The Little House shows money doesn't buy happiness

Telly Talk: Household budgets have been cut back, shopping trends have most definitely seen an impact and "staycation" has become a word we are all familiar with thanks to the recession, but at least we can always depend on a dose of small screen escapism.

That was until stories started to emerge that there would be cutbacks in the drama departments of ITV and the BBC to reflect the current economic climate. Well, maybe they changed their minds or found some spare cash down the back of sofa because television drama has never been so good.

The autumn has brought in a feast of big star names, clever writing and expensive-looking locations.

Downton Abbey, by Julian Fellows, is by far the best period drama since Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins stole the show in Cranford, while David Tennant is certainly putting the Doctor to rest with a superb turn as a widowed father with a complicated love life in Single Dad.

My one complaint would be that the schedulers committed the cardinal sin of putting two brilliant dramas on at the same time, with the Sunday night clash becoming almost as irritating as when BBC bosses decided Strictly should go head-to-head with X-Factor.

So The little House on Monday night was a welcome addition to the week.

In the 9pm slot the psychological thriller is perfect fodder for those of us craving something with a twisted quality to sharpen our viewing habits. It follows the successful remake of Bouquet of Barbed Wire starting Trevor Eve which was also screened in the same slot.

There is something about a Monday night which cries out for such a production. After enjoying the fluff of the weekend talent shows and even the relative comfort of Downton Abbey, it's time to take on something with an edge. And the first part of The Little House certainly fitted the bill.

Francesca Annis was suitably serene while hiding a sinister side as Elizabeth, the mother-in-law obsessed first with her son Patrick and then with her grandson, Thomas. She's so obsessed that she is willing to do all manner of things to her unsuspecting daughter-in-law Ruth – well, she's unsuspecting for now. Elizabeth's cruel manipulation has yet to be exposed, although it has been flagged up enough for us to know that it will soon be out for public consumption and can only get worse. The building to the confrontation between the two women is intense and addictive viewing. It's good drama at its best and proves the British are particularly good as such projects.

My only concern is that these writers/producers seem intent on making the subjects of all these dramas appear immensely wealthy living in sprawling houses at the end of tree-lined drives. To how much of the country does that kind of Home Counties lifestyle really apply?

Then again, maybe we shouldn't question such an recurring theme – after all it's reassuring in these difficult times to know that dysfunctional families are not confined to those on a strict budget and money really can't buy you happiness.

By Tracey O'Sullivan