The North Water

BBC2, 9.30pm

‘The world is hell, and men are both the tormented souls and the devils within it.’ This paraphrased quote from philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer opens this five-part historical drama and does not bode well for those in search of light relief, but it’s an apt curtain-raiser for what follows.

In quick succession we’re introduced to the men who set sail on a Victorian whaling ship: the rough-hewn harpoonist Henry Drax (Colin Farrell), the captain (Stephen Graham, right) and Patrick Sumner (Jack O’Connell), an educated doctor who clearly doesn’t belong in this motley crew.

But it’s not long before the battle lines are drawn on board and the stage is set for a conflict that will be played out to the death amid the Arctic wastes. An almost biblical tale of good and evil, it has a mesmerising visual sheen thanks to location filming close to the North Pole. ★★★★★