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An "underrated" BBC drama that's "the best piece of television ever" is still streaming and capturing audiences some 20 years after it was released. In a Reddit thread titled "18 underrated BBC period dramas you've never heard of", the 2005 adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel came out with flying colours.

One fan enthused: "Bleak House is just one of the best pieces of television ever." A second added: "Bleak House is a favourite of mine." The 15-part series is praised for its gripping plot, stellar cast and exploration of Victorian London, where viewers witness the contrast between the opulent, secretive aristocracy and the reality of the 19th-century city.

Fortunes hang in the balance as the characters await the outcome of a complex and messy Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit, with hefty wills and several beneficiaries.

Carey Mulligan plays Ada Clare, a young orphan whose inheritance is entangled in the endless court case, while Gillian Anderson was nominated for a BAFTA for playing the mysterious Lady Dedlock.

Its all-star cast also includes Anna Maxwell Martin, who clinched the BAFTA as best actress as the young selfless heroine, Esther Summerson.

One professional critic wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: "In devising this tantalising adaptation, screenwriter Andrew Davies equals, even surpasses, his masterly version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice."

An audience member said Bleak House was made during a "golden age of BBC dramas", when "considerations such as story, immersion, and the aesthetics of a piece of fiction were paramount above any other nonsense".

They added: "Everything about this Bleak House adaptation is excellent - from the set and costume designs to the superb cast and the acting."

Directed by Justin Chadwick, the show has won numerous awards, including an Emmy for outstanding cinematography, and a BAFTA for the best drama series.

The 15-part series is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.