21 Dec '10

“He [scriptwriter Tony Jordan] has done a proper stand-up job on The Nativity, pulling off the considerable trick of making the miraculous sound credible, and even introducing some light comedy, which is not abundant in the New Testament.”
Brian Viner, The Independent

“This attempt to explore some of the more “emotional” issues of the Nativity via the lives of the “ordinary” people involved didn’t quite work for me.”
Sarah Vine, The Times

“That’s what is nice about this new telling of an old story: it will resonate, and it’s relevant. It’s very human, too, because that’s what it’s about, the characters and what happens to them and between them, rather than the message.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“It’s closer to a good episode of EastEnders with donkeys and the odd bit of divine intervention thrown in.”
Matt Baylis, The Express

“Watching it felt like being force-fed Christmas cake, so crammed was it with traditional seasonal ingredients.
Brian Viner, The Independent

“David Jason’s portrayal of Don as the soppy, big-hearted lynchpin of a family riven by lies and betrayal was what held this drama together, and made it so watchable.”
Sarah Vine, The Times

“It’s like they’ve taken some cheesy greeting-card messages, mixed them in with a Daily Mail editorial, tossed in few words of advice from the vicar and some more from the bank manager, spooned on the cliches and the sugary gloop, and served up.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“Men who can’t provide seem to be the aching tendon of this whole series even when the stories appear to be about women.”
Matt Baylis, The Express