The Light in the Hall

It has good acting, beautiful surroundings and wonderful accents. Sound familiar? Well, something has got to tide us over while we wait for the next Happy Valley.

One of my pet hates [is] how TV dramas always get journalists wrong and this lot were predictably two-dimensional despite the efforts of Alexandra Roach (Scanlan’s co-star from the quality No Offence). However, I liked the way that it features realistic people in authentic, ordinary houses and it’s not all kitchen islands and rainfall showers.

Episode one is all a bit bleak and ponderous but I ended up watching the whole series and the pace does pick up. It turns into a thriller, albeit not an especially thrilling one.

Assuming the pace picks up in coming episodes – and it must if anything is to happen, let alone be resolved in the next five hours – there will be enough to reward viewing. If it doesn’t – well, finish the chocolate and leftover Baileys and we’ll try again in a bit.

In a vacuum, The Light in the Hall would be a perfectly fine, if a little overwrought, small-town crime drama. The problem is, we’ve seen it all before.