23 Sep '11

“Mr Drew is, rather, the David Brent of Passmores. But if he sees himself as an entertainer, that is probably what’s needed right now. What was worrying was how playing the heavy was often the least effective part of his act.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“The good news, though, is that the documentary itself is infinitely better than its marketing. Another of Channel 4’s exercises in saturation CCTV, it offers a portrait of an Essex comprehensive that is striving to ensure that none of its pupils leave without at least some kind of qualification. Striving with equal, if not greater vigour, to ensure the exact opposite are several of the pupils themselves.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“There were aggressive, lippy pupils, pig-headed parents, CCTV cameras in every nook and cranny and the usual, expected battles of mobile phones and hooded tops but instead of looking like a place under siege this school was a place where the grown-ups were in charge and having a rather good time while they were at it.”
Matt Baylis, The Express

“It’s a lot more interesting than Jamie’s Dream School, because that was just that, a dream. This is reality, which is kind of what you want in reality TV. And Mr Drew’s history class is a hundred times better than David Starkey’s in Jamie’s dream. He – Mr Drew (maybe I can call him Stephen, given that we’re probably the same age) – is my new TV hero, can you tell?”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“One difficulty is how good the kids actually are given that every routine they do is performed in a state of wish-fulfilled production values. The other is deciding whether Glee is mocking showbiz values or validating them.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“It’s a way of “doing America” that effectively bypasses all the dramatic scenery and interesting people and it’s very telling that every third shot is one of Connolly, hair streaming as he rides his astonishing shopping trolley motorbike contraption down the middle of an empty road.”
Matt Baylis, The Express