Madonna & Graham; Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator

“London, 26 May. Tower Bridge straddles the Thames like, say, Madonna in Like a Virgin. Piccadilly lights. Ray of Light vibes. Graham bricking it in a black cab. (Forget Norton: such is the superpower of tonight’s subject that her mere presence exorcises any need for surnames.) To all this – London, the dance floor, Graham, you, me, the universe – Madonna whispers “thank you for coming”. I Feel So Free kicks in. And so it begins. Openings need to be big to accommodate “the incomparable Madonna” – as the BBC press release for this hyped special calls her – now that we’re in the final countdown to the release of her new album Confessions II. This one’s perfectly judged. Nice and hammy. Equal parts outré and gay.”
Chitra Ramaswamy, The Guardian

“I love Madonna. I love Graham Norton. This was a recipe for showbiz dynamite. Except Madonna & Graham didn’t quite pan out like that. For a start you could see that the usually irreverent, impish Norton was nervous, and he admitted as much. I don’t blame him. Any interviewer would be. But it did make him uncharacteristically gushing. He asked un-Nortonish non-questions, the sort that cause this viewer’s heart to sink, such as: “Are you mostly excited about people hearing the rest of the album?”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“The parameters of the interview had clearly been set beforehand, and were confined to the new album and its inspirations. This was interesting when Madonna spoke about her early days in New York clubland, when she felt awkward and uncool, although the photos from that time prove that Madonna has always been the height of cool; she didn’t have the money for new outfits so would repurpose her dance clothes. Those were the days, she reminisced, when the only way to meet people was to go out, and you arranged to see your friends by calling them on a payphone. Imagine that, kids. Fears that the programme could be another Mariah Meets Rylan, in which Mariah Carey received Rylan Clark’s interview questions with all the warmth of a walk-in freezer, did not come to pass. Madonna was witty and smart. She likes Norton, and he – although a superfan – kept a lid on his nerves and handled proceedings expertly.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“Several documentaries about Harris have been made but this one, a skilfully paced and thoughtful two-parter, includes interviews with some victims who have until now remained anonymous. Some of the women ask why a man who was tried and convicted of sexual offences against children in the UK faced nothing in Australia. As one says, Australian victims did not get a trial, there were no charges laid, no consequences. “It does feel like a failure of the Australian justice system,” she said. Another says Australian defamation laws stopped victims coming forward to call out rich celebrities.”
Carol Midgley, The Times