Abigail's Party is still going on, 32 years after it was first shown on BBC's Play for Today. Mike Leigh discusses the enduring appeal of his play, while Imogen Carter talks to leading lady Alison Steadman, along with actors, writers and directors who saw the show in 1977… and have never been able to forget it
Ruffles, repression, Robert Hardy ... it must be costume-drama season again. Sarah Dempster celebrates with a guide to what we love about this very British genre