When it was announced that The Larkins was going to be rebooted, a couple of names in the cast raised eyebrows.
Some said Bradley Walsh was more of a gameshow host, others said Sabrina Bartlett was too old to play Mariette at 30 - but if there's one actor who's talent has never been in doubt, it's the indomitable Joanna Scanlan.
Unlike Olivia Coleman or Emma Thompson, Scanlan isn't quite yet a household name in the dynasty of great British actresses we're living in - but it's pretty easy to argue that she's highly underrated.
Read more: Viewers divided as Darling Buds of May remake returns to our screens
She's starred alongside some of showbiz's biggest names, been integral to the success of some true cult classics, and has stepped up to the mantle of Ma Larkin admirably.
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In fact, she was quite clearly the best-loved member of the cast as The Larkins brought classic Darling Buds of May characters back to our screens - at least according to the Twitter-using public.
We've already taken a look at Sabrina Bartlett and Bradley Walsh's careers so far - so let's take a deep dive into what made Joanna Scanlan the telly powerhouse she is, and give you everything you need to know.
Early life and career breakthrough
Scanlan was born in 1961 on October 27 in Cheshire, before moving to North Wales at the age of three.
Educated at the Brigidine Convent and Howell's School in Denbigh and New Hall school in Essex, the notable beginning to Joanna's acting career was whilst she was at Cambridge University.
She joined the prestigious Cambridge Footlights theatre and comedy company - where she became friends with fellow British acting icon Tilda Swinton.
Fascinatingly, Joanna didn't head straight into acting, however - and after graduating, she worked as a lecturer at Leicester Polytechnic before moving The Arts Council of Great Britain.
It wasn't until she was 34 that she'd consciously pursue an acting career, following the split of the Arts Council in 1994, landing the role of a nurse in ITV's Peak Practice - a role which would then see her cast repeatedly as a nurse or doctor.
She appeared as a midwife alongside mega-stars Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson in The Other Boleyn Girl, as well as playing Dr Diana Dibbs in Doc Martin with Martin Clunes.
Rise to prominence with The Thick of It
If there's one quintessential Scanlan performance, it has to be her utterly exceptional portrayal of Terri Coverley in the BBC's The Thick of It alongside Chris Addison and Peter Capaldi.
A hapless civil servant and press officer in the Department of Social Affairs, Terri was part of the core cast of the show for the full four seasons between 2005 and 2012 - outlasting a number of in-show government ministers, cabinet reshuffles, and even a very pointed parody of the coalition government.
During the run of the show, she also appeared in cult fantasy hit Stardust, as well as Girl With a Pearl Earring, Notes on a Scandal and The Thick of It spinoff In The Loop.
She also earnt two BAFTA nominations in 2011 and 2013 as she starred and co-wrote the dark satire NHS drama Getting On with Jo Brand and Vicki Pepperdine.
But recent years have seen her really establish herself as a mainstay in British film and telly, including starring in the hugely critically acclaimed After Love, playing Mother Superior in Steven Moffat's adaptation of Dracula, and of course playing Ma in The Larkins.
Net worth and personal life
Off screen, Joanna Scanlan keeps her private life to herself - and she doesn't appear to have a verified social media presence on any platform.
However, we do know that her net worth is somewhere in the region of £1-5 million, and that she currently lives with her husband Neil in South Croydon, in London.
In interview with the Guardian, she did open up a little bit about her career and how she feels about how she's perceived, though.
Specifically, she expressed that she's constantly confused by the amount she's asked to undress for roles, saying: "People do seem to ask me to take my clothes off all the time, which I find really strange.
"It's that Shakespearian tradition of ribald comedy that we have in Britain, which [showing] flesh is somehow part of that has ended up putting me into a casting bracket."
She also spoke about how she feels about her reputation as a deadpan but comedic actor, saying "I'm I’m continually telling people I’m a serious person, and they end up laughing at me.
"And I’ve often found that they laugh at me most when I’m most in earnest.
"But, you know, I am somebody who approaches life pretty seriously.
"I’ve always said that if I hadn’t been fat, I would have ended up playing lots of tragedy.”
On her late blooming career and struggles starting as an actor, she told The Guardian that she had "sort of a breakdown" in her late 20s, which resulted in her shift out of an office and lecturing job in academia and back into the arts.
But now it's hard to imagine British TV without her - and in The Larkins, she's sure to grab even more acclaim in her glittering career.