The Trial of Christine Keeler

TV review by Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media
The Trial of Christine Keeler Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Mature British sex scandal told from a feminist perspective.

HBO Max Drama 2021
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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Trial of Christine Keeler, which is based on a true story, contains mature subject matter relating to infidelity, abuse, and prostitution. Sexism and sexual-double standards are also major themes. Sexual content includes simulated sex acts and partial nudity. There are also violent fights (including men physically assaulting women) and bloody wounds. Cursing is frequent, and includes "piss off," bitch," "s--t," "f--k." Drinking is also frequent (beer, hard liquor, wine, champagne) and as is typical for the era, there's lots of cigarette smoking, too. On occasion, pot smoking and pill popping is visible.

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What's the Story?

THE TRIAL OF CHRISTINE KEELER is a British dramatic series based on one of the largest political scandals in modern British Politics. In 1959, 19-year old model and cabaret dancer Christine Keeler (Sophie Cookson) met charming osteopath and artist Stephen Ward (James Norton). Ward soon began introducing Christine to his socialite friends, including British War Minister John Profumo (Ben Miles), with whom she had an affair. A year later, after a publicized violent dispute with former boyfriend Johnny Edgecombe (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), Keeler's relationship with Profumo, and her affairs with other men, including Stephen Ward's Soviet friend Yevgeny Ivanov (Visar Vishka), became subjects of investigation. What followed were allegations of espionage, and accusations of prostitution, which led to high-profile trials with catastrophic results, and the resignations of John Profumo and the British Prime Minister in 1963.

Is It Any Good?

This British miniseries offers a troubling, but entertaining, interpretation of what is referred to today as the "Profumo Affair" from Christine Keeler's point of view. This account, which is drawn from Keeler's book, points to how her youthful (and ignorant) desire to party and have fun with men made her -- and her best friend Mandy Rice-Davies (played by Ellie Bamber) -- unwitting pawns in the politics of Parliament's upper class and its well-established members. It also underscores the double-standard that exists when judging men and women's sexual behavior, and how this sexism directly impacted the events that transpired. The scandal-mongering role of the British media, and Keeler's naive and unsuccessful attempts to take advantage of it, is also highlighted.

While some of the arrests and legal proceedings associated with the scandal are now widely viewed as miscarriages of justice, the series also addresses how some of the specific details are now tied to popular culture. It reenacts Rice-Davies' now well-quoted testimony about Lord William Astor, with whom she had an affair, and tells of her subsequent singing career. It also reveals the history of a now-iconic 1963 picture of Keeler, taken by reknowned photographer Lewis Morley during the chaos, which is more innocent than it appears. All in all, The Trial of Christine Keeler is a good series that has a lot to offer. However, if you're unfamiliar with the story, it might be a little hard to follow, let alone believe.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the media coverage of the Profumo Affair. How much responsibiity does the media have for what happened to Christine Keeler? Was the press coverage of this event handled differently than it would be in the UK or U.S. today?

  • The Trial of Christine Keeler tells the story about the scandal from Christine Keeler's point of view. How does this change the way the story is told? What message does Keeler send to the audience about the decisions she's made?

TV Details

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