He Knew He Was Right (BBC1); End Of Story (BBC3/BBC2); AUNT Priscilla is in no doubt what's going on. "I do believe the devil has been allowed to come amongst us because of our sins," she declares.

You have to sympathise with her view. Within ten minutes of the opening credits, Louis and Emily have met, fallen in love, married, had a child and fallen out.

No one can accuse this latest BBC classic serial of hanging about. Just because everyone is weighed down by big costumes, big manners and big hair doesn't mean events proceed at a snail's pace.

Hair, I should mention, is of great importance to Aunt Priscilla (played in full old boot mode by Anna Massey). She agrees to take in young Dorothy and give her an allowance of £25 a week provided she's regular at meals, constant in church-going, doesn't read modern novels - and wears no false hair.

She gives Dorothy's hair a tug on arrival to check she's complying with that rule. Later, she's horrified to see what Camilla and Arabella have on their heads - "enough horsehair to stuff a sofa".

This maiden aunt is one of the marvellously-drawn characters wandering through the Anthony Trollope story. Adapter Andrew Davies has, more or less, a free hand as few have even heard of the novel let alone read it. He can take as many liberties as he likes and no one will know the difference.

The emotion that kickstarts the drama is jealousy. Louis gets it into his head that Colonel Osborne's regular calls on wife Emily add up to adultery.

Louis moves from calling her "the loveliest and sweetest girl I have met in my life" to forbidding her to see the colonel again. Perhaps his jealousy is understandable as old roue Colonel Osborne is impersonated by Bill Nighy in full Leslie Phillips ding-dong mode.

With Louis so consumed by green-eyed jealousy that he could double for the Incredible Hulk and Emily being unfashionably spirited and stubborn, He Knew He Was Right promises three further lively episodes.

The TV adaptation might persuade people to read Trollope's novel. If not, surplus copies can be put to good use. End Of Story revealed that romantic novels are pulped and used in road construction.

Mills and Boon books are particularly good because they have low ash content and produce maximum fibre. That will be cold comfort to the authors who've slaved over a hot word processor writing them.

Thousands were pulped to coat the M6 toll road. Some 45,000 books for each of the 16 miles of motorway. Pulped books are also used to make artificial snow for Hollywood movies by a company called, inevitably perhaps, Snow Business.

The programme was an introduction to a BBC project in which the public is being invited to complete eight short stories started by famous authors, including Sue Townsend, Fay Weldon, Ian Rankin and Ed McBain.

Those who don't win can take heart from knowing that such books as The Diary Of Anne Frank, Animal Farm and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold were all rejected by publishers initially.

If you find it difficult to knuckle down to writing, try following the example of one author. She tied her leg to her desk to stop her being distracted while writing.

Published: 19/04/2004