A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough; Beef; Big Mood; Bergerac

“The most famous sequence in all of wildlife film-making happened 48 years ago. During the filming of Life on Earth – the groundbreaking BBC show that set the blueprint of nature programming as we know it today – David Attenborough crept through the forests of Rwanda, and unexpectedly found himself being playfully set upon by a family of gorillas. As they clambered over him, Attenborough turned to camera and said: “There is more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than with any other animal I know.” Almost half a century on, the sequence still has the power to give you goosebumps. This is possibly why it has formed the backbone of a new documentary. A Gorilla Story is a much starrier affair than its predecessor – it was directed by the Oscar-winning James Reed and boasts Leonardo DiCaprio as an executive producer – but its conceit is fascinating: after all this time, how are those same gorillas doing?”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Attenborough’s tone is more upbeat than in some of his documentaries because the gorillas’ population has more than doubled in recent decades after poachers demolished their numbers. It is a conservation success story and a love letter to the gorilla, told beautifully by the undisputed silverback of natural history broadcasting.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Beef is as much a study of relationships and marriage itself as it is a satire on people failing to get along. As Lindsay says to Ashley in the very first episode, for a couple to endure, no matter how perfect seeming, “the bad does have to come out somewhere”. This Beef is a story of the bad coming out everywhere, all the time. Particular satirical relish is reserved for the young dreamers’ relationship falling apart when faced with the realities of envy and personal ambition, but no one’s gleaming facade stands up to much scrutiny when faced with Lee Sung Jin’s pen. It all makes for an exquisite melee, but one that’s founded in our skewed notions of what’s fair, what’s right and how to deal with perceived wrongs. Beef’s answer: first do nothing. It won’t end well.”
Benji Wilson, Telegraph

“No, it’s not as exquisite as The White Lotus, but when it’s being funny (such as Austin’s blagging as he fakes it as a physical therapist), being perceptive about neediness and dissatisfaction within a long-term relationship, or being simply entertaining in the country club, this beef can still be something rare and delicious.”
James Jackson, The Times

“Of course, humour is subjective and so is charm: if you’re liable to get swept up in the messy millennial-ness of it all, these will seem like quibbles. And it’s true that the broad-strokes comedy does occasionally give way to substantial dramatic insight. But while Eddie and Maggie’s platonic romance may have been intoxicating in their youth, now it just seems toxic. Perhaps it’s time for everyone involved in this dysfunctional friendship to move on.”
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian

“Damien Molony has a permanently apologetic air, with none of the Nettles swagger. He appears forever on the verge of saying sorry for his own existence. Zoe Wanamaker, as his mother-in-law and perpetual critic Charlie, is underused, though there’s the seed of an interesting double act in her new relationship with boyfriend Nigel (Adrian Edmondson). This year’s investigation, into the murder of a bridegroom at a reception - stabbed through the heart with the wedding cake knife - is promising, too. But it could be happening anywhere. The Channel Islands setting has been all but discarded … just like the title sequence.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail