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BBC's lavish five-part drama Parade's End was once hailed as "the highbrow Downton Abbey" - and with Benedict Cumberbatch leading the cast, critics declared it the period drama "to end all period dramas".The adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's novels premiered on BBC Two in 2012, before heading to HBO the following year. Directed by Susanna White and written by Sir Tom Stoppard, it boasted a star-studded line-up including Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, Rupert Everett, Miranda Richardson, Adelaide Clemens, and Roger Allam.

The story unfolds in the turbulent years before and during the First World War, with Cumberbatch as Christopher Tietjens, a conservative statistician from Yorkshire whose personal life collapses alongside the world around him. Married to the reckless socialite Sylvia, played by Hall, Christopher also finds himself drawn to free-thinking suffragette Valentine Wannop, played by Clemens. As war rips Europe apart, so too does it fracture the fragile love triangle at the heart of the series. The BBC drama was an immediate hit with critics and audiences alike. On its debut, Parade's End drew 3.5 million viewers, making it BBC Two's most-watched drama since Rome.

The acclaim only grew, with six BAFTA nominations, five Emmy nods, and a BAFTA win for Best Costume Design. Cumberbatch himself was recognised for Best Actor while Stoppard received praise for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Bringing Stoppard back to television after 30 years, he later revealed he had Cumberbatch in mind for the role long before Sherlock made him a global star.

He said: "He was the perfect fit - and that was even before Sherlock hit. It just confirmed what I already knew."

Behind the camera, producers went to extraordinary lengths to capture authenticity. Key scenes were filmed at Kent's Dorton House and St Thomas a Becket Church, while sprawling battle sequences were recreated in Belgium.

Tax breaks meant grand chateaux like Poeke Castle stood in for wartime Europe, with trenches in Flanders serving as the Western Front. Casting also had its own quirks. Australian actress Clemens impressed producers so much during her audition - turning up in full period costume.

Initially, producers were reluctant to cast an Australian actress but were won over on finding that Clemens' father is a British national.

While Stoppard streamlined much of the original novels, he also added daring touches. Entire sections of the fourth book were dropped, a move defended by Ford's own literary executor Michael Schmidt: "He may have written the fourth to fulfill a contract or because he needed more money."

With its sweeping love triangle, political intrigue, and the backdrop of a world at war, Parade's End remains a jewel in the BBC's crown.

The reviews have been glowing online, with one writing: "Without question, Parade's End is the best television miniseries I have seen in recent years. A very beautiful show, a wonderfully filmed BBC costume drama at its finest."

It has also been described as an "outstanding masterpiece" and a "stunning drama" by other viewers.