The show will dramatize events leading up to his famous 2019 interview with journalist Emily Maitlis.
In terms of high-profile, modern television interviews, it probably doesn’t get more seismic than Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis and her sit-down with Prince Andrew.
The infamous conversation focussed on the prince’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and provided some remarkable revelations. They included his inability to sweat and an alibi which involved a trip to the Pizza Express in Woking.
Now, the story is to become a three-part television series for Prime Video, written by Jeremy Brock (Mrs Brown). With headline casting announced, it is confirmed that Michael Sheen (Good Omens) will play Prince Andrew, while Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials) takes the role of Emily Maitlis.
As reported by Variety, the show’s official description says that the series will focus on “… Emily Maitlis’ professional and personal journey as a Newsnight journalist, leading up to her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew.”
Joining Sheen and Wilson, the series will also star Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk, Alex Jennings as Sir Edward Young, and Éanna Hardwicke as Stewart Maclean.
A Very Royal Scandal is the third drama in a loose series. In the first, A Very English Scandal, writer Russell T Davies chronicled the fall of MP Jeremy Thorpe. For the second, Sarah Phelps’ A Very British Scandal, the subject was the life of Margaret Campbell, the Duchess of Argyll.
With Julian Jarrold directing, the show comes from Blueprint Pictures for Amazon MGM Studios. Josh Hyams produces. Brock, Jarrold and Maitlis all take executive producer roles, alongside Karen Thrussell, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Diarmuid McKeown.
Scoop
Events surrounding the interview are also the subject of Netflix’s forthcoming drama Scoop. Based on the memoir of Newsnight’s guest booker Sam McAllister, played by Billie Piper, that version of the tale sees Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis, while Rufus Sewell plays Prince Andrew.
Written by Peter Moffat and Geoff Bussetil, Scoop’s cast also includes Keeley Hawes, Connor Swindells, Romola Garai, Lia Williams, Amanda Redman and Charity Wakefield.
We’ll keep you posted.