Author Seth chose screenwriter Andrew Davies to adapt his novel to TV, after the two shared a long, boozy brainstorming lunch together at The Ivy. Davies’ previous work includes House of Cards, the 1995 edition of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and recent ITV period drama hit Sanditon.

Davies also brought Les Misérables to BBC TV, along with Leo Tolstoy’s epic masterclass War and Peace – so he is no stranger to the challenges of adapting huge novels to the small screen.

“It has been a total joy to work on, and I hope that audiences will love it as much as I do,” Davies told the Radio Times, of his work on A Suitable Boy.

A Suitable Boy: everything you need to know about the BBC’s sumptuous new period drama