Lego Masters; Wasting Away; Ambulance; The Pacemakers

“Lego Masters was that rare thing: a contest where age was irrelevant. It’s not the first bit of free advertising Channel 4 has laid on for Lego, but no one could claim these plastic bricks, a source of joy for millions away from the dreaded screens, are a force for evil.”
Gabriel Tate, The Times

“A neat idea, appealing to children and overgrown ones alike. It was lovely to see all ages come together yet it felt uncomfortable when grown-ups criticised the work of children. The show also suffered from weak personnel. Host DJ Melvin Odoom was no Mel and Sue – nor even a Sandi and Noel.”
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph

“Like all these formula contests, be it dressmaking, pottery or tending an allotment, there’s too much emphasis on competition and not nearly enough on fun. And we didn’t get much insight into the actual building. Perhaps the producers assumed we would be bored by the sight of people clipping Lego together. In which case, why bother with the show?”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“I could imagine this iconic building material lending itself to a competitive gameshow. What you can’t do is just have a load of people building stuff out of Lego on the telly and think it will be interesting. The prize isn’t that great and the process not that exciting to watch.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“I am not sure I’ll see a more harrowing documentary this year than Wasting Away: The Truth About Anorexia. I hope I don’t, because this was an hour of unremittingly bad news from a man who has made a living from delivering it.”
Gabriel Tate, The Times

“It contained all sorts of truth, much of it uncomfortable, particularly in regards to how poorly our healthcare system cares for young people with life-threatening mental illnesses. We need to talk about it, clearly. A first step might be to explain to a bigger audience exactly what anorexia is and why it happens and what people need to get better. Last night’s film, strong as it was on many counts, rather wasted that opportunity.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“Journalist and news presenter Mark Austin explained his reaction to his daughter Maddy’s descent into anorexia nervosa, a condition that nearly killed her. It was one of several moments of brutal honesty in last night’s Wasting Away: The Truth About Anorexia.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Despite my misgivings about this overstuffed genre, it made an absorbing, affecting hour. An immersive insight into the stories behind the sirens, lent further drama with snippets of 999 calls and cityscape graphics of ambulance racing between emergencies.”
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph

“Without resorting to melodrama or scaremongering, the show explained why the system is out of control. Since 2007, 999 calls have doubled. And many more of those cases will require serious medical treatment, because England has become a far more violent country. This is important television, but it’s not going to fill you with cheer.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Rather than drilling down into the runners’ motivations, the film seemed too content to treat them like a version of Doctor Johnson’s dog, simply pointing a camera at ancient frames coming down the track and marvelling not that it was done well but done at all. It may be true, but it doesn’t make for a riveting hour.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian