'Brilliant' period drama for fans of Downton Abbey is now streaming for free

Fans of Downton Abbey looking for another sweeping, lavishly detailed period drama now have the chance to revisit a true television milestone. The acclaimed 1981 adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited is available to stream for free on ITVX, more than four decades after it first captivated audiences.

Starring Jeremy Irons as Charles Ryder and Anthony Andrews as Lord Sebastian Flyte, the 11-part Granada Television serial is considered one of the greatest small-screen adaptations ever produced.

Based faithfully on Waugh's 1945 novel, it traces Ryder's life and loves from the 1920s through the Second World War, while exploring his intense friendship with Sebastian and the wider aristocratic Flyte family, who reside at the opulent Brideshead Castle - in reality Castle Howard, North Yorkshire.

The production itself has an extraordinary legacy. Time Magazine ranked it among the 100 best TV shows of all time, while The Guardian placed it second on its list of the top 50 dramas in 2010. The British Film Institute also included it in its list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes, compiled by industry experts in 2000.

A large part of its success lies in its commitment to Waugh's original prose. Producer Derek Granger and director Charles Sturridge insisted that 95% of the dialogue was lifted directly from the book, giving the series a literary weight that few adaptations have matched.

The series also enjoyed recognition on the awards circuit. It won two Golden Globes, including Best Miniseries, and secured an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

Viewers who have returned to it in recent years remain just as impressed. On IMDb, one reviewer called it "the best miniseries ever made," highlighting its "beautiful" direction, "remarkable" cast and "amazing impact."

Another commented: "Everyone is of course entitled to an opinion about matters such as this, but how anyone can rate this series as anything less than a great milestone in television is, to my mind at least, quite difficult to understand."

A third described it simply as "the finest series I've ever seen on television," pointing to its seamless combination of music, locations and acting talent.

For those who missed it first time round, or who want to experience it again in full, the series is now streaming on ITVX.