Adapting Susanna Clarke's winding and fantastical novel was never going to be an easy task, and there were definitely mixed views on the BBC's big-budget take on the magical, gothic fantasy. Overall, though, the smart casting and clever cinematography meant this BAFTA-nominated period-drama-with-a-twist was a success. Eddie Marsan and Bertie Carvel led a star-studded cast, with Marc Warren putting in a eerie turn as the gentleman with the thistledown hair. It was no doubt the success of this led the BBC to finally tackle another of literature's most beloved, but impossible, creations: His Dark Materials, which is only missing from this list because it began so late in 2019 that season one was not complete at time of writing.
