1. Ripley
Netflix; April
Filmed in Italy in chic monochrome, Steven Zaillian’s take on Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr Ripley was a restrained masterclass in prowling suspense. In the lead role, Andrew Scott coated the fabled literary antihero with a disquieting glaze of need and envy, delivering a Tom Ripley wreathed in shadows. Magnifico!
2. Mr Bates vs the Post Office
ITV1; January
Gwyneth Hughes’s powerful telling of the decades-old miscarriage of justice involving wrongly accused UK post office owner-operators caused a national stir. With Toby Jones playing Alan Bates, who led the fight for justice, it was campaigning British drama at its finest.
