Shocking period drama about UK's 'most notorious' posh family streaming for free

A new period drama has recently dropped on the free streaming service U, the home of all things UKTV. Set prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, Outrageous tells the scandalous story of the Mitford sisters, the six infamous sisters whose lives filled the gossip sheets of the early 20th century, and their brother Tom, who sadly lost his life in the war.

Starring Bridgerton's Bessie Carter as Nancy Mitford, the eldest of the Mitford siblings and the bestselling writer of The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, the first series follows the earlier scandals of the family, starting with Diana's shocking divorce. Married in 1929 to Brian Guinness, Diana, played in the show by Joanna Vanderham, filed for divorce in 1932 and became the mistress of Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists.

They married in 1936, three years after the death of Mosley's first wife, Lady Cynthia Curzon. However, the death of his wife didn't stop Mosley's affair with his late wife's younger sister.

With the show only covering the family prior to the Second World War, viewers may have to wait for the second season to see what came next in Diana's long life, with the socialite passing away just 22 years ago in 2003.

But Diana wasn't the only one of her sisters to cause a scandal with the political associations, with Unity, portrayed by Shannon Watson, being particularly fond of Hitler.

In 1934, Unity moved to Germany and started studying at a language school close to the Nazi part headquarters in Munich and would often eat at the Osteria Bavaria, a favourite restaurant of Hitler's, in the hopes of meeting him.

Eventually, she was invited to join the dictator at his table, and Unity's obsession with him only deepened. During her time in Germany, she wrote a letter to the German newspaper detailing her anti-semitic beliefs.

This was later translated into English and published by the British press, and while it led to Unity becoming one of the most hated women in Britain, it served her purposes by drawing her closer into Hitler's inner circle.

Series one of Outrageous ends before the war, but with Unity off in Germany, estranged from the sister she was once the closest to. And if there is a second series then viewers will see Unity's infamous reaction to Britain's declaration of war on Nazi Germany, which ultimately led to her early death in 1948.

The show also deals with Diana and Unity's falling out with their elder sister Nancy, who wrote the satirical novel Wigs on the Green, which poked fun at her sisters' fascist beliefs.

In contrast to her right-wing sisters, Jessica, portrayed by Zoe Brough in Outrageous, was an avid communist. While she certainly caused a few scandals in her life, especially when she eloped with her distant cousin, Esmond Romilly.

The show details Jessica's admiration for Romilly and shows their first meeting as she plans to run off to join the communist fights in the Spanish Civil War.

After the Second World War, Jessica moved to America, where she became a journalist and political campaigner, later becoming caught up in the Red Scare.

While her sisters grow more involved in the political extremes of the 1930s, the show tells how Nancy, abandoned by her fiancé Hamish Erskine, instead weds Peter Rodd, with their marriage quickly turning into a rather unhappy one.

Although not quite as politically extreme as her sisters, Nancy is thought to have been moderately left-wing. However, her life wasn't without scandals, and for many years, she was romantically involved with Gaston Palewski, a close associate of Charles de Gaulle.

Remarkably less scandalous than their sisters were Pamela and Deborah, played by Isobel Jesper Jones and Orla Hill, respectively.

The first series of Outrageous details Pamela's marriage to the millionaire scientist Derek Jackson, which led to a slight falling out between the young Deborah, who had feelings for Derek despite their age difference.

Deborah, who became the last of the Mitford sisters to pass away back in 2014, would go on to marry Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire and become Duchess of Devonshire. She had a front row seat to many of the historical events of the 20th century, attending the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and both the presidential inauguration and the funeral of JFK.

Pamela, who never seemed to be one for the high society she was born into, divorced her husband in 1951 and became the close companion of Giuditta Tommasi, an Italian horsewoman. Particularly fond of animals, Pamela also became a self-taught poultry expert.

Outrageous is currently streaming on U.