It is expertly put together and, at times, oddly moving and powerful.

Ultimately, this is a true crime story done the ITV way: propulsive, bingeable, entertaining, not too deep.

Despite solid performances and appealing visuals, The Lady struggles with its narrative structure. In the first three episodes, there are two timelines in play. .... There's never any warning when The Lady switches between the two timelines, which chops up the story into small, disjointed chunks.

A strange and exasperating thing that clomps between aerated royal soap, plodding police procedural, exuberant coming-of-age period piece and hand-wringing domestic drama with the grace of a pantomime horse at a black-tie buffet.

With a good cast (Philip Glenister and Claire Skinner also appear in supporting roles), appealing period production design, and a bouncy soundtrack ranging from Depeche Mode to Blondie, it’s clear that proper effort has been exerted on The Lady. It’s just a shame, then, that the series can’t escape its licentious origins in the worst sort of sleazy journalism.