TV Critics: The Autistic Gardener; Children Of The Gaza War; From Russia With Cash

“Alan and his team of on-the-spectrum gardeners did a great job creating a brilliant garden in a show that neatly demonstrated the pluses and minuses of their condition.”
Sam Wollaston, Guardian

“A win all ways for Betty and for Channel 4, which has a commitment to disability issues and to lifestyle programmes at 8pm.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“Could they possibly do it in time? Yes, of course they could, thanks to the crashingly predictable nature of documentary TV – and the carpenters and landscape gardeners who helped them out.”
Harry Mount, Telegraph

“Thanks to Alan’s charisma and good humour, the programme was fun, entertaining and never patronising. At the end of the show the family had a weird, wonderful and unique garden complete with purple pillars and camouflage netting. Although quite how it was all meant to have cost only £3,000 is another matter. I can’t wait for next week.”
Claudia Connell, Daily Mail

“Was the unpleasentness cancelled out because programmes such as this help to change minds? Rather than dismantling assumptions, I feel this one might have been planting them.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“It was intimate, insightful and thoroughly depressing. More than 500 children were killed in last summer’s conflict and Doucet talked to their family and friends; traumatised, angry, none in any mood to give up.”
Andrew Billen, The Times

“An admirable, if melancholy, programme with one fault: the terrible soundtrack. When things are this sad, you don’t need to pump up the gloom with discordant gongs, arrhythmic thuds and screeching violins.”
Harry Mount, Telegraph

“When the documentary ended, there was a ceasefire, but even the kids were wise enough to know it wouldn’t last.In letting the children talk about their hopes and fears, Lyse Doucet has pulled off an amazingly brave —albeit deeply disturbing — piece of work.”
Claudia Connell, Daily Mail

“It did at times feel like an over-lengthy Newsnight segment. It was commendable for its balance, though, focusing away from the politics of last August’s conflict, and homing in on that eternal war-victim, childhood.”
Matt Baylis, Daily Express

“The show doesn’t go after the big guys, so what we’re finding out is that they – estate agents – are odious, money-grabbing, amoral leeches on society. And I think we kind of suspected that already.”
Sam Wollaston, Guardian