Benedict Cumberbatch

Camden

Disney+

Wednesday

At face value, Eric is another cop show, albeit one that features a giant walking puppet. But from the pen of RTS Fellow Abi Morgan – whose award-winning dramas include The Iron Lady, Sex Traffic and The Hour – the six-part Netflix series, which revolves around a missing child, is something entirely different, taking in addiction, childhood trauma, homelessness, Aids, homophobia and racism.

The star-studded voice cast will be led by narrator Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton), while Claire Foy (The Crown) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) will star as Mrs and Mr Thomas, and Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter) and Maggie Steed (Paddington 2) as the Aunts.

Charlie Higson (The Fast Show) will play the Jolly Uncle, Zawe Ashton (Mr Malcolms List) one of Mog's neighbours, and comedian Gareth Berliner (Dr Who) the Chestnut Seller.

For drama to arise, the hero’s intention must meet an obstacle, and what better obstacle than an arch-rival.

But rivalries come in all forms, from the most petty to the most fierce, and are therefore wellsprings of drama and hilarity that can be found in series of all genres.

Here are some of the greatest to have graced the small screen.

Over four novels, two of which have been adapted for the silver screen (Starter for 10 and One Day), he has astutely mirrored the average life stages from adolescence to adulthood, often reducing the nation to tears in the process - read One Day at your peril.

Us, he says, was his “midlife crisis novel,” and it’s his latest to get the nod for adaptation as a four-part BBC miniseries, written by Nicholls himself.

Alfred Hitchcock was the first filmmaker to widely use them, making cameo appearances in 39 of his films.

Over the years Easter eggs have become more complex and are almost a trademark for some series such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On the small screen they remain prolific in shows where the writers wish to give something back to their audience.

Whether it’s secret messages, inside jokes or obscure references, we’ve got a rundown of ten of the best Easter eggs from British TV.

One of the standout drama launches of the year is unquestionably Sky Atlantic’s Patrick Melrose. The five-parter memorably opens in London with a heroin-addled Melrose, played magisterially by Benedict Cumberbatch, receiving news of his abusive father’s death in New York. Melrose then travels there to bring home his father’s ashes. While in Manhattan, he embarks on an epic drugs binge. Expect the erstwhile Sherlock star to win multiple awards for this astonishing performance.

Sky Atlantic release the trailer for new drama series Patrick Melrose - Pleased To Meet You.

The series, based on the semi-autobiographical novels by Edward St. Aubyn, will be adapted for television by One Day and Starter for Ten author David Nicholls.

Cumberbatch, who will also serve as an executive producer on the show, stars as Melrose, a man struggling to overcome the damage inflicted growing up with an abusive father and unsupportive mother. It will track his journey from his harrowing childhood through substance abuse and to eventual recovery.