TV Critics: Rick Stein's India; The Borgias; The Greatest Shows on Earth

“Stein’s self-appointed mission was to reclaim the reputation of the Indian curry from all those who thought it was just a prawn vindaloo to be washed down with three pints of lager… But what became less clear the longer the programme went on was why Stein thought he was the right man to do it… Rather than serve up anything authentically Indian, he delivered food that had been adjusted for western tastes and which might be found at an Indian theme night at one of his Cornwall restaurants.”
John Crace, The Guardian

“Mercifully the programme steered clear of some sub-continental clichés. He didn’t have to stand in the street looking dazed while rickshaws whizzed past him, and he didn’t, as far as I can remember, use the words ‘vibrant’ or ‘vital’. The best bit was when he went to the prestigious Madras Club, where locals go when they fancy ‘an English’.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“The culinary wonders of this most magical of countries constantly rang out loud and clear. And, even if Stein’s delivery was always that of a benign, ponderous hairdresser reading from someone else’s autocue, his enthusiasm during his various encounters was infectious.”
Mark Monahan, The Telegraph

“Last night’s opener to series three boasted an ungodly amount of stabbing, throat-slitting, bludgeoning, poisoning and all-round cardinal sinning… It would all be so much less fun without the impeccably cast Irons at its centre.”
Mark Monahan, The Telegraph

“I had my eyes open throughout and I’m still not sure I followed everything that was going on: mainly because almost every scene was filmed in the near dark… Still, I’d watch Jeremy in The Borgias rather than his son, Max, in The White Queen any day. Even though I can’t always see him.”
John Crace, The Guardian

“As the historical romp returned for its third and probably final run, it was no more subtle than Brazil’s beloved telenovelas… The Borgias is dense, pacy and visceral, at least having courage in its own clunkiness.”
Alex Hardy, The Times

“I’m still not sure that the format for The Greatest Show on Earth quite works, with its uneasy blend of sociological analysis, jaunty participation and delirious gawping. I was also left wondering what a Brazilian equivalent of Donovan might take to show to the folks back home. Embarrassing Bodies would be a good candidate I think.”
Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent

“The jigsaw of programmes presented made Brazil look like Eurotrash, without the laughs, but with added exploitation and morbidity… Let’s hope Simon Cowell wasn’t watching along, and hatching his next TV masterplan.”
Alex Hardy, The Times