“You may prefer Nigella Lawson’s purr or James Martin’s studied bonhomie, but Rick Stein is for those of us who prefer our TV chefs a little more rustic.”

Rick Stein's Road To Mexico

Rick Stein’s Road to Mexico, BBC2

“What a joy Stein is. There isn’t a scrap of media training about him. He hasn’t even mastered the art of swallowing his food before launching into his next sentence. You may prefer Nigella Lawson’s purr or James Martin’s studied bonhomie, but Rick Stein is for those of us who prefer our TV chefs a little more rustic.”
Chris Bennion, The Times

The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds, Channel 4

“This show is essentially the same each week, but regularly delivers unique moments.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“And as it happens, I’ve got a five-year-old Jack at home, so I’m watching this with extra interest. I’ll discuss it with his mother, but I suspect we’re not quite ready to put ours on TV. We’re very grateful to all these other people who were, though. Your children are amazing – hilarious, terrifying, generous, kind, mean, manipulative, adorable, dishonest, and wise. For which they make great television.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“The Truth About Muslim Marriage, despite its shock-horror title was thankfully a rather more sober and serious affair than My Week as a Muslim. And there wasn’t a prosthetic nose in sight.”
Chris Bennion, The Times

Motherland, BBC2

“Maxwell Martin’s performance was so acute that you could feel the damp verrucas bedding in. It was typical, brutal Motherland, its awful characters desperately seeking status through social climbing and superiority complexes.”
Laura Snapes, The Telegraph

The A Word, BBC1

“After an uncertain start, this series has developed powerfully. Scenes are brisk but with enough time for clever dialogue. The climactic moment was genuinely moving — and a perfectly observed piece of typically autistic behaviour.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

Topics