Murder Before Evensong; Film Club; Worlds Apart

“The Rev Richard Cole’s Murder Before Evensong is essentially a 1980s-set remake of ITV’s Grantchester, with a dash of Midsomer Murders thrown in. And it’s none the worse for that. This has all the makings of a long-running series.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“It’s a pleasing watch, although on the cosy crime-ometer it’s a nice cup of tea rather than a soothing mug of Horlicks. The plotting works nicely, with a tidy list of suspects and some well-paced action. The main disappointment is Canon Clement. He has no discernible personality or character traits.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“I am afraid that one problem (among many) with Murder Before Evensong is that Nick Hicks-Beach’s scripts have lost much of the sharply witty voice of a writer whose first book takes time to gently introduce us to his world before the Grim Reaper arrives. Here we see the corpse before the opening credits have rolled.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“Fortunately, there’s enough original authorial voice behind Murder Before Evensong to elevate it above the merely generic.”
Gerard Gilbert, The i

“Film Club is a quiet, careful but confident thing. It was clearly written by two people who know where their strengths lie and it is impeccably cast. A bit more torque and a bit less whimsy might be welcome, but that is to quibble. Aimee Lee Wood’s star and CV continue to shine.
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“As the latest rom-com on the pile, it has the feel of a debut labour of love: fresh and rather in danger of being all over the place.”
James Jackson, The Times

“Film Club is full of charm. However, it is also eccentric to a fault and only ever seems to have one foot in the real world. The best acting chemistry is between Wood and Owen Cooper – whose characters find common cause as vulnerable souls in a cruel and overwhelming world. Their scenes together sing – confirming the duo as promising stars at the very start of what may well be a dizzying rise.”
Ed Power, The Telegraph

“There is a palpable affection for cinema present in how Wood and her co-writer (and Rada classmate) Ralph Davis build out Evie’s world. It has the feel of a good student short film about an agoraphobe exploring the world through the magic of the silver screen – but stretched to a full series, both the premise and characterisation are exposed.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent

“Everyone is thoroughly amiable, and it’s encouraging to see people at such radically different life stages working together. Tokyo looks fantastic, too: the producers have done well in capturing the overwhelming grey vastness of a city where dazzling neon mingles with brooding clouds and forbidding skyscrapers. Sadly, it lacks the pulse-pounding, beat-the-clock quality of similar outings. There are many sweet moments between the contestants, but judged as a game show, it fails to hit the jackpot.”
Ed Power, The i

“Barbara and Kate gushing over each other’s clothes and makeup like best pals, or Rosie and Lawrence quickly learning how to combine her knowledge with his optimism are scenes of such wholesome purity that you want everyone to succeed in the tasks they’re given. The tasks, however, are where Worlds Apart somewhat falls apart. Worlds Apart has something precious at its core but is too contrived to let it blossom. Niceness only gets you so far.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian