The Handmaid's Tale, Series 2, Channel 4 review - it's not getting any better for Offred

★★★ THE HANDMAID'S TALE, SERIES 2, CHANNEL 4 It's not getting any better for Offred

Further horrific adventures in the Republic of Gilead

Not the least startling element of Bishop Michael Curry’s house-rockin’ sermon at the royal nuptials was his quotation from the old spiritual “There is a balm in Gilead”. Evidently the Bishop was not referring to the endlessly looping nightmare that is The Handmaid’s Tale, where “Gilead” means not balm, but torture, terror, misery and misogyny.

Innocent, ITV review - David Collins wants his life back

INNOCENT, ITV David Collins wants his life back

Wronged husband and father battles to make it right

Addressing the baying media on the steps of the courthouse after being acquitted of murdering his wife, for which non-crime he’d spent the last seven years in prison, David Collins (Lee Ingleby) was a bitter and angry man. He wanted to expose the people who’d fitted him up, he wanted his children back, and he aimed to find out who really killed his wife Tara.

The Bridge, BBC Two, series 4 review - Scandi saga is darker than ever

★★★★ THE BRIDGE, SERIES 4, BBC TWO Saga Norén is back for one last grisly case

Saga Norén is back for one last grisly case

In the 1990s, which brought us Morse, Fitz and Jane Tennison, an idea took root that all television detectives must be mavericks. They needed to be moody, dysfunctional, addictive, a bit of an unsolved riddle. These British sleuths were all variations on a glum theme but the scriptwriters knew the limits. Make them suffer, but don’t put them through hell.

The Woman in White, Series Finale, BBC One review - good-looking, but flat

★★★ THE WOMAN IN WHITE, BBC ONE Frisson lost in Wilkie Collins adaptation

Frisson lost in Wilkie Collins adaptation low on individuality, drama

Much has been made of this adaptation of The Woman in White having an especial relevance for our times. Its concern with the power dynamics of gender relations was certainly hammered home right from the beginning, as Jessie Buckley uttered its loaded opening question, “How is it men crush women time and time again and go unpunished?”, effectively delivered to us, the audience, to boot.

The Split, BBC One, review - Abi Morgan’s densely packed divorce drama

★★★★ THE SPLIT, BBC ONE Abi Morgan's densely packed divorce drama

Nicola Walker is the real deal in a hectic family law saga

A few years ago Abi Morgan was everywhere. For the cinema she scripted Shame, The Iron Lady, The Invisible Woman and Suffragette. On television she adapted Birdsong and created The Hour and, most recently, River. But she’s mainly been quiet for a couple of years. Her silence is broken, loudly, by The Split (BBC One).

Westworld, Series 2, Sky Atlantic review - big trouble in synthetic paradise

★★★★ WESTWORLD, SKY ATLANTIC Apocalypse looms as androids go on the rampage

Apocalypse looms as androids go on the rampage

Some critics complain that Westworld is too complicated for its own good, and you can see their point. Even on a basic level, it’s an exploration of the nature and potential of artificial intelligence, as it depicts the consequences of super-lifelike androids – or “synthetic humans”, if you will – acquiring higher knowledge and going on a terrifying killing rampage.

The Woman in White, BBC One review - camp Victoriana

★★★ THE WOMAN IN WHITE, BBC ONE Wilkie Collins's Gothic whodunnit gets a florid treatment

Wilkie Collins's Gothic whodunnit gets a florid treatment for telly

The BBC excels at a very particular kind of drama, namely one where production values overawe dramatic content. Its version of The Woman in White (BBC One) proves no exception. Our hero is Walter, a bemused sappy painter played by ex-Eastender Ben Hardy.

True Horror, Channel 4 review - a Ronseal approach to ghost stories

New anthology based on real accounts provides the scares and not much else

As if the real world wasn’t scary enough... Ghost stories are en vogue at the moment, and after the BBC’s hit-and-miss Requiem, Channel 4 brings True Horror to the small screen – a collection of "real" ghost stories, told by witness interviews and dramatised with a decent budget. And just like Requiem, our first tale took us to the rolling hills of Wales.

Occupied, series 2, Sky Atlantic review - political conflicts looking all too actual

★★★★ OCCUPIED, SERIES 2, SKY ATLANTIC Jo Nesbo’s neo-Cold War drama of Russia vs the rest resumes

Jo Nesbo’s neo-Cold War drama of Russia vs the rest - aka truth vs lies - resumes

Eight months have passed since the Russians invaded Norway in the first season of Jo Nesbo’s neo-Cold War thriller. Real-life events have only made Occupied seem more relevant.

Lifeline, Channel 4 review - Spanish sci-fi drama on speed

★★★ LIFELINE, CHANNEL 4 'Walter Presents' Spanish sci-fi drama on speed

'Walter Presents' what-if transplant drama from Madrid hits the accelerator pedal

It is with some trepidation that the globe-trotting viewer embarks on a new drama from Spain. Last year in BBC Four stole the best part of 20 hours of some lives with its split-series transmission of the maddening I Know Who You Are.