“She was the perfect travel companion.” Read on for the full verdict on last night’s TV.

The Frankincense Trail, BBC2
“A masterstroke of television subterfuge. Nowhere in the title did the words “Saudi Arabia”, “Islam” or “burka” appear, although these were the most fascinating parts of the show.”
Helen Rumbelow, The Times

The Frankincense Trail, BBC2
“The frankincense is just a vehicle, albeit a rather interesting one. What we’re really getting is a look at the complex, varied sub- cultures of the Middle East.”
Alice-Azania Jarvis, The Independent

The Frankincense Trail, BBC2
“Her slightly too-crisp voiceover may have erred on the side of schoolmarmishness, but in every other respect she was the perfect travel companion. Engagingly direct and glowingly enthusiastic, she strode her way through a documentary that took a similarly brisk and upbeat approach to the history and politics of one of the world’s oldest industries.”
Sarah Dempster, The Guardian

Benefit Busters, C4
“Somehow, the producers have found, among a cast of “doleys”, material that constantly surprises with fresh insights, dark humour and a feel for the poignancy of real human drama.”
Helen Rumbelow, The Times

Benefit Busters, C4
“It was a far bleaker picture than we got last week, though perhaps more significant for it.”
Alice-Azania Jarvis, The Independent

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