Downton Abbey – The Last Episode, ITV

DOWNTON ABBEY - THE LAST EPISODE The final episode of the last series... and not quite all is revealed

The final episode of the last series... and not quite all is revealed

They said there'd never be an audience for a period drama about an aristocratic Edwardian family. Six series later, we're bidding adieu to a national (and indeed global) institution, as Julian Fellowes's motley band of ridiculous, ahistorical and frequently exasperating characters potter off into the fading TV sunset. There's still the Christmas special, but – though we might not admit it – we'll miss them.

Jekyll & Hyde, ITV / From Darkness, Series Finale, BBC One

JEKYLL & HYDE, ITV / FROM DARKNESS, SERIES FINALE, BBC ONE Charlie Higson rewrites Robert Louis Stevenson for the age of superheroes

Charlie Higson rewrites Robert Louis Stevenson for the age of superheroes

It's the age of the prequel, sequel and origin story, and the ingenious Charlie Higson has decided that now is the time to give Robert Louis Stevenson's divided-self myth a superhero-style makeover. Action-packed and a little bit shocking, this supercharged Jekyll & Hyde (****) has the makings of a major hit.

Listed: The 100 Funniest Things about Downton Abbey

LISTED: THE 100 FUNNIEST THINGS ABOUT DOWNTON ABBEY Julian Fellowes' juggernaut has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous in six series. Here's how he did it

Julian Fellowes' juggernaut has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous in six series. Here's how he did it

It began with the sinking of Titanic and the loss of not one but two heirs to the title. James Cameron having already filmed this disaster, the producers of Downton Abbey were spared the expense of re-enacting it. Last week another Hollywood blockbuster was in viewers' thoughts as the most iconic scene from Alien was re-enacted at the Downton dining table. His Grace’s ulcer burst on scene in a lurid shade suggesting Crawley blood is less blue than previously supposed.

Unforgotten, ITV

UNFORGOTTEN, ITV The Supporting Actor BAFTA goes to Tom Courtenay

Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar lead stellar cast into the murky criminal past

The rule doesn’t always hold good, but in a television drama a fairly reliable kitemark of quality is when the opening credits list the cast and you’ve heard of them. The title sequence of Unforgotten promised Trevor Eve, Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Tom Courtenay, Gemma Jones, Ruth Sheen, Peter Egan, Hannah Gordon, Bernard Hill, Cherie Lunghi and Tom Cobbleigh. OK not Uncle Tom, but you get the picture. A sizeable chunk from the senior end of Spotlight don’t turn out for any old half-baked crime drama.

Midwinter of the Spirit, ITV

MIDWINTER OF THE SPIRIT, ITV Something evil stirs in darkest Herefordshire

Something evil stirs in darkest Herefordshire

TV series about the clergy are usually farcical, self-deprecating or just plain wet, so it's a pleasant surprise to find one that's prepared to slug it out with issues of good and evil. Compared to Rev, a wistful tragi-comedy about managing the terminal decline of the C of E, Midwinter of the Spirit wants to mount up and ride into battle against the Ungodly.

Downton Abbey, Series 6, ITV

DOWNTON ABBEY, ITV Sex, blackmail and money worries attend the last hurrah of Julian Fellowes' juggernaut

Sex, blackmail and money worries attend the last hurrah of Julian Fellowes' juggernaut

It began with the sinking of the Titanic all those series ago. However many holes Julian Fellowes has seen fit to build in to the design, his own ocean-going liner has valiantly refused to go down with all hands on deck. But by Christmas we will have seen the last of Lord Grantham and his household, until such time as they all get resurrected for a big-screen reunion, even the Dowager Countess Maggie. For some, the bereavement will be too much and they'll rewind to the start of the first boxset. For others it'll be like the end of a long prison sentence.

The Trials of Jimmy Rose, ITV

THE TRIALS OF JIMMY ROSE, ITV Ray Winstone surprises as concerned grandad - but old habits die hard

Ray Winstone surprises as concerned grandad - but old habits die hard

“Breezy” isn't a word we associate with Ray Winstone. We’re more used to something like “big slab o’ bastard”, the epithet he got (they were biased Glaswegians, admittedly) most recently for his appearance in Robert Carlyle’s The Legend of Barney Thomson.

Vet School, ITV

VET SCHOOL, ITV Exploring the latest frontiers of veterinary medicine with the staff and students of 'Dick Vet'

Exploring the latest frontiers of veterinary medicine with the staff and students of 'Dick Vet'

The clinically white buildings of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine, nickname Dick Vet, are just outside Edinburgh, with departments for wildlife, exotic animals, domestic pets and large animals, from horses to cattle. It was founded by William Dick, a human anatomist, in 1823. It is among the top 10 such schools in the world, and came to worldwide fame by cloning Dolly the sheep.

Black Work, ITV

BLACK WORK, ITV Sheridan Smith elevates crime drama about undercover policing

Sheridan Smith elevates crime drama about undercover policing

Drama is all about secrets revealed, discoveries unfurled. Black Work was straight into that territory from the first scene. A man and a woman sat in a car, taking the solace from each other that they couldn’t find at home. As ever in such a scenario, you promptly wondered if or when they’d be caught in the act. This was especially so given that the woman was played by Sheridan Smith, who starred in just such an adultery drama not that long ago.

Safe House, ITV

SAFE HOUSE, ITV The hills have eyes in this sinister new Lakeland thriller

The hills have eyes in this sinister new Lakeland thriller

The title is, of course, ironic. The house in question is a rambling refurbished dwelling deep in the Lake District, reached by driving through lonely wind-blasted valleys and across rain-thrashed hillsides. It's where a former policeman, known only as Robert (Christopher Eccleston), has come to heal himself after a traumatic near-death experience.