Bleak House

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, Bleak House is available in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, and in the UK on Sky Go and BBC iPlayer right now. The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. 64 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Anna Maxwell Martin's performance alone is worth the time investment. Start it on Amazon Prime Video whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Bleak House is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The writing in Bleak House treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. The generous John Jarndyce, struggling with his own past, and his two young wards Richard and Ada, are all caught up, like Lady Dedlock, in the infamous case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, which will make one of them rich beyond imagination if it can ever be brought to a conclusion. As Tulkinghorn digs deeper into Lady Dedlock's past, he unearths a secret that will change their lives forever, and which is almost as astounding as the final outcome of the Jarndyce case. Anna Maxwell Martin and Denis Lawson lead a cast doing genuinely serious work here. It was aired in 2005. The performances in Bleak House do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Bleak House delivers. Fans of Downton Abbey will recognise the sensibility here immediately. The complete run is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Anna Maxwell Martin carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.

Bleak House wrapped up in 2005 — and 1 season is available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.