TV Critics: Secrets of a Police Marksman; The 80s; Celeb Trolls

“Secrets of a Police Marksman is likely to remain grimly current and important for years to come. It was deeply contentious stuff, but handled carefully and fairly.”
Gabriel Tate, The Times

“This was an interesting window into a little-seen world, but as an essay on future policy, it didn’t have quite enough to say about where we all go from here.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“A stale whiff of nostalgia for glory days hung over the whole programme, like Dennis Waterman’s aftershave on The Sweeney.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“It raised important questions. How much armed policing do we need to meet the terrorist threat? Who will carry those guns on our behalf? Might they, because of unconscious bias, be more likely to shoot people of minority backgrounds? Do we accept that mistakes will be made in good faith?”
Hugh Muir, The Guardian

“Like most shows promising ‘secrets’, Secrets Of A Police Marksman didn’t reveal any. But it did provide us with unprecedented insight into the toughest gig in policing.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“It was another lively romp through a decade which gave us Big Bang, big hair, wide lapels, Del Trotter, mobile phones, acid house and the Iron Lady.”
Hugh Muir, The Guardian

“Our host is a man whose documentaries brook no dissent and whose ambitious theses and sprawling generalisations teeter uneasily on the single survey, quote or piece of footage used to support them. However, he does make good telly.”
Gabriel Tate, The Times

“How is it possible for these multi-billion-pound tech giants to facilitate the most obscene abuse, including pornographic images, and not be liable to legal punishment? If Celeb Troll had dared to address these questions, it would have served a useful purpose. Instead, all it did was give a dollop of publicity to troglodytes.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail