I wouldn't blame you for switching off or navgating away from this story if, like many, you're sick and tired of the seemingly annual Jane Austen TV adaptation. It is, pretty much, an annual occurance, right? Let's see. We had something on ITV last year and BBC the year before. We also had Lost In Austen, which helped to breath new life into the genre (yes, Jane Austen TV adaptations is now a genre) but was still something about Jane Austen. Now the Beeb is wading in with their own project. Want to know what it is and who's in it? Have a look after the jump...

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A complete second series of Lark Rise to Candleford will follow the Christmas special that Paul mentioned earlier, beginning in January for a total of 12 episodes. Many of the old faces are back, some new faces appear, and then, in the established tradition of Candleford, there'll be some faces that newly appear each week and are treated as if they are familiar old faces. Details after the cut.

Related: An extremely witty review | More on Costume Drama

Following the massive critical and popular success of the BBC's (and, of course, Andrew Davies') adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel Bleak House in 2006, they tried to repeat the feat with Oliver Twist. Perhaps it's because people are so used to the exclamation mark/musical version, or perhaps it's because it's simply not as good a book in the first place - whatever the reason, Oliver Twist didn't have quite the same impact, despite some good performances. This year, it's back to Andrew Davies, and one of Dickens' (slightly) lesser known novels - the story of Little Dorrit, and her dealings with the mysterious Clennam family.

Last night's final episode began with a famous scene from the novel, in which Groby's farm is mechanised - an ominous sign in Hardy Land, if another ominous sign is needed. Tess, having already undergone abuse, extreme poverty and constant hardship thanks to the men in her life (Alec for taking advantage of her, and Angel for punishing her for it), is now working as the lowest farm labourer possible. To make things worse, Alec has thrown off his short-lived piety, and is adamant that he will have her back. Is it just me, or does it not really feel as though there's a happy ending on the way...?

If you've been following this production of Thomas Hardy's classic novel, Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, then you would know that there has been no attempt to lighten thing up a bit. The book is ceaselessly grim - Tess called her son (who dies, of course) "Sorrow" for goodness sake - and this TV version is precisely the same - and in that sense it's a pretty good adaptation. Last week, at least, Tess found the love of her life, the aptly named Angel, and this episode actually started with their wedding. Too good to last? Naturally.

At the start of this, the fourth and final episode of ITV's genre-bending comedy-time-travel-costume drama Lost In Austen, things were at a very low ebb for Amanda Price, and the characters of Pride and Prejudice that she has been residing with since finding a portal into the novel in her bathroom. Could she get the plot back on track - and would she want to, now she knows she loves Darcy?

While television is obsessed with costume dramas, it has actually been a fair few years since any of Thomas Hardy's Wessex heroes and heroines came to the small screen (or the big screen for that matter). The BBC's flagship production tackles Hardy's most famous novel, Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, a book which was criticised at the time of writing for daring to suggest that a young woman who had borne a child conceived as a result of sexual abuse could still be considered 'pure'.

Last year, the BBC scored a massive critical and popular hit with the thoroughly wonderful Cranford, and this spring Lark Rise To Candleford proved to be a real grower. This autumn, they are trying to replicate these successes with two more costume dramas based on classic texts - Thomas Hardy's Tess Of The D'Urbervilles and Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. This pretty young lady here is Gemma Arterton, who will be taking the lead role in the first of these, currently being trailed on BBC One, and she's clearly a versatile actress, as she'll also be appearing in the next James Bond film, Quantum Of Solace (still not getting used to that name, are we?!). She will be supported by Gavin and Stacey's Ruth Jones and the brilliantly named Hans Matherson.

When we reviewed series one of The Tudors last year the consensus was that it was a darned good costume romp as long as you weren't after historical accuracy.

Well hang on to your Domesday Book because The Tudors returns to BBC Two this Friday for a second 10-part series.

Early American history - pre-independence - is a bit of a closed book to me, but a period I find fascinating nevertheless. So it's exciting to learn that HBO's seven-part mini-series tracking the influence of John Adams on American Independence - which has recently received no fewer than 23 Emmy award nominations - will be coming to More4 in September. Click through for more details and to see the 50-second trailer.

