TV Critics: Cops and Robbers; The Secrets; The Rules of Abstraction

“Alex Kiehl’s film was one of those excellent documentaries that raised more questions than it provided answers. One of the most miserable things about it was the inevitability of the answer for both Stokesy and Becky: as the film ended, they were both in jail.”
Alex Hardy, The Times

“What makes Alex Kiehl’s film interesting is that not only does he spend time with Becky and Stokesy, but also with the special police unit that targets them, so you’re seeing a problem from opposing perspectives.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“The title Cops and Robbers implies an energetic game that both parties are invested in, but this take on the criminal justice system was listless. Both the cops and the robbers seemed to have long since stopped caring, and were only wearily going through the motions, for lack of anything else to do.”
Ellen E Jones, The Independent

“Cops and Robbers might have been more inquisitive about how criminals get into this vortex, but its focus on the difficulty of kicking the nicking habit was effective. Lovely, liberal coppers called Clive Steedman and Dave Thompson came up smelling of roses, which was a pleasant surprise.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“The police ended up looking like a sandal-wearing convention of Lib Dem social workers. It’s a wonder they’re not using their panda cars as a taxi service for criminals who are too bone idle to walk.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“A short, quietly brilliant piece of television. If it didn’t give us much to smile about, we should still be glad that it exists along with a broadcaster brave enough to put it out.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“The Conversation could translate easily into theatre, but it didn’t feel out of place as a TV drama. Its treatment of the idea that even nice guys can be capable of the worst of crimes, this piece was short, sharp and clever enough to spark a conversation all of its own.”
Nicole Vassell, The Telegraph

“The piece fell flat because so many details weren’t believable — from the sister seemingly being allowed to wear leggings with her bridesmaid dress to the couple’s reactions, which often felt as sterile as the bathroom walls where the secret was confessed. Ripe territory rather wasted, I’m afraid.”
Alex Hardy, The Times

“Collings’ talent was to make his programme feel very much like visiting a gallery in a new city on a sunny day with an erudite friend. We were allowed to take long looks a lot of beautiful, wildly incomprehensible art, while Collings stood in the corner of the frame and gentle urged us to keep an open mind.”
Ellen E Jones, The Independent

“Part pleasure trawl through the BBC archives for old interviews, part overview of a movement, it joined the dots. As well as the stripes, blocks, blanks and lumps etc. Here, in short, were 60 years of not making sense boiled down to 60 rather overcrowded and higgledy-piggledy minutes.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph