ONE of my favourite things in life is a good costume drama.

You can’t beat a slice of escapism on, say, a Sunday night to help you beat those end-of-the-weekend blues.

I think I may have mentioned before how much I treasure the finest examples of the genre, using them as a general panacea for life’s ills.

When I’m under the weather, I can stick on one of my old favourites and drift away to past times or fantastical worlds.

I’ve been doing this for decades now, ever since my mother showed me the 1980 BBC Pride and Prejudice starring David Rintoul as Mr Darcy and I was hooked.

Despite my admiration for programmes such as Downton Abbey and Mad Men, the majority of my collection comes from one source – the good old BBC.

Even though other channels compete – Channel Four recently broadcast Indian Summers, for example – for whatever reason, Auntie Beeb seems to particularly excel at this type of programming.

Some of my favourites of all time, Our Mutual Friend, Bleak House and The House of Eliott, are all BBC output.

When the national broadcaster does mess up, as with the furore over the sound quality in the April 2014 treatment of Daphne Du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn, the reaction is histrionic, as no one can quite believe that the master has made a mistake.

I rarely miss one of their adaptations, such is my faith in the channel. Even if I think it might not be my cup of tea, I give it a chance regardless.

Despite having no previous knowledge of Poldark, not having been old enough to watch the 1970s treatment of Winston Graham’s novels, I recently tuned in to the new version – and loved it, as did quite a few million more people.

And no, it wasn’t all about the leading man’s chest!

I have told my husband on several occasions that if he’d only managed to put his phone away, he’d have loved it, too.

I am, of course, currently watching BBC One’s new costume drama Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Incidentally, it’s a novel I once wrote about making it a quarter of the way through and then abandoning. I may have to give it another try at some point in the future.

I am very much enjoying the television version so far, especially the work of its leading actors Eddie Marsan and Bertie Carvel.

The former was one of the nicest men I ever interviewed, back when I used to do such exciting things, and the latter won myself and my brother over for life when we saw his utterly amazing performance as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda in the West End.

It all looks sumptuous and boasts a multi-talented supporting cast, so I will continue to tune away from my current ills and injections and immerse myself in its glorious universe.

I’m not one of those who’d ever complain about the licence fee. For BBC One and its costume drama department alone, it might almost be worth it!