TV Critics: Breathless; Truckers; Trust Me I'm a Doctor

“Writer and director Paul Unwin gave us a drama perfectly pitched between Mad Men and Call the Midwife, from the characters’ permanently rouged lips to the opulent décor, old London street scenes and mournful saxophone solos. The dialogue was witty, historically accurate and hinted at just enough repressed emotion that something explosive is sure to go off in the next instalment.”
Sarah Rainey, The Telegraph

“ITV’s new hospital drama is the best looking British drama since The Hour… I just wonder if the narrative can match the atmosphere.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“What’s beneath the gloss of Breathless? I’m talking about the drama part of period drama – its ability to get a hold of you so you become emotionally tangled up, go on thinking about it and the characters, new people in your life, after the credits roll. And I’m not getting that. Perhaps it doesn’t matter – you can admire the shine, without worrying about what is – or isn’t – underneath.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“The vital signs are good although, even at this early stage, there’s also the odd worrying symptom. This looks like a drama that’s intending to tackle the gender divide head on but it might end up trying too hard.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“It’s difficult to think of a more depressing setting than a grey, wet haulage yard in Nottingham – but, somehow, after an hour of getting to know its rogues gallery of characters, their tangled relationships and ordinary lives, I felt more than a little moved by the view of life from inside a lorry… The script offered a good mix of humour and poignancy, and there were also some unexpectedly lovely scenes of the countryside.”
Sarah Rainey, The Telegraph

“Truckers has the feel of Jimmy McGovern’s The Street except here, every time, pathos is trumped by humour. It’s only real problem yesterday was that nothing was set up. The second episode, in which the haulage firm’s back story is explained, should have gone out first.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“The kernel of a decent, honest, kitchen-sink drama was here but it felt as if it had been hijacked by the Chuckle Brothers.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“This is the rare science programme that’s as capable of inspiring wonder as it is of espousing good sense.”
Ellen E Jones, The Independent

“Trust Me I’m a Doctor is brilliant; I learned so many interesting things. Like BMI – the fat thing not the regional airline – is rubbish.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian