Little known BBC period drama 'better than Downton Abbey' gets rave reviews

The gripping 2007 period-drama series, named Lilies, ran for eight episodes and was created by .

The short-lived show was about the lives of sisters Iris (played by Catherine Tyldesley), Mary (Leanne Rowe) and Ruby Ross (Kerrie Hayes) living with their widowed father and brother in Liverpool in the early 1920s.

Heidi, , first developed the idea for the programme after listening to stories told by her grandma about being raised in post-war Liverpool.

She told the BBC back in 2007 ahead of the release: "My family were all terrific raconteurs, and I grew up hearing tales that could make you weep, and rock with laughter. They evoked a hard world, but one that thrilled with energy."

She added: "There is not one single episode that doesn't contain something handed down in anecdote."

While the series had extremely high ratings and was The Sunday Times' pick of the week for two months straight, it was not recommissioned.

However, fans have been gushing about the programme, with some stating it's even better than the iconic ITV drama Downton Abbey, which has also been made into a film franchise in recent years.

One fan wrote on IMDB: "I found this mini-series by accident, and what a delight. From beginning to end, I felt transported back in time. Throughout the series, you get a slice, perhaps, of a less sugar-coated time of transition after the First World War. This story unfolds through the eyes of three close but very different sisters and the surrounding family and friends."

Another said: "I was totally drawn in from the first episode. The spirited Moss family, so much like my own family, was that believable? It was written from the reminisces of a grandmother of her family and that is probably why it rang so true. This is one of those shows that so deserved a much longer run that it is a travesty that it was not given one. What WAS made is a gem to be savoured for eight episodes."

Another said it was better than Downton Abbey, adding: "The series did portray the division between Catholics and Northern Irish Protestants very well.

"Unless you grew up in that environment, it is hard to understand today that neither could enter a church of the other faith without condemning their immortal soul to hell forever more."

Meanwhile, someone said on Rotten Tomatoes: "Well done, and a lot more grounded than some of the BBC's other costume pieces. It dealt with touchy topics in a realistic manner. Shame it was cancelled."

Lilies is currently unavailable on BBC iPlayer and Prime, but can be bought on Amazon.