Did anyone watch this miniseries when it was on telly back in September or thereabouts? A quick scan of the archive suggests it passed the collective yacf consciousness by. I admit I shunned it at the time because the trailers made it look awful - like it was Yet Another Costume Drama about posh people in Edwardian England à la Downton Abbey. Plus I'm not familiar with the book.
Then two things happened to change my mind: first, my wife watched an episode and said she really liked it (and I trust her judgment); and second, I discovered the screenplay was by Tom Stoppard, whose plays I adore. So I watched it and discovered it was actually quite brilliant.
I got my wife the series on DVD for Christmas and we've been watching it over the last couple of nights. It is superb. The comparisons with Downton Abbey couldn't be wider of the mark. This is drama with real substance, something you can really sink your teeth into and spend a long time pondering afterwards. The three leads are complex and interesting characters and all played brilliantly (by Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall and Adelaide Clemens) and they're backed up by a first-class supporting cast - Roger Allam, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett and Rufus Sewell stand out.
Couldn't recommend it more highly. Rebecca Hall as Sylvia Tietjens has to be a very strong contender for a Bafta.
And now I really want to read the book too...
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