I was on my way back from a (rare) weekend away from the TV/computer so I didn't watch any TV last night. Neither did our team of writers it seemed, so I was wondering what the craic was with Florence Nightingale. Reading the overnights this afternoon, I saw that it pulled in a very healthy 4.7million viewers. So viewers seemed interested in it, so what did the reviewers think, I wondered...

In a refreshing break from tradition, the costume drama turned 180° and focused its spotlight and cameras on the author of six of its most famous inspirations. All the traditional props were there - large country piles; sweeping lawns; lakes and fountains; bonnets and carriages - but for once it was all real. This was Jane Austen's life: at once the same as, but completely different from, that of her heroines. And what a fabulous drama she made of it!

There's award shows and there's awards shows and, as they go, the BAFTA Television Awards are pretty darn good. Our host for this year is the versatile and always-entertaining Graham Norton, and he'll guide us through twenty-three awards, from Best Actor to Best Sports Programme. I'm always ready to put my (virtual) money where my mouth is, so I thought I'd make a prediction for each category - and let you know who we're backing, too. The awards will be broadcast this Sunday, 20th April, at 8pm on BBC One.

I was hugely disappointed by the first series of lauded US period drama, The Tudors. It looked lovely - ripping bodices, lush sets, buff chaps - but the storytelling was lame, it was historically innacurate and possessed some of the worst dialogue I've ever heard. There's going to be a second series, and reports coming out of the US say that it will be bigger, better, saucier and sharper. If it gets any saucier we could be into porno territory, such was Henry VIII's vigour in porking anything in a fancy dress. But there is some hope... one of the better actors in this world of ours has signed up for the forthcoming series.

I know I'm a day late with this review, but I definitely think that it's still worth a word or two. Who'd have thunk; on a weekend which contained an hour-long documentary about the Mighty Boosh, it was the last installment of Lark Rise To Candleford which was my unchallenged highlight. It started off so gently, and in such an unassuming way, that I've no doubt that it lost viewers after the first episode - but those who stuck with it were richly rewarded.

And lo, it came to pass. On Easter Sunday I sat down with my parents, who had Heartbeat on. Then it was ITV1's much-trailered crime drama He Kills Coppers. And then, if I wanted it, Mad Men on BBC Four. It was a Sixties night on telly on Easter Sunday, and by the end of it I was all retroed out, I have to say. Heartbeat is Heartbeat, so I read the paper, but I was really looking forward to He Kills Coppers, sequel to The Long Firm (which was super-duper and was on the BBC a few years back) and the latest adaptation of a Jake Arnott novel. It was good, very good.

The well-respected Royal Television Society announced the winners of their awards for 2007 last night and it's great to see that many of our favourite shows have received the recognition they really do deserve. The wonderful writer of Cranford, Heidi Thomas, was honoured, The Flight Of The Conchords won the International Award, and Harry Hill got an award for his performances on TV Burp. Not only that, but the Mighty Boosh have *finally* won their first "proper" award, and QI, Top Gear, The Street and Mitchell and Webb have all been honoured. And the photo? That's because Sir David Attenborough won the Lifetime Achievement Award. Have the panel been reading TVScoop by any chance? Or do we just have impeccable taste...? Have a look over the cut for the full list of winners.

It seems, as a nation, we just can't get enough of period dramas. To be honest, I can't be bothered writing a big list of them, but suffice to say, over the years, there has been loads of them knocking about. So, are there any left to show on the box? Why, yes, now you mention it, BBC One is to broadcast Tess Of The D'Urbervilles with a "vibrant young cast" for a "dramatic adaptation of the Hardy classic".

Gemma Arterton (James Bond: Quantum Of Solace, St Trinian's) stars as Tess, the heroine of Thomas Hardy's novel; Hans Matheson (The Virgin Queen, Dr Zhivago) plays Alec, who seduces her; Eddie Redmayne (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) is Angel, with whom she falls in love, and Jodie Whittaker (Venus) plays Izzy, her best friend. We'll also see Ruth Jones (Gavin And Stacey, Saxondale) as Tess's mother Joan, and Anna Massey (Oliver Twist, The Importance Of Being Earnest) is Mrs D'Urberville.