TV Critics: Great Ormond Street; Hive Minds; The House That £100K Built; Imagine

“The schedules are chock-full of programmes that give an insight into other people’s jobs but none leaves a lasting impression to match that of Great Ormond Street. This film, sensitively narrated by Siobhan Finneran, showed that any child at the hospital is in special collective hands.”
Sally Newall, The Independent

“To say we were rooting for Herb, age five, with his auto-immune disorder, Keano, age nine, in his search for a bone-marrow transplant that might work, and Teigan, 10, whose first gene-therapy treatment failed almost fatally seven years ago, does not do justice to the treacherous emotion raised by this documentary: hope.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“The bravery of some of the children was staggering and last night’s programme was a brilliant opener to what looks like being another remarkable series.”
Claudia Connell, Daily Mail

“This is a quiz with extras, a combination of University Challenge with PHD-level wordsearch and consequently, for those at home, utterly impossible to participate in. Maths students would probably enjoy it, if it was screened somewhere between the lunchtime edition of Neighbours and the early evening news.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“When it comes to formats, Hive Minds was about as exciting as filling out your tax return. Fiona Bruce tried her best, bless her, to crank up the drama with talk of ‘super hives’ and ‘sudden death’ but it really made no difference.”
Claudia Connell, Daily Mail

“Could Hive Minds eventually earn a promotion to BBC2, like Only Connect? On the evidence of this opener, probably not. It’s a tad too stiff and niche in appeal, while the ‘hive’ gimmick seemed over-stretched. This bee-themed quiz needs a bit more buzz.”
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph

“The latest desperate twist on the reality-property show. In the end, everyone is happy. Except the viewer. The Khans’ £100K is accounted for in their spreadsheets. I just want to have a quick look at the BBC’s, so I know what good stuff was subsidised by this.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“The problem with these shows is the obsession with creating drama and tension around something that is not naturally drama-fuelled or tension-filled.”
Sally Newall, The Independent

“Alan Yentob let his subject speak for herself, supplemented only by unsycophantic admirers and occasional readings of her sometimes harrowing, sometimes heartbreaking, always brilliant, supple and compelling prose. You could hardly ask for anything more.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian