TV Critics: Game of Thrones; The Secret Life of Kittens; The Great British Sewing Bee

“This was Game of Thrones at its finest – setting the scene for an epic clash, then subverting expectations with violence that seemed far too… violent. Next week’s finale will clock in at an unprecedented 69 minutes – but how can it possibly top the topsy turvy excitement that unfolded here?”
Ed Power, The Telegraph

“’Greatest single episode of television yet created by humans,’ thundered one Twitter user. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but I’ve not seen a better battle on the small screen, and only a few better on the big screen. Directed by the action specialist Miguel Sapochnik, the battle had the fluttering silks of a Kurosawa film and the choreographed brutality of a Tarantino flick.”
Ed Potton, The Times

“What this episode lacked in surprises, it made up for in artistry. The battle scene was a tour-de-force of grimness, brilliantly shot and surreally edited.”
Hugh Montgomery, The i

“The Secret Life Of Kittens didn’t in the end tell us much we didn’t know or couldn’t have guessed about our feline chums. Ultimately, it was charming but not really that surprising.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“Kittens chasing each other. Kittens eating from bowls. And, yes, kittens playing with balls of wool. I can safely say that kittens have been seen this way before.”
Ed Potton, The Times

“The BBC has thrown everything at Sewing Bee in order to make it the needle-and-thread equivalent of The Great British Bake Off. But, sadly, it is nigh on impossible to make gripping entertainment out of whether or not a pair of yoga pants have been double hemmed.”
Claudia Connell, Daily Mail

“Even if you know zip about hemming, there’s plenty to enjoy. Amateur seamstresses are a fun, self-deprecating bunch with a nice line in back-of-the-bus camaraderie.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph