Black Doves; Celebrity Race Across the World

“Black Doves (Netflix), Joe Barton’s wildly enjoyable London spy caper, loves a jarring needle-drop. Just as series one drenched its gunfights in the honeyed purr of Santa Baby and the drowsy ra-pa-pum-pums of Little Drummer Boy, so this second run marries its bloodiest moments with the most innocent songs it can find. Here, a woman is shot in the neck to the lilting New Orleans croon of Clarence “Frogman” Henry’s But I Do. Love’s Everybody’s Gotta Live drifts over a heart-piercing execution. And the biggest shoot-out of the series unfolds in a symphony of cartoonish violence to the plug-and-play pop of Olly Murs’s Dance With Me Tonight.”
Patrick Smith, Telegraph

“Like many great series, Black Doves is a blend of the fresh and the old-fashioned. Its balance of irreverent comedy and violence feels original, while the stakes are constantly high, danger always near. But its commitment to the viewer feels almost traditional, like old-school linear telly, with every episode ending on a giant cliffhanger. And after all, there’s no genre more time-honoured than a juicy spy thriller you can sink right into. New cast additions [Sam] Riley and Ambika Mod take the show to new heights. So god bless Black Doves, the show currently most worthy of your Netflix subscription.”
Jessie Thompson, The Independent

“Black Doves does have a serious side, asking questions about the nature of identity like: does lying about your past really make you any less of a devoted wife and mother? If you perform all the tasks and say all the things – if you are actually there – does it matter what’s going on inside your head? As philosophical conundrums go, it’s not a particularly tricky one (the answer is: yes). Yet despite its absurdity, this rambunctiously entertaining drama does still possess a poignancy and a message that rings true. Essentially, this is a portrait of Sam and Helen’s friendship enduring amid a backdrop of merciless scheming and grisly horror. Life is pain, death is coming: delight in someone else’s company – or, in this case, banter with your best mate as you blow someone’s head off with an assault rifle – is the only happiness we can truly count on in the end.”
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian

“It’s funny and gruesome, a riot of slapstick and doomy death, and the fast pace helps. But if you stop for a minute and think seriously about these people, and how they live their lives, it falls to pieces. Moving? Deep? Nice try. This is a rollercoaster show, an adrenaline ride. Just enjoy it. It’s fun. Honestly.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“Whatever Sam Ryder’s got, I want a bottle of it. Lost in a city whose name he can’t even pronounce, sweltering hot, foot sore and skint, he can say, ‘Everything is going perfect’ - and mean it. The singer, who delivered Britain’s best Eurovision performance in decades with his hit Space Man in 2022, exudes enough positive energy to blast a rocket into orbit. His optimism is more powerful than gravity. ‘I find it to be a choice,’ he declared, trekking through Borneo in Celebrity Race Across The World with his close mate and tour manager Kaz. ‘If you look for the light, you’ll find it.’ And as their transport was dogged by a series of hold-ups and breakdowns, he refused to bemoan his setbacks: ‘I’m sure that heading our way is this golden ray of lucky light.’ It’s truly refreshing.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail