'Masterpiece' drama is 'best TV show of all time' and streaming free now

The "trailblazing psychological drama about desire, betrayal and the emotional fallout of an affair"

The opening three series of a "masterpiece" drama celebrated as the "best TV show" can now be streamed free of charge in the UK.

The Affair premiered in 2014, and follows the tumultuous relationship between schoolteacher Noah Solloway (Dominic West) and waitress Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson), both married when they initially met each other at the diner where Alison works.

ITVX's synopsis for the programme describes it as a "trailblazing psychological drama about desire, betrayal and the emotional fallout of an affair".

It received widespread critical praise for its nuanced examination of complex relationships and its innovative storytelling approach of depicting events from multiple characters' perspectives, a method popularised by renowned Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.

The Affair was created by Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi and spanned five seasons, with the final instalment airing in late 2019, reports the Express.

Audiences have taken to IMDb to lavish praise on the programme, with one viewer awarding it a flawless 10/10 and proclaiming it the "best tv show ever".

"They don't make tv shows like this," they added. "This is drama at its best.

"Superb writing and cast of actors, so much talent in this one show. I wished there were 10 seasons of this because it never gets old, it never gets tiring or dull or pointless like many other shows do.

"Probably season 4 is my favourite because we have travelled so far with these characters that they feel like friends now or people we care about, so human and so fragile and imperfect and real."

Another viewer branded it an "absolute masterpiece", suggesting it stands among the exceptional few productions where "every word matters and the only one so deeply psychological and thrilling at the same time".

"I watch everything, but The Affair is the only thing during which I switch off my phone."

A third fan praised it as a "beautiful story of cause & effects", highlighting how the final season "deeply ties up the entire series in a nice well done bow".

"What's great about the show, is that we get to see, feel and experience every characters perspective of what's truly going on, so in reality, we kind of don't know what's going on because we're just being fed different points of view," they continued.

"It's up to us to figure out what the real story is."

The broadcaster has announced that series four will land this summer, with the fifth instalment following next year. For those eager to binge-watch, all five seasons can currently be streamed on Paramount.