Recently I’ve been working my way through classic TV series that I only half remember from the first time around.

At the moment I’m working through the House of Cards trilogy, adapted by Andrew Davis from Michael Dobb’s novels.

Ian Richardson is fantastically, coldly, evil as Chief Whip (and later First Lord of the Treasury) Francis Urquhart; that much I remembered from the series’ original airing. What I didn’t remember was how good Diane Fletcher was as the Lady MacBethian Elizabeth Urquhart.

If you haven’t seen the series already, I heartily recommend it. A study in the corrupting influence of power and an insight into the backbiting and two-faced nature of party politics.

Makes a great contrast to Yes, Prime Minister – which I’m also enjoying again.