15 Oct '10

“The whole series has been pretty good, but this was spectacular.  Being eaten alive by a squid would, I imagine, be a lot like being sucked into a cold, wet, cement mix. Again, just a hypothesis, but it puts Jaws to shame.”
Alice-Azania Jarvis, The Independent

“Once again this beautifully shot and thought out series proved you can never really know an animal until you cut it up. Once, again, the scientist levered the language down to our level.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“They are fascinating, these shows in which an animal is dissected. They’re scientific enough to be taken seriously – plenty of dudes with white coats and safety specs who know what they’re talking about. And look, Richard Dawkins is even on hand to tell us how the big squids fit into the big picture. (Was it God who made them, Richard?)”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“Last night Martin Clunes, the new Perrin, looked in the grip of a bad sitcom. Enough Reggie, please. As in the second series first time round, a self-contained story has been extended into a sequel with nowhere to go and is intent on going there any way.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“What is certain is Reggie version 2.0 combines clever lines with being quite hard to watch. Having him now unemployed and directing his fury at the job centre and the string of low-paid jobs he’s forced to take is a logical step for a story and yet feels like a diversion for a sitcom.”
Matt Baylis, The Daily Express

“In truth, if you were a fan of it last year, you probably still would be. The question is, was anyone a fan of it last year?”
Alice-Azania Jarvis, The Independent

“Anyone who knew – and inevitably loved –the original, will wonder why the BBC is scarring the memory of what was a brilliant sitcom. Younger people will probably wonder why they’re making a lame old 70s-style sitcom with a laughter track, and jokes you can see coming as clearly as you can see what’s going on in Reggie’s mind. Comedy has moved on.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“Stacey is best in small doses. She’s totally charming, her fresh-faced enthusiasm as empathetic as foil to the blank-eyed despair of Phnom penh’s working girls as ever. Still, I’m not sure if I can handle a whole series of her unfiltered yoof speak.”
Alice-Azania Jarvis, The Independent

“The crusading Luton lass was sent out to south-east Asia where she confronted pimps and police chiefs and raided brothels as if she were merely popping down to New Look for a new cardigan. One trembles to think what’s left in this series.  Stacey Dooley takes down the Taliban?”
Matt Baylis, The Daily Express