Sir Ian McKellen has praised It's A Sin creator Russell T Davies for producing an "imaginative" five-part miniseries.

The show, following a group of young friends through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, launched on Channel 4 and as a complete boxset on All 4 last Friday.

The series has released almost universal acclaim from critics and viewers - and is also thought to have propelled All 4 to its best ever weekend - and now veteran actor McKellen has taken to Twitter to add his voice to the praise.

"Russell T Davies must be the most imaginative of writers for television," he wrote. "His latest series reveals that he cares for the audience as much as he loves his characters.

"He'll make you sad but lift your heart. #ItsASin will entrance young viewers, whatever their sexuality."

The show has also launched in Australia and New Zealand, while it will be made available to a US audience on HBO Max from February 18.