“It’s hard to find fault with the BBC’s new adaptation of Howards End.”

Howards End

Howards End, BBC1

“It’s hard to find fault with the BBC’s new adaptation of Howards End. The telling of the story so far has been immaculate, with Hayley Atwell and Matthew Macfadyen both terrific as Margaret Schlegel and Henry Wilcox.”
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph

“I gather some viewers don’t much rate the new BBC adaptation of Howards End. We’ll have to agree to differ. I think it gets better and better.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Howards End looks so sumptuous that it would be wonderful even without dialogue, the sound muted, to be relished as an abstract cascade of scenery. Unfortunately, for many viewers, watching with the sound down and the subtitles on is the only way to enjoy Howards End, because the background music frequently overwhelms the actors.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Much as the BBC might have wanted to change the period-drama paradigm, on the evidence of the first episode they have largely failed to do so. Fans of lush Sunday-night period drama such as Poldark will be sated, but those looking for something a little different would do well to settle down to Zadie Smith’s On Beauty instead.”
Kaleem Aftab, The i

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, BBC1

“It’s all about the stunts, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show. They are not even especially original; they’re just done very well. And the best is the new one, Midnight Game Show. Breaking into someone’s house in the middle of the night for a celebrity quiz – that is original, and bold.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“It wasn’t quite Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out, but it had a little more unpredictability – and, indeed, variety – than a lot of other Saturday night fare. If you’re looking to kill a bit of time while waiting for the cab – or you’ve decided to save some money and put your feet up – you could do a lot worse.”
Jeff Robson, The i

Guy Martin’s WWI Tank, Channel 4

“Messing about with old machines has become a slightly too well-worn formula on television these days. But unlike some programmes in the genre, the ‘boys’ toys’ element never overshadowed a sense of genuine respect for the matter-of-fact heroism of the men who crewed these new-fangled war machine.”
Jeff Robson, The i

“This two-hour documentary should have been split into a pair of episodes, but it was Martin’s best to date.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

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