The Lady makes a compelling true crime story into a compelling drama through the performances by both McKenna-Bruce and Dormer, who try hard to make their famous characters nuanced and real.

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

[Mia McKenna-Bruce as Jane is] a performance that anchors the series. By contrast, Natalie Dormer, as Sarah, never quite lands. .... The detectives, however, feel underwritten; their investigative work is so thinly drawn that the conviction itself strains credibility. Despite all this—or perhaps because of it—The Lady remains a frothy, distinctly British watch.

Ultimately, “The Lady” is well-paced, but also challenging to watch.

Although The Lady is a compelling watch, with an exceptional performance from McKenna-Bruce and wielding the styling of the era to its advantage, its limited exploration of Thomas results in a one-sided recounting of events.

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.