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So, yet another shabby detective with a complicated domestic life who brilliantly solves multiple murders on prime-time TV. We've been here before - and to be honest Marcella doesn't quite cut it up against the high quality of the competition.

I'll admit - I've a bit of a soft spot for Friel, and she has the star quality to have carried some slightly ropey scripts in the past, but she can't dominate here - there's just too much going on. Like the city it's set in, this show is frantic, with subplots and red herrings weaving in and out. But as with Agatha Christie or Dick Francis novels that leaves less time to get to know the characters, and attempts to make them "interesting" just get lost in the rush. In particular I suggest you watch (series 1) episodes 6-8 in a block because I didn't, and felt I rather lost track at that point.

Marcella isn't terrible, and is a pleasant enough watch if you've already seen most of the big-name modern detective shows, and/or you don't care for your murders to need subtitles. But at the same time it wouldn't be first on my list, and it probably only makes a 7/10 thanks to Friel.

I was a bit nervous about The A Word, I anticipated that the BBC would not pass up the chance to get preachy. Fortunately they (mostly) resisted that temptation - the autism's main role is to stir up an already complex web of family relationships, and The A Word follows the response to that perturbation in the same way as say Mike Leigh does (without getting that miserable). So the autistic son plays an oddly peripheral role, not least because he shuts us out as viewers as well as his parents; the core of the drama revolves around his parents trying to cope with him and trying to present a happy, "normal" facade. I'm no expert on how families cope with that sort of thing, but there seemed to be some truth in their response, even if you could quibble with the detail.

And it's just nice to have a "serious" drama these days that isn't trying to find a Nordic murderer...

I think they got the length just about right - I'm not sure I could have stuck with 26 episodes of the original Israeli version, but there was enough room for most of the subplots to "breathe" without outstaying their welcome. The exceptions were both on the business side - it felt like the original script had an interesting subplot about control of the brewery that was butchered until it barely made sense, and ditto about the development of the pub. Another half an hour would have cracked it - but both could be developed in a second series.

Oh, and I'd disagree that a microbrewery and a glorified burger van make you "rich". The brewery looked like it was around 15 barrels capacity, so one step up from a "starter" microbrewery, the kind you would have after a few years trading and perhaps some awards that got you recognition beyond the local area - that would describe Coniston brewery, which I assume is where it was filmed? But you don't get "rich" off that kind of setup. If they were rich, they wouldn't be converting a derelict barn in the middle of nowhere to turn into a pub, they'd be buying an existing pub (of which there are plenty for sale in the Lakes). It's true that the BBC "Waitrosed" their home life but in terms of income they're on a similar level to people with a burger van and a back street boozer in the inner city.

Perhaps the best bit of this is the premise, it's telling the story of WWI from an unfamiliar angle, certainly to British eyes. And there are some good moments, a great scene where they are being bombed at night, the chaos of a ward when a new batch of casualties come from the front, the hardships of trying to set up a new hospital in the early stages of the campaign, the VD class, the increasing responsibilities thrust on the nurses. Conversely there are some fails - there are still trees standing on the site of a recent battle, when they would have been shelled to splinters.

The main problem is that it comes across as very episodic - meet new soldier, talk, then he dies/falls in love - and as a result it just doesn't quite hang together as a story. I think the editing is probably the biggest problem, perhaps an extra episode or two could have given them the time to deal with the post-Gallipoli story in the same depth as the Dardanelles campaign, which would have helped. Obviously the script is a bit constrained by trying to stick to history, but they could have eg had more of the matron's story which was hinted at but not really developed. She wasn't as pretty as the nurses so gets less screen time, but perhaps would have been a better way of addressing some of the big themes. The main cast do an OK job but there's a bit too much "now look sad" that never quite convinces. Some of the supporting men put in good performances, particularly Brandon McClelland.

Overall it's OK, I almost gave up after the first 20 minutes but it was just about worth sticking with. But I'd prefer something like Our Girl if you're looking for a story of women in the military with a better narrative to hold it all together.