Benedict Cumberbatch praised for "performance of a lifetime" in Patrick Melrose

Benedict Cumberbatch appears to have picked up a few more Cumberb*tches thanks to his turn as a drug-addled socialite in Patrick Melrose after the show made its debut on Sky Atlantic on Sunday night. Many viewers took to Twitter to declare themselves new converts to the Benedictine church – with some calling for the star to win "all the awards" for his performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2GEFJ_ewxU

There had been a lot of hype about the Sherlock star's new role – as the main character from Edward St Aubyn's autobiographical series of novels – in the build up to the show's premiere (which you can watch on RadioTimes.com right now for free). Our own Eleanor Bley Griffiths wrote that its entire success rested on his perfectly cast shoulders.

And the fans agreed.

"I'm quite overawed by Benedict Cumberbatch's performance in #PatrickMelrose," Twitter user Mark Hammersley wrote. "Like O'Toole doing Jeffery Bernard- on speed. Quite masterful."

Danny Riviera added, hilariously: "If the talent of #BenedictCumberbatch is mithril from the mines of Moria, then his performance in #PatrickMelrose is the Balrog of Morgoth; except in this case I am GRATEFUL to the dwarves for digging "too greedily and too deep" for what they've awakened is invaluably ferocious." Wow.

Check out the best reactions to Patrick Melrose episode one below.

https://twitter.com/HammersTweet/status/995628234854293506

https://twitter.com/partygirlu2/status/995541810989686784

https://twitter.com/e_l_is/status/995486922519842818

https://twitter.com/SmilingBenedict/status/995493981617180674

https://twitter.com/EasterBecky/status/995756823864119298

https://twitter.com/NotReallyGeeky/status/995561439938170880

https://twitter.com/midnytemercury/status/995485192163741696

https://twitter.com/dgrivera/status/995525811556974597

This article was originally published on 14 May 2018

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