“Imagine a movie co-directed by Busby Berkeley and Ingmar Bergman…” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV.

STORYVILLE: SYNC OR SWIM, BBC4

“Imagine a movie co-directed by Busby Berkeley and Ingmar Bergman and you have it, more or less… a nigh-on perfect documentary.”
Brian Viner, The Independent

“Basically The Full Monty with verrucas … a very entertaining film.”
Sarah Vine, The Times

“Sort of The Full Monty, only wetter and more subtle… a surprisingly lovely film.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

RUDE BRITANNIA, BBC4

“A far crasser affair than any of the subject matter it contained. If the Fat Slags had got together with Finbar Saunders to script the history curriculum, this is what it would have ended up looking like.”
Sarah Vine, The Times

“Clever and enlightening … should make an ideal diversion for anyone feeling trampled by a modern-day sacred cow, the World Cup.”
Brian Viner, The Independent

MARY, QUEEN OF SHOPS, BBC2

“Mary needs to get out more… And she seems to have learnt her unique motivational style while working as an intelligence agent somewhere like Northern Ireland.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

GLADIATORS: BACK FROM THE DEAD, CHANNEL 4

“The reconstruction … not too bad - not quite Ridley Scott, but better than average. Muscly men grimace and go at each other, with lots of shadow around the outside to hide the fact that this is on a TV budget.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

Topics