Personally, I adore television that assumes a certain level of intelligence on behalf of the viewer.
American dramas have done this for years now, and British drama is starting to follow their lead.
In series like NYPD Blue, there were always seven or eight 'back stories' running in parallel with the weekly plot, and you were simply supposed to keep up because you were bright enough and interested enough to pay attention, and not things wash over you.
That's why they would refer to incidents or return characters that had been in up to six years ago, and you are supposed to remember, because they don't bother with explanations.
Of course, the reverse of that us British documentaries where they show you ten minutes, have a ninety-second ad break, and then re-cap what you have just seen!!! AAAAAARRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Give me intelligent drama any day.