Streaming Sunday features TV series or movies adapted from books I’ve read, offered on at least one streaming service and I’ve watched.
Anatomy of a Scandal is a six-episode series screen adaptation of the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughan. It’s a story about a sexual consent scandal among the British elite starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend, currently streaming on Netflix.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have the book but didn’t get a chance to listen to it before watching the series. When I realized it stars Sienna Miller, who I believe doesn’t receive the accolades she merits, I couldn’t wait. So, I don’t have a book-to-screen comparison. It’s impossible for me to read the book after seeing the screen version and I didn’t want to forgo the opportunity to feature this provocative series.
Even though the series has received average to low scores on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, I firmly believe it deserves watching (89% of those rating it on Google liked it). The themes are relevant and important, presented in a stunningly balanced way using subtlety and nuance. Miller delivers one of her best performances, reflecting a transition from deliberate cluelessness to complete enlightenment not only of the issues but her own self awareness. Her scenes alone justify the commitment to the six episodes.
The series takes a bit to take off as the initial scenes aren’t presented in a linear way. You’re thrown into the middle of the scandal and then carried back to the past as those events become relevant to the present. It’s almost like how your own mind would recall those events when prompted or triggered by moments in the present. I have a feeling that a great number of those giving low ratings bailed before finishing all the episodes. It is one of those slow burns that’s worth the wait for a fantastic payoff.
The courtroom drama is riveting, so much so that I didn’t even want to blink for fear of missing something in body language or dialogue. I have strong opinions about consent and what played out during the trial had me being realistic about the jury’s perspective on what they were seeing and hearing. Both lawyers were amazing and those scenes were expertly performed and directed.
This is one I think everyone should add to their streaming list. I watched it with hubby and we talked about the issues for almost and hour after we finished. And, the production is superb on every level, from the directing, to the acting on through the cinematography. It was released on April 15, 2022 and continues to stream on Netflix. Check it out.
Blue Mood Café 
This does sound fascinating. I wonder why it didn’t fair well with rotten tomatoes. I marked it on My List in Netflix. I’m watching Devil Wears Prada for the thousandth time right now. It is very similar at the book it is based on. I look forward to watching Anatomy of a Scandal!
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Tessa, you’d appreciate this as I believe you like nuance. I’m grateful I didn’t look at ratings before I watched this. Hubby is a hard sell but agreed to watch one episode. Then he said he’d watch another. When he got to the third, he just gave up and binge watched the rest😏 I really hope you give it a shot.
Unfortunately, I watched The Devil Wears Prada (love it!) before I read the book. Later, I got ten pages into the book and gave up because I kept trying to twist it into the movie. Oh, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched that film.
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I never tire of it. Miranda both fascinates and horrifies me but I’ve definitely had bosses that resembled her 😳
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Thanks Jo, it sounds like another great mini-series. I am in the middle of season 3 of Bosch, and watching Young Sheldon for the giggles.
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Ooh, season 3 is really good! Very wise to balance it with Sheldon. Hope you’ll give this a try. I’d love your feedback, good or bad.
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Glad you enjoyed this Jo. I read the book as a NetGalley ARC years ago and loved it, but only watched the first couple of episodes as I can remember the book really well and didn’t fancy watching any more! What I saw was very good though and definitely deserves better ratings!
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Thanks, Nicki💜 I can imagine knowing how it ends takes some of the punch out of it. But the courtroom scenes are epic!
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Excellent series based on a most excellent novel. This is British tv at its best and for some reason it’s something that doesn’t always work with an American audience.
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My hubby and I love British dramas and mysteries. I agree that this was an exceptional representation.
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Great review Jonetta! I really enjoyed this series as well. It was so addicting!
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Thank you, Amy💜 Addicting is a great way to describe it.
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