Stand back ladies and gentlemen, I feel we may have a contender for programme of the year. After just one episode, I hear you cry? Oh yes, it was that good. The fabulous Nancy Banks-Smith thinks it’s excellent and if you don’t believe me then I’m sure you’ll believe her.

You need two basic things for a successful drama – great actors and a great script, and Cranford had an embarrassment of riches in both departments. I had high hopes when I heard that Heidi Thomas was providing the script, as I love her film adaptation of I Capture The Castle, and, while I didn’t see it myself, we at TVScoop are collective fans of Lilies, and she didn’t fail to deliver – I laughed more at this ‘drama’ than most comedies that have come out this year.

One thing that this costume drama has on its side from the very beginning is the fact that it’s not Dickens or Austen. Brilliant as they obviously are, we tend to know a lot of the plots already but with Elizabeth Gaskill it’s much more likely that the element of surprise can be retained. But Cranford has much more going for it than just that.

Cranford the place is a little northern town, occupied mainly by women, where nothing much happens, but where everyone is infinitely concerned with the little events that do occur – meaning Judi Dench’s character Miss Matty Jenkyns can say, without a hint of sarcasm: “It is all go in Cranford!” Everyone is stuck in their ways and so are completely thrown into a state of near-hysteria when three newcomers arrive in the town.

First is young Miss Mary Smith, whose modern (and possibly rebellious) nature is characterised by her unwillingness to marry and ‘spritely writing style’. Then there’s the new doctor, Frank Harrison – a fancy London type who dares to wear something other than black and brings experimental surgery to the town. Finally, there’s Captain Brown and his two daughters. Captain Brown is a true seaman, brisk and open. You probably have enough of an idea of Cranford already to know that ‘brisk and open’ isn’t exactly usual.

Every single performance, from Philip Glenister to Imelda Staunton’s gossipy Miss Pole, is masterly, but the star of the show is Miss Deborah Jenkyns, and her real-life counterpart Eileen Atkins. Miss Deborah is, on first look, rather stern and overly concerned with appearances – when she is astounded by Mary’s suggestion that they suck the juice out of oranges, she states that they should all “repair to our rooms and consume our oranges in solitude.” What a line. We may think that she is the staunchest defender of the Cranford way of life, but ultimately she turns out to be the most willing to change when something bigger – like humanity and charity – is at stake. A hero, in other words.

This drama is funny, quirky and moving, and focuses on all inhabitants of Cranford, from the poorest of the poor on the outskirts, to the lady of the nearest country house, still haunted by memories of the French reign of terror. It screams quality, and is yet another reason why we should all be thankful for Auntie Beeb.