Flawless period drama perfect for Downton Abbey fans | UK News

Devotees of Downton Abbey searching for another grand, sumptuously crafted period drama now have the chance to rediscover a real tv landmark.

The celebrated 1981 adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited is accessible to stream free of charge on ITVX, more than 4 a long time after it initially mesmerised viewers.

Starring Jeremy Irons as Charles Ryder and Anthony Andrews as Lord Sebastian Flyte, the 11-part Granada Television serial is regarded as one of the best small-screen diversifications ever created.

Faithfully based on Waugh’s 1945 novel, it follows Ryder’s life and romantic entanglements from the Nineteen Twenties through the Second World War, while inspecting his profound friendship with Sebastian and the broader aristocratic Flyte household, who inhabit the magnificent Brideshead Castle – truly Castle Howard in North Yorkshire.

The manufacturing itself boasts an distinctive legacy. Time Magazine positioned it amongst the 100 most interesting TV programmes of all time, while The Guardian ranked it second on its catalogue of the top 50 dramas in 2010.

The British Film Institute also featured it in its compilation of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, assembled by industry specialists in 2000.

A considerable portion of its triumph stems from its dedication to Waugh’s authentic writing.

Producer Derek Granger and director Charles Sturridge maintained that 95% of the dialogue was taken straight from the guide, bestowing upon the collection a literary gravitas that few diversifications have equalled.

The collection also garnered appreciable recognition on the awards circuit. It claimed two Golden Globes, among them Best Miniseries, and picked up an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

Viewers who have revisited it in current years stay every bit as enthusiastic. On IMDb, one reviewer described it as “the best miniseries ever made,” praising its “beautiful” direction, “remarkable” solid and “amazing impact.”

Another said: “Everyone is of course entitled to an opinion about matters such as this, but how anyone can rate this series as anything less than a great milestone in television is, to my mind at least, quite difficult to understand.”

A 3rd merely declared it “the finest series I’ve ever seen on television,” citing its flawless mix of music, places and appearing expertise.

For those who missed it the first time around, or who merely want to relive it in its entirety, the collection is now out there to stream on ITVX.