PICK OF TODAY’S TV

THE GALLOWS POLE, 9PM, BBC2

THIS new, three-part drama from Shane Meadows (This Is England, The Virtues) takes a bit of getting used to, but once you settle into its style and rhythm it’s a real treat that turns all your expectations of period dramas upside down. Set in 18th-century Yorkshire, in the Calder Valley, it’s based on a true-crime story from the period, by way of the title novel by Benjamin Myers and Meadows’s own unique and playful vision. That playfulness starts with the title credits — Meadows is ‘Purvey’r of Scenes’, not director, and it’s all set to a soundtrack by Swedish psychedelic rockers and ‘Most Wonderous Troubadours’ Goat. David Hartley (This Is England’s Michael Socha) returns home after seven years away to meet his destiny, bringing with him ‘diabolical visions’, a sack of loot and a life-threatening stab wound. It takes a while to get accustomed to the earthily authentic regional dialogue, but this comes into its own by the end of the first episode — during a biting and bitter verbal sparring match between David and his old flame Grace (Downton’s Sophie McShera, pictured with Socha). You won’t expect to, but you’ll be rolling with laughter by the time you reach episode two. All three episodes available on iPlayer.