Trespasses; Kingdom

“Strip down the show’s politics and they would be dangerously close to a hand-wringing plea for both sides to stop being as bad as each other, to end the violence, and won’t somebody please think of the children. But the Troubles give Trespasses what it needs. As individuals’ hopes and feelings are crushed in the gears of events much bigger than them, we feel that pain.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“This passionate love story set amid the Troubles in 1975 Belfast, with its bombs, bullets, army checkpoints and punishment beatings, was beautifully told in the novel and happily the TV series does not let it down. In many ways it enhances it, the 1970s evoked piquantly in the overflowing ashtrays, yellow street lighting, Austin Allegros, The Generation Game playing on a small TV set.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“The age gap actually made me feel like Michael was grooming Cushla rather than charming her. With precious little context to go on we were dropped into an imbalanced relationship that never quite felt plausible, for all the frequent soft-focus sex that Trespasses indulged in by way of showing we were in the presence of unshakeable soul mates. Which was a shame because, when it moved away from this curiously unconvincing relationship Trespasses offered a sharp, period-accurate, portrayal of the nerve-shredding reality of life in a city riven by religious division.”
Keith Watson, The Telegraph

“That it works as a lightly erotic drama is a function of the show’s desire to keep Michael’s sleaze at arm’s length (which inhibits some of the tension), but it also adds some spice to the mix. It feels like a rare primetime show on British telly that isn’t simply trying to play to the average member of a focus group. This is grown-up fare, in both tone and substance.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent

“Wildlife shows often spotlight the innate quest for survival, and Kingdom puts it at the forefront. But the shots of supporting characters – from elephants and giraffes to zebras – congregating at the river are some of the most striking, as if we are spying on utopia.”
Frances Ryan, The Guardian

“The very idea of family viewing, suitable for children and grandparents alike, is too often seen as old-fashioned and twee. Kingdom, airing at 6.20pm on a Sunday, is an outstanding exception. Its standard of wildlife photography is superb, laying down a challenge to natural history film-makers across the world. No broadcaster can match the brilliance of the BBC’s animal magic.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail