The Trial

This Italian noir is crafted with the utmost finesse. Set against the palatial Renaissance backdrop of Mantova-a city still relatively untouched by tourists-Il Processo takes us on a ride through the Italian judiciary system without bogging us down in bureaucracy, detail and Amanda Knox.

A refreshing change from Neopolitan, mafia-led dramas, and all the cringe set in Venice and Rome, Il Processo breathes a breath of fresh air into Italy's TV exports. It steers clear of the path to pretentiousness (from which many of its contemporaries never return), instead prioritising character development and a slow-burning sense of unease over a quick, intense thrill, maintaining intrigue until the end.

Elena, the enigmatic main character-our new best friend and elusive partner in crime-solving-is expertly cast. True to her surname, the prosecutor wages a war against an increasingly desperate defendant and, in the process, lets us question her own motives. The director never leads us down the garden path, instead giving us objectivity with which we come to our own, likely erroneous, conclusions.

Saying bye to Vittoria Puccini's Elena in the sunset-based finale (a solitary dose of corniness to sign off an exceptional series) is genuinely quite sad.