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Adapted from the Pulitzer prize-winning novel of the same name, Olive Kitteridge portrays an Americana beset with melancholy, pain, acceptance, loyalty and love. Set in the fictional town of Crosby, Maine, the mini-series follows the life of the eponymous lead (Frances McDormand) and her relationship with her husband Henry (Richard Jenkins), her son Chris (John Gallagher Jr), and the town’s inhabitants. Shying away from the quirkiness that plagues small-town American narratives, the show dissects this dichotomy of suffocating intimacy coupled with its deeply nurturing aspect — a dualism which simultaneously condemns and redeems a community from its own malaise. Olive herself is the hyper-realised version of this dichotomy, an antisocial curmudgeon who engages not only in petty behaviours but commendable acts of kindness, in an environment stifled with lost potential and buried grievances. The unconventional marriage between Olive and Henry, shrouded in what seems like bitterness, is deeply compelling and portrays a flawed marriage built on acceptance of the realities of long-term affection and intimacy, especially when affronted by potential infidelities. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are Alright), the series has a theatrical feel with interiority of character given centre stage and the use of echoing silences highlighting the stillness and stagnation of small-town living in a community conditioned to suppress their emotions. The raw, nuanced performances by McDormand and Jenkins rescue the series from teetering into the melodramatic, and the supporting cast which includes Bill Murray, Rosemarie DeWitt and Zoe Kazan provides a wealth of well-drawn out characters, each crippled by their own personal yet universal circumstances.

Olive Kitteridge can be seen on Sky Atlantic on December 14.