 103) on Wednesdays at 9.30pm.