Secret Service; Virgin Island

“Having watched to the end I have to say that my early suspicions about how this would play out were spot-on (although perhaps I watch too much TV — don’t write in). But even if you crack the case early on, there is much to enjoy. Bradby has written two other novels in this series, and on the evidence of this sprightly, confident debut Kate Henderson has TV staying power. I wouldn’t bet against seeing her (and her dishwasher) again.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“Secret Service doesn’t offer anything new. But it’s confidently paced and slickly directed (by the Oscar-winner James Marsh) and there are enough big things happening at regular intervals (murder, guns etc) to keep it all ticking over. And if you don’t like its stiff-jawed approach to cold war unpleasantness? Worry not. There’ll be another glossy espionage drama along next week.”
Sarah Dempster, The Guardian

“Kate is a sympathetic character, if a very familiar one. Of course, she’s going to be taken off the case at some point and forced to run her own maverick operation. She also makes a decent action heroine, but after a buzzy start, the series slows down, lumbering the cast with wooden dialogue (“That’s a chance I’ll have to take…”) and too many annoying scenes where we have to strain to read text messages and text on computer screens.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“The plot is about as inventive as the title. The pacing, the twists, the moments of tension and the juxtaposition of international crises with domestic squabbles all arrive at predictable places, as though the storyline has been constructed according to a template. It’s all quite adequate, entirely (secret) serviceable. But unlike the far superior Day Of The Jackal, or even the recent reprise of The Night Manager, there’s nothing here to make us gasp in surprise.”
Christopher Stevens Daily Mail

“What makes the programme genuinely worth watching is not its trailblazing concept, but its feelgood nature. The overall vibe is one of wholesome jollity – not what you’d expect from footage of somebody getting a handjob – and it is heartwarming to witness the participants’ palpable relief after a session, having been assured they are not physically repellent or incapable of enjoying sex. It might flout many of reality television’s rules, but by spreading positivity and peace of mind Virgin Island has managed to make this corner of the TV landscape a marginally less depressing place.”
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian

“It’s the people getting touched and therapised who are once again the stars. Hats off to them not only for their honesty (and their childish giggling when asked to do erotic life drawing), but for their breadth and variety. Callum, 21, “literally” doesn’t do anything other than sit at his computer 24/7 – “I don’t interact with any girls,” he says. Marianne doesn’t trust men. Joy has vaginismus (involuntary vaginal tightening when penetration is attempted) so physically can’t have sex. Ellen feels like a freak. Yet all of them muck in together, and some of their progress is genuinely affecting. In short, it is possible to question the whole premise of Virgin Island – wondering what on earth you’re watching and why you’re watching it – while still admiring the islanders. If this is what they wanted, all power to them.”
Benji Wilson, Telegraph