“Dramatic events gallumphed across the screen. But the script seemed shy of going deeper into the pressures and conflicts of motherhood itself. This series has charm by the bucketload, but more inner conflict is needed – not just a series of  dramatic events – to bring out the real drama of parenthood.”
Rosy Barnes, The Telegraph

“I’m afraid I’m just not that interested in pregnancies I don’t have some connection with. Maybe writer Kay Mellor saw this as a potential problem, which is why, interspersed with the antenatal stuff, came sudden moments of high melodrama. Quite fun, if a little implausible.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“No one, despite the slot, need mistake this for The A Word, but Mellor writes moments of emotional truth that are truly illuminating. In the Club may not be gilt-edged drama but it understands the human psychology well enough to be tellingly a guilt-edged one.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“There’s a terrible danger with such a complex set-up – many viewers will just give up. It’s easier to go and do something relatively soothing, such as three-dimensional chess. And that’s a shame, because Mellor is a witty writer who slips clever lines into every scene.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“After an hour of red herrings and false trails, plus a lorry-load of ludicrous theories peddled by the Moscow media, the Russian missile was the only plausible explanation. To reach that conclusion, though, we had to listen to far too many self-appointed internet experts, retired CIA analysts and gap-toothed peasants.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The superb production values, impressive cast and gorgeous framing make Penny Dreadful extremely beautiful to look at, with the language an absolute treat. But the pace slowed to a crawl as we followed Vanessa through a series of enigmatic encounters, circling conversations and ponderous ruminations. Where was the melodrama? The monsters? The gore?”
Rosy Barnes, The Telegraph