Top of the Lake Season One (2013 Jane Campion and Garth Davis)

Written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee (they collaborated on Campion's 1989 Sweetie). Elisabeth Moss (completely shaking off Mad Men's Peggy), David Wenham, Peter Mullan (great as ever), Thomas M. Wright (Johnno), Holly Hunter (white-haired oracle who delivers the best line - "There is no match for the tremendous intelligence of the body"), Jacqueline Joe (Tui). And in the commune - Genevieve Lemon (also from Sweetie), Robyn Malcolm (the sweet blonde who goes off with Mullan - to her regret), Alison Bruce (doctor).

Slowly unfurling plot and characters in slightly familiar scenario (self-reliant and educated city cop surrounded by unfriendly locals) in less familiar surroundings (New Zealand's South Island).

But - was Moss really Mullan's child? And despite the 'DNA' tests, we're more inclined to think that Wenham may have been Tui's father, not Mullan....

It has a strong female core to it, which is welcome, and a nice leisurely pace - though the ending is exciting enough. Shot by Adam Arkapaw and scored by Mark Bradshaw.