“Watching this programme forces us to at least consider something that is almost too disgusting to contemplate: that when our country faced one of its darkest hours, certain people in charge saw not a crisis, but an opportunity.”
Covid Contracts: Follow the Money, ITV1
“Follow the Money is mostly a repackaging of existing reporting, but producers/directors Jenna Weiler and Davina Bristow perform that task with calm rigour. Watching this programme, however, forces us to at least consider something that is almost too disgusting to contemplate: that when our country faced one of its darkest hours, certain people in charge saw not a crisis, but an opportunity.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian
Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1
“The powers that be will be relieved launch night passed without any of the predicted froideur on the dance floor and instead delivered lots of the infectious positivity that is the franchise’s signature. Dramatic, attention-grabbing and slick as anything – and that was just co-host Claudia Winkleman’s fringe during a funny-ish opening skit featuring 2024 winner, comedian Chris McCausland.”
Ed Power, The Telegraph
“In case you didn’t get enough bling earlier this week with the state visit (another exercise in careful choreography), here were TV royalty Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly ushering in all the posh frocks, bow ties and spangly ritual we’ve come to expect from the show that is a BBC crown jewel. For added authenticity, everyone did a brilliant job of ignoring the outrage that has met the inclusion of a certain right-wing pal of JD Vance with a history of criminal convictions and infidelity.”
Liz Edwards, The Times
Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth, BBC2
“Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth isn’t a terribly snappy title, sounding more like a strange offshoot of Game of Thrones. But it turned out to be a quiet, deeply immersive documentary. It became a sort of oceanic slow television which the coelacanth rather forced upon the viewer because, with scientists and camera crew huddled excitedly in a submersible, it did not move an inch for 39 hours.”
Carol Midgley, The Times
“Once spotted, coelacanths are easy to track. The first one they sighted didn’t move for the next 36 hours. Even Dr Sink fell asleep watching it. But when they did become mobile, every movement revealed something new to science… All of this was accompanied not only by the erudite murmur of Sir David’s narration but with a cinematic score, too, by composer Joe Hisaishi, performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic. Thoroughly enjoyable.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail
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