... ▁the ▁production ▁remains ▁m ired ▁in ▁a ▁dram atic ▁desert ." ▁ ▁However , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Mark ▁Law son ▁was ▁far ▁more ▁fav ou rable ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁ranking ▁Hard y ' s ▁port ray al ▁as ▁the ▁second ▁most ▁memor able ▁television ▁representation ▁of ▁Church ill , ▁be aten ▁only ▁by ▁Albert ▁Fin ney ▁in ▁The ▁G ather ing ▁Storm . ▁Law son ▁wrote : ▁" With ▁an ▁acting ▁style ▁that ▁tends ▁towards ▁the ▁large , ▁loud ▁and ▁pos h , ▁Hard y ▁was ▁dest ined ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁those ▁actors ▁who ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁spent ▁almost ▁as ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁being ▁Church ill ▁as ▁the ▁man ▁himself ▁did . ▁Among ▁Hard y ' s ▁arm ful ▁of ▁port ray als , ▁this ▁TV ▁drama ▁mus ically ▁expl ores ▁the ▁politician ' s ▁unusual ▁r het or ical ▁range ▁from ▁whisper ▁to ▁shout ." ▁An ▁even ▁more ▁positive ▁app rais al ▁soon ▁followed ▁from ▁Church ill ▁bi ograph er ▁Andrew ▁Roberts ▁in ▁The ▁Spect ator , ▁who ▁described ▁Hard y ' s ▁performance ▁as ▁" st ill ▁the ▁best ▁dep iction ▁of ▁Church ill ▁on ▁a ▁screen ." ▁Hard y ' s ▁int ensive ▁research ▁into ▁Church ill , ▁Roberts ▁concluded , ▁" help ed ▁make ▁the ▁series ▁the ▁success ▁it ▁was , ▁and ▁set ▁the ▁standard ▁for ▁everything ▁that ▁followed ." ▁ ▁Awards ▁ ▁Hard y ' s ▁performance ▁as ▁Church ill ▁won ▁a ▁B AF TA ▁nom ination ▁in ▁ 1 9