Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge; Stranded

“A large portion of the programme is given over to environmental concerns, as Backshall tells us about melting glaciers and hungry polar bears. The tempo of shows like this always drops when scientists and statistics are introduced, but Backshall does his best to keep the energy up. Backshall is a seasoned presenter, adventurer and naturalist, with an on-camera style honed through years in children’s television – his Deadly 60 series for CBBC was great. His wide-eyed enthusiasm probably isn’t to everyone’s taste, but he was the perfect choice for this project.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph 

“The intentions were good, the subject matter important, the passion clear. Charles has lots to say and Backshall was trying his best to contextualise it through his mission. But somehow it all felt rather drawn out and disjointed, like two shows stitched together.”
Tim Glanfield, The Times

“Most of the two-hour special was devoted to Backshall’s own Arctic expedition. It should have been trimmed to 90 minutes: footage of a mother polar bear with her two cubs was magical, and the glacier landscapes were otherworldly, but watching scientists map the thickness of the ice to the nearest inch … well, I’m afraid it left me cold.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail 

“We have seen Euro-dramas with greater sophistication than Stranded and we’ve certainly seen plenty of foreign crime shows with meatier mysteries to solve, but as a holiday from your regular Christmas drama fare, this Italian escape is diverting enough.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian