Episode #1.1

It has been over 20 years since the BBC last adapted The Woman in White. That version certainly encouraged star Andrew Lincoln to walk with zombies.

This gothic drama actually gets a rather Victorian chocolate box look which took be my surprise. I was expecting another turgid, dreary looking drama and here the production team has gone for vivid colours and sunshine.

Artist Walter Hartright (Ben Hardy) is living a bohemian in London with his Italian friend Pesca but gets a job to tutor a pair of half sisters in a vast mansion.

On the way there he has an eerie encounter with a woman wearing white in the countryside who looks a lot like Laura Fairlie, his new pupil. Walter falls for Laura but maybe he should find her more interesting half sister Marian (Jessie Buckley.)

Laura is due to marry Sir Percival Glyde (Dougray Scott) who comes across as rather dastardly and he might be tempted by Laura's inheritance but he also may also have a connection with the woman in white.

My main fear is that the serial is too long at 5 episodes and the pace may slacken.

The classic story from Wilkie Collins is given a makeover for 2018, following a string of adaptations. Question is was it any good?

Part 1, the first thing I'm struck by is the creepy, almost bleak atmosphere. When you read the text you quickly become very aware that it's very Gothic, slightly dark, this debut episode managed that. Secondly, in this day and age of reinterpretation and artistic license I'm surprised by the accuracy so far, I have no doubt that changes will follow, but the most well known part of this story is the first encounter between Walter and the Woman in White, to have changed that would have been a travesty. It's very well acted, Charles Dance as always grabbed my attention instantly.

It looks good, it sounds good, it's well acted and faithful, I must applaud the BBC for doing a historical drama such as this, at times I did find it a little laboured and slow in parts, but I genuinely think that's just the way the story is told, not the production. I'm hopeful this will be very good. 7/10

BBC if you're reading I always enjoy a remake, but let's have something different, why not something from Frances Durbridge, his works's not been produced for ages.