If there's a show that's worth clearing your viewing schedule for, you'll know it's Big Little Lies, the murder-mystery adaptation - with shades of an upmarket, more cerebral Desperate Housewives - that received no less than 16 (16!) Emmy Award nominations.
Ahead of season two - which we just can't wait for - here's everything you need to know about one of the starriest small-screen productions, well, ever... (Oh, and did we mention? Meryl Streep is only joining the second instalment, no big deal.)
Is there a trailer for season two of Big Little Lies yet?
Oh, we're glad you asked. Yes, there is! And true to form, it looks tense.
Who is set to be in season two of Big Little Lies?
Who Is Going To Be In Season Two Of Big Little Lies?
1 of 5Reese Witherspoon is returning as Madeline Martha Mackenzie.
Reese Witherspoon is returning as Madeline Martha Mackenzie.
2 of 5Nicole Kidman is returning as Celeste Wright.
Nicole Kidman is returning as Celeste Wright.
3 of 5shailene woodley
Shailene Woodley is returning as Jane Chapman.
4 of 5Laura Dern is returning as Renata Klein.
Laura Dern is returning as Renata Klein.
5 of 5Zoë Kravitz is returning as Bonnie Carlson.
Zoë Kravitz is returning as Bonnie Carlson.
What does Meryl Streep have to do with Big Little Lies?
Meryl, who’ll be the third Oscar winning actress on the BLL roll call (alongside Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, who also serve as executive producers), is set to play the mother of the abusive Perry Wright (played by Alexander Skarsgard), who – spoiler alert – was revealed to be the subject of the show’s murder investigation in the final episode.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mary Louise Wright is ‘concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren’ after the death of her son, and arrives in Monterey ‘searching for answers. Reports suggest that three-time Oscar winner Meryl will receive $800,000 per episode.
What's it all about?
Based on the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies focuses on a handful of glossily-coiffed mothers whose similarly glossy, picture-perfect lives in the coastal California haven of Monterey are thrown into disarray with the arrival of a single parent (played by Shailene Woodley). After their children come to blows in the playground, the group starts to fracture and cracks begin to emerge in the facades they've built up, eventually resulting in a murder.
So far, so Desperate Housewives - but Big Little Lies is less soapy than that particular suburban melodrama, and the murder mystery investigation is a lot darker and more tangled.
When is it on?
Clear your diaries, the premiere is set to be on June 9!
Who was in the cast of season one?
The credits of Big Little Lies are basically a who's who of Hollywood. Reese Witherspoon stars as Madeline Mackenzie, a stay-at-home mom with a penchant for bearing grudges - especially towards her ex-husband's new wife, who is played by Zoe Kravitz. She's joined by fellow Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman as Celeste, a retired lawyer with a seemingly perfect marriage to Alexander Skarsgard's Perry; The Fault In Our Stars' Shailene Woodley as Jane, a young single mother who has recently arrived in Monterey; and Laura Dern as compulsive over-achiever Renata, who accuses Jane's son of harming her child.
A cast of this calibre is definitive proof that quality TV drama is now as appealing a proposition to major stars as tentpole films: it's certainly hard to imagine both Witherspoon and Kidman cropping up in the same small-screen show, say, 10 years ago. What's more, it's certainly refreshing to see a show that spotlights so many talented actresses at once.
And who is behind the scenes?
While the plot of Big Little Lies might delve into jealousy and intrigue, the driving force behind its production was actually down to friendship - specifically, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon's friendship.
After reading Liane Moriarty's novel, Reese (who launched her production company Pacific Standard in 2012 as a response to the scarcity of interesting roles for women) immediately wanted to option the story - and sent it on to her friend Nicole as a prospective co-star and co-producer. The pair considered turning it into a film before deciding that a mini-series would be the best showcase; both women have exec producer credits.
'For 25 years, I've been the only woman on set, so I had no other women to talk to [...] They call it Smurfette Syndrome, because she's got a hundred Smurfs around her and she's the only girl,' Reese told an audience at the Television Critics Association in January. 'Honestly, it's so refreshing to get to spend time with women.'
The two stars then joined forces with writer David E. Kelley, who has previously worked on Ally McBeal and Boston Legal. Jean-Marc Vallée, who has also directed Dallas Buyers Club, The Young Victoria and Wild (which earned Witherspoon an Oscar nomination for Best Actress), was behind the camera for the entire series.
How can I watch Big Little Lies?
Given that, as the lion's share of agenda-setting HBO shows are wont to do, Big Little Lies is airing on Sky Atlantic, you'll need a Sky TV package or access to Sky Go. Failing that, Now TV's entertainment pass gives you streaming access to Sky Atlantic shows (and other box sets) from £6.99 per month.