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Ruth Wilson, Dominic West, sex and mystery in The Hamptons... 8 reasons why you should not miss The Affair, by Jim Shelley

Published: 11:11 EST, 13 May 2015 | Updated: 13:05 EST, 13 May 2015

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At this year's Golden Globe awards, one result in particular stood out for British viewers - even though most of us hadn't even heard of the winner, let alone seen it.

In the prestigious category for Best Drama, candidates such as Game Of Thrones, House Of Cards, and The Good Wife were beaten by a show called The Affair.

That was despite Kevin Spacey taking the Best Actor prize for his performance as President Frank Underwood in House of Cards.

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One to watch: The Affair - starring Ruth Wilson and Dominic West - premieres on UK TV screens on Wednesday at 9pm on Sky Atlantic, and is certainly one worth viewing

Dominic West and Ruth Wilson star in The Affair

His co-star/First Lady wasn't so lucky. Robin Wright along with Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) and Claire Danes (Homeland) missed out as the Golden Globe for Best Actress went to Ruth Wilson in The Affair.

That was back in January, long after US audiences had been gripped by The Affair ever since its premiere on October 13.

For aficionados of quality American television in Britain it's been a long, frustrating, wait.

Now it's finally here - on Sky Atlantic on Wednesday at 9pm starting with an 85-minute-long double bill.

Here are eight of the reasons why it more than lives up to its reputation.

1. The opening credits

The opening credit sequences for some American series are so good they're better than most British programmes. Homeland for example was a work of art while the intros for shows like The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men became iconic. The Affair begins with a montage of images evoking the key elements of the show: shells, sand, and the sea; the words of a novel; a couple having sex; a child.

A plot worth your time: What may seem to be a pretty standard storyline at first turns out to be one filled with dramatic twists, leaving the audience wanting more

They could be perfectly positive/happy but are intriguing and haunting, mostly because of the almost-acoustic theme tune 'Container' with Fiona Apple gasping: 'I was screaming into the canyon/At the moment of my death/The echo I created/Outlasted my last breath/My voice it made an avalanche/And buried a man I never knew/And when he died his widowed bride/Met your daddy and they made you/I have only one thing to do and that's To be the wave that I am and then/Sink back into the ocean/Sink back into the ocean.'

Gulp.

2. The show's credentials

The Affair is made by Showtime, the channel whose pedigree includes Homeland, Dexter, and Penny Dreadful.

It was created by the writers of In Treatment and above all one of its Executive Producers is Eric Overmeyer – Boardwalk Empire, The Wire and Homicide: Life On The Street.

The director of the premiere, Mark Mylod, directed two episodes in this season's Game Of Thrones – not to mention Ali G Indahouse. Respect!

3. The plot

From the first scenes showing New York teacher/novelist Noah Solloway (Dominic West) catching the eye of an attractive young woman at the swimming pool, The Affair is compelling. But as soon as he meets waitress Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson) on holiday in the Hamptons with his family, we are hooked – as they are obviously going to be. We know what's coming (from the title), or we think we do.

After some stunningly dramatic twists, we soon realise we really have no idea.

Welcome to The Hamptons: The Affair is mostly shot in the gorgeous summer beach retreat made famous in films and other shows

4. The location

Most of the best drama series these days rely on an evocative, unusual, location, using them almost as an extra character. Fargo, Top Of The Lake, Fortitude, Breaking Bad, True Detective... A lot of Americans films and TV series have referenced 'The Hamptons' as the summer beach retreat of choice for affluent New Yorkers. Set in the picturesque town of Montauk, The Affair is one of the first to really show why – with its sweeping beaches, beauty, isolation, and expensively natural houses. Like all the series mentioned above, the effect is to immediately make you want to go there – until of course you see what happens.

5. Ruth Wilson

Ruth Wilson made her name opposite Idris Elba in Luther as the captivating/disturbing Alice Morgan. Her presence here is equally immediate, although decidedly less sinister (perhaps). It's immediately easy to see why she won the Golden Globe. Her American accent is immaculate, she switches Alison's personality brilliantly, and let's face it with legs like hers she looks amazing in her waitress's uniform.

She's a winner: Ruth Wilson won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama TV Series for The Affair back in January

Ruth Wilson wears cut-out green gown to screening of The Affair

6. Dominic West

As he demonstrated in The Wire, Dominic West is almost more convincing when he plays an American. Like Jimmy McNulty, teacher/novelist Noah Solloway has the big brown eyes and easy, clever, charm that make him irresistible to women and the type of guy that other men want to be.

'When's he going to college?' he asks his wife as their son calls them when they're having sex - not so much coitus interruptus as childus interruptus.

'12 years,' his wife says.

'I wanna read Dad's book !' complains his eight year-old son. 'You can't,' his mum says.

'Why not? Is it dirty?' the boy asks.

'It's derivative,' mutters Noah.

Despite his happy marriage, his kids, his brownstone and his book, everything is going to change as soon as he lays eyes on Alison.

Popular gent: With previous roles in The Wire, Appropriate Adult and The Hour, Dominic West is another reason to tune into this Showtime drama

7. The format

The events of episode one are immediately addictive, and occasionally alarming, but seem quite conventional – for a while. The way The Affair is structured though soon makes it clear that nothing is quite as it seems. This is a story about sex and secrets, where someone must be lying and at least half of what we see can't be trusted or treated as the truth.

8. The mystery

The Affair is, obviously, about the affair between Noah and Alison that takes place during the summer (and possibly beyond? It has been commissioned for a second series after all). But the fact that the events in the Hamptons (and the flashbacks of their lives) are intercut with scenes showing both of them being questioned by a local detective reiterates that this is no ordinary affair. The death of children is an underlying theme, and Ruth Wilson always a beautiful but slightly disturbing/disturbed presence.

One thing we do know, it’s not going to end well.

From a place of greatness: The Affair is made by Showtime, the channel whose pedigree includes Homeland (above), Dexter, and Penny Dreadful, among other esteemed efforts