Invasion of the Parakeets; House of the Dragon

“Chris Packham posited a potential new human prejudice in Invasion of the Parakeets (Channel 4): ornithological xenophobia. Are you a bird racist, reader? Are you specifically biased against the bright green, very loud mini parrots that you see flying around many city parks these days and hanging out en masse in trees, perhaps before dropping a job lot of parakeet turds on your car? Well, shame on you. I think the ring-necked parakeet, which is breeding in huge numbers in Britain, is absolutely beautiful, a wonder of nature. Apart from the punky neon green, look at the red beak, look at the pink and black ring around its face and neck. Who would complain about a flying paintbox?”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“We are invited to muse upon what qualifies a population as native – 48% of our terrestrial fauna was artificially introduced to our isles – and whether our tolerance for newcomers is evenly distributed. Pheasants and red-legged partridges are imported by the thousand for shooting season on estates (as part of an industry worth £3.3bn to the UK) and survivors go on to gobble up seeds, berries, insects and rare reptiles without anyone getting upset. “Bonkers,” says Packham. Then there are Canada geese, which I know for a fact have done nothing to add to the sum of UK happiness – and quite a lot to detract from toddler safety and maternal rest in our parks – since they were brought over in the 17th century to entertain berks in royal palaces. Invasion of the Parakeets doesn’t labour the parallel immigration arguments and attitudes about humans and birds, but rather lets them come to roost gently among the standard nature documentary stuff. It is nicely done. And none of it is about football. For which, as ever, many thanks.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Racism claims aside, the programme is quite jolly and even-handed. Packham clearly loves these birds but gives time to David Darrell-Lambert, a well-known birder, who says he would happily shoot them and recommends a cull to keep numbers down. Other contributors speak for and against. And if you’re plagued by parakeets and want to know how to keep them away, Sibylla Tindale of the High Clandon winery in the Surrey Hills offers a solution. When parakeets started coming over “in squadrons” to peck at her grapes, threatening to decimate the vineyard, she invested in a German machine that blasts the sound of birds of prey attacking and eating smaller birds. It worked. So you can scare them off. Just don’t, whatever you do, tell them they don’t belong here.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“In truth, House of the Dragon is perfectly watchable fare. But it exists in a strange limbo: it is disappointing only in comparison with Game of Thrones, yet without the world-building and fanbase of its predecessor, it would not make any dramatic sense. And so, even though it is lazy to say it, the show remains darkened by the shadow of its forebear. More dragons did not have to mean less humanity, and yet the balance remains off in a show that is dazzlingly bombastic but disappointingly shallow.”
Nick Hilton, Independent

“House of the Dragon has, from the start, boasted stunning production values. That is presumably why it takes so long for each new run of episodes to appear. But it has been recently overshadowed by complaints from Game of Thrones author George RR Martin that claim he was sidelined from the production. More significantly, from a viewer’s perspective, it has generally lacked the riotous nastiness that was a key part of Game of Thrones’ appeal. But now it’s bringing nasty back – courtesy of [James] Norton, who looks like he’s set to seize the title of most horrid man in Westeros.”
Ed Power, Telegraph

“It tries its best, even giving Rhaenyra a speech about having the “weak and feeble body of a woman”, which borrows almost word for word from Elizabeth I’s famous address at Tilbury before the Spanish Armada arrived. But this points to an essential difficulty I have with this show: all too often it feels so old hat, so reheated and, well, so, so boring.”
Ben Dowell, The Times