The English – Thursday November 10,

BBC Two

Written and directed by that esoteric auteur Hugo Blick (Marion and Geoff; The Shadow Line), this revisionist Western mini-series stars Emily Blunt as an aristocratic Englishwoman seeking revenge for the murder of her son, and Chaske Spencer as a Native American and former cavalry scout. When they meet on the plains of Wyoming, a deep bond gradually develops between them. Blick’s brutal meditation on racism and misogyny is stylistically indebted to the likes of directors Altman, Peckinpah and Leone, but it’s no mere homage. As with all of Blick’s work, it’s unusual and arresting; a sombre piece of television tinged with lyrical black comedy. It’s a Brit having fun with various Americana tropes, while treating his subject matter with the utmost seriousness.