Based on Michael Faber's bestselling novel of the same name, this four part drama series from the BBC takes us back in time to the deliciously Dickensian streets of London in the 1870s.  

At the heart of the story is Sugar (Romola Garai), a young, titian haired prostitute who, according to folklore, "never disappoints".  The series tracks Sugar's taffeta flounced  journey, along claustrophobic alleys, from her mother's tawdry brothel to "liberation" as a kept courtesan. But don't go expecting a pretty woman type resolution. There's a darkness to Sugar, revealed through her murderous imaginings, that gives this series a jagged edge.

Keep an eye out for Gillian Anderson as Sugar's fresco faced mother/ madam, Mrs Castaway and Richard E Grant as a creepily dexterous physician.

Has it charmed the critics? Andrew asks Diamond Road Management's Paula McGrath, and writer, Sam de Brito.