The Split: Barcelona (BBC1) turned out to be an unexpected treat.

The trio’s sibling dynamic is a delight, realistically but warmly observed. And Stephens slots effortlessly well into the world of The Split, where everyone is witty, emotionally vulnerable and has some kind of high-flying legal career.

Spending time with three generations of the Defoe clan remains a sharp, witty joy in its fourth outing.

Spanish sun aside, it’s The Split business as usual: relationship torment styled by Reiss. Did the world need it? Nah, but it was a treat nonetheless.

Some of the script and plotting concerning the in-laws would be rejected by the writers of Death in Paradise. .... Walker and Mangan are still great at understated comedy (“Our contribution to this wedding will cover, at best, the patatas bravas,” says Nathan) and at digging out emotional truths.

Again, the script was absurdly trite on this point. Hannah even said: “If there’s anything more romantic than chicken in a basket and a karaoke machine then I don’t know what it is.” Really? At this time of year we want our TV shows to be warmer and cuddlier than usual – but not so much that they descend into telenovelas.