TV Critics: London Spy; Hugh's War On Waste; The Walking Dead

“London Spy put gay characters at its heart. Whishaw played Danny, a warehouse packer looking for love in cold, drizzly, bedsit London. In the last five minutes of this opening episode, London Spy swallowed a vat of amphetamines, but the three-hander which went before was a plodding old carthorse lacking intrigue, charm or plausibility.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“The thriller has begun and no doubt will be as rich and rewarding in its own way as the love story, courtesy of a script from Tom Rob Smith that I’m sure will remain as handsome and elliptical as Alex and as tender and compelling as Whishaw, who remains the most powerful actor ever made out of thistledown and magic.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“This first episode was interesting because it was far more love story than thriller. This was gay love shown tenderly and non-sensationally, only fetishised when the plot required it (London Spy eventually became a thriller in the closing minutes, as Alex’s apartment was found to contain a sex-torture attic and a corpse). It wasn’t perfect. London Spy is solidly acted and atmospherically shot, with landmarks such as the MI6 building lurking in the background, politely waiting its turn to go centre-stage. But the screen sometimes gets so dark, it’s hard to see the detail. I have no idea how wide-eyed Danny is going to sustain four more episodes trying to beat the system, but I’m intrigued to find out.”
Alex Hardy, The Times

“In what was an incredibly comprehensive exploration of an incredibly important subject matter, Hugh visited everyone from the farmers who grow the food to the shoppers who buy it. If ever there was a man on a mission, this is he. Thanks to this well-executed and meticulously researched programme, hopefully he’ll now have a few more recruits ready to join his army.”
Amy Burns, The Independent

“Much like the walkers that arrive and surround the compound, the whole thing feels strangely restrained. Fans will still find much on offer to keep them entertained, but viewers can only hope that this is simply the quiet before the storm and that next week’s events will once again see The Walking Dead on more solid ground.”
Alex Straker, The Independent

“At Nigella Lawson’s house, the sumptuous TV chef talked us through her favourite recipes for family and friends in the latest instalment of Simply Nigella. I’d suggest skipping breakfast though. Her chia seed, flax seed and goji berry breakfast bars – held together by medjool dates – looked like something you’d fish out of a Waitrose dustbin.”
Amy Burns, The Independent

“There was no evidence proffered of an actual rise in female violence (nor, beyond a few gestures, of the possible causes of current levels) until the final 15 minutes when we were assured that “there is a slow upward trend in girl crime … women are being arrested for a greater proportion of violent crimes” and heard the testimony of two current girl gang members about their activities, which was shocking for sure, but not insightful or probative in any meaningful sense.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“In the normal run of things, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po would now be, I guess, in prison, in rehab, a shelf-stacker, and a Scientologist. But this is Teletubbyland, which in this new incarnation has remained remarkably intact: its value in repetition, repetition…repetition, repetition, repetition. Perhaps the greatest lesson it teaches children is to expect a tedium from a TV show. After all, Teletubbies contains fewer recaps than many programmes for grown-ups.”
Alex Hardy, The Times