“Bettany achieved the unlikely feat of making Bacchus Uncovered relevant to young party-goers and archeologists alike”
Bacchus Uncovered: Ancient God of Ecstasy, BBC4
Bettany Hughes looked hard and she found Bacchus lurking in 8,000-year-old Georgian pots, sailing with the East India Company and tripping at Woodstock. And before you ask, no, Hughes hadn’t been on the pinot grigio. In fact, that was just about the most disappointing aspect of the whole programme — if Hughes wasn’t going to spend half her travels sloshed then the Beeb could at least have had the decency to send Rick Stein along with her.
Chris Bennion, The Times
It was quite something to bring Nietzsche, Apollo 11, archeology, ancient sculpture, Christianity, and Woodstock together in one coherent and intelligently informative film. And in doing so Bettany achieved the unlikely feat of making Bacchus Uncovered relevant to young party-goers and archeologists alike.
Elisa Bray, The i
Covering every bit of modern Bacchism from the German romantics of the 19th century to the experimental (aka awful) New York fringe theatre production “Dionysus in 69”, it was a shame Professor Hughes didn’t go right up to present day.
Matt Baylis, Daily Express
Professor Bettany had so much to cram into the hour that we hurtled from archaeology in London during the Blitz, to the plays of Euripides, to India, to an art house cinema. Honestly, you’d need a stiff drink just to keep up.
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, BBC2
The hypnotic horror we saw earlier in the series – episodes three to five were masterful, the next two less so – has given way to middling drama. As a guilty pleasure, though, it’s grim, fascinating and just gripping enough.
Michael Hogan, Daily Telegraph
Wild Wild Country, Netflix
It is an exhaustive and utterly absorbing piece of work by brothers Maclain and Chapman Way. Scary for non-Netflix documentary makers, too. As Silvertooth and the other residents of Antelope did on seeing the hordes showing up in their funny shoes, they will look at the ambition, scale and budget of Wild Wild Country and shake their heads, wondering what the hell they can do.
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian
1945-1953: From World War to Cold War, Yesterday
It was a solid war-doc, taking us painstakingly through the seven days of negotiations, but I wanted to know about the dinners. Imagine! Winston, Joseph and Franklin thrashing things out as the saperavi flowed.
Chris Bennion, The Times
Housing Yorkshire, Channel 5
Gripping television, but it was tragic seeing an alcoholic former NHS haematology nurse served notice for eviction for anti-social behaviour. “I’m no person anymore”, she said. “I’m a national insurance number.”
Elisa Bray, The i
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