It isn't *solely* about falling back on writing, characterisation and acting. It's also about encouraging the viewer to use their imagination to fill in the gaps and make it feel real, and in that way you know the programme makers did so as well with what they had.
@moviessilently.bsky.social“Visually, the series should feel cinematic…”
That’s their problem right there. The best British tv is when it was shot without permission in the back of a factory after hours.