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The miniseries The Honorable Woman, about an Israeli (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who runs her father's weapons company and deals with the headaches and dangers that go with it, would stand out in any TV year, for its detail, its atmosphere, and the way it toys with the audience's sympathies. But what makes it really unusual is the patience that it requires of viewers. This is 20th century storytelling, easygoing and deliberate, packed with detail, and not afraid to go silent and just observe people doing things, with the understanding that eventually you'll figure out what they're up to and what it all means.As written and directed by Hugo Bick (The Shadow Line, Operation Good Guys), this miniseries is an espionage yarn of sorts, filled with sketchy characters imploring others to trust them, and shot through with a low-key but persistent paranoia of a sort that fans of early '70s...

Hugo Blick returns to television tonight with BBC Two's The Honourable Woman - a new eight-part thriller starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Nessa Stein, the daughter of an arms dealer caught up in an international political crisis.

In his 25-plus years in the business, Blick has led a long, varied and deeply interesting career - penning some of British television's best and most ground-breaking comedies and dramas and even branching out into acting.

Digital Spy presents Blick's career highlights - from a surprising debut to his noirish masterpiece.

Batman (1989)

Even ardent fans of Blick's work might be surprised to learn that he made his screen debut not as a writer but an actor, portraying the younger version of Jack Nicholson's Napier - alias the Joker - in Tim Burton's gothic big-screen take on the Dark Knight.

Blick appears only briefly in the film, but with that broad, sinister grin and icy blue eyes,...