The Dog House; Return to Dunblane with Lorraine Kelly; Marriage or Mortgage

“This was a charming series when it first appeared a couple of years ago, and it has only grown more lovely. It is like The Repair Shop, in terms of pure-hearted good will and sentimentality, or First Dates – except one half of the potential match has four legs. The programme’s strengths lie in its compassionate eye for a human story, and how it carefully pairs that with a canine one. The show also encourages responsible decision-making, without being bossy, and in the current climate of puppy-mania, this seems particularly apt.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian

“When our puppies can give us so much, it’s a betrayal that we do not do more to protect them from greedy and unscrupulous people. The Dog House lacks the campaigning edge to drive that point home. It needs the sort of voice that Paul O’Grady supplies on ITV’s For The Love Of Dogs, to speak out and criticise the law. But an hour spent watching families meet their new pets cannot fail to lift the mood.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Kelly was the ideal guide to the tragedy. Not only does the presenter have a deeply personal link – she became friends with the parents of the murdered children and recited a poem at the memorial service – but because she is, as always, a warm and comforting presence, treating the viewer with as much care as she treated those she interviewed. This documentary needed soft hands.”
Chris Bennion, The Telegraph

“What this documentary got right was not discussing the sad inadequate that did this, thus denying him the ‘legend’ status he doubtless craved. All the relatives featured here were utterly inspiring in their strength. Here was the dignified aftermath of a devastating horror which could not, and should not, ever be forgotten.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“The experience of watching is much like being in a changing room with a creepy, gibbering, sycophantic salesperson convincing you to splurge on some frippery when the mirror confirms you look hideous.”
Sarah Carson, The i