TV Critics: The Challenger; Paul Hollywood's Bread; Can Eating Insects Save the World?; Broadchurch; James Nesbitt’s Ireland

“It’s more than a story about a crash investigation and material science; it’s the story of a brilliant physicist turned brilliant detective fighting a lone battle against a dark force field of political cover-up, spin and lies… It’s beautifully done – historical drama, conspiracy thriller, portrait of an extraordinary man. And a beautiful performance by William Hurt, who breathes humanness into a major news event and tragedy.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“After a rocky start, it really began to fly. Much of this was down to Hurt’s performance… Some epiphanies came rather too unsubtly – Dr Feynman realised the cold temperature might have had something to do with the Challenger calamity after pouring out a glass of ice water and staring at it intently – but Hurt’s fine acting, along with that of his gentle Yorkshire wife (Joanne Whalley), who collaborated in typing up his findings, meant that even these moments were pulled off with aplomb.”
Arifa Akbar, The Independent

“Turning this cerebral sort of business into drama can be a tricky act to pull off. Fortunately for the film-makers, Feynman’s life’s work was making science accessible. The denouement of the drama was a brilliant piece of theatre at a press conference: Feynman immersed a crucial component of the shuttle in a glass of ice, cold enough to show how it would have malfunctioned on the freezing morning of the launch. The scene was copied directly from life.”
Horatia Harrod, The Telegraph

“This was a production made by BBC Scotland Science, the Open University and the Science Channel, and while much has been made of big Hollywood names such as Hurt, Dennehy and Eve ‘Nurse Jackie’ Best appearing in a relatively small-scale piece, why wouldn’t they? This was thoughtful drama at its best.”
Virginia Blackburn, Daily Express

“It’s not really about the bread, is it? It’s about watching Paul Hollywood make the bread. It’s about a well-turned-out honey-glazed hunk rolling up the sleeves of an expensive shirt and plunging his big hands into warm, moist dough, and working it, masterfully… Surely it should be going out at least half an hour later, because it’s basically porn.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

“Hollywood knows his audience – practically winking at the camera as he lavishes attention on his dough like it’s on a spa day, sharing anecdotes about his nan, and telling the viewers that kneading will ‘get rid of the bingo wings’, the charmer. Yes, there were stunning recipes and forays into history, but this show was mainly a seduction. He’s even willing to wait two hours after a loaf is done, to let it cool, before devouring it. A gentleman, and a breadmaker.”
Alex Hardy, The Times

“It’s not the same without the peculiarly appealing chemistry that runs between Paul and Mary Berry. And it’s certainly more blokeish… Recurring images of Hollywood eating with telegenic relish and murmuring sweet nothings of pleasure as he masticated certainly made the programme feel like it was designed to make us salivate – first and foremost. Perhaps this is supposed to engender the urge to cook, though it didn’t work for me.”
Arifa Akbar, The Independent

“Stefan Gates’s suffering will be familiar to viewers of I’m a Celebrity…, and I’m not sure it offered anything significantly more educational than Nadine Dorries eating a testicle, but I’m afraid I enjoyed it all the same.”
Horatia Harrod, The Telegraph

“I’m going to keep the faith, not in the psychic but in the drama. There are still some beautiful light touches: such as the family liaison officer… And the fact that, for all the expansive coastal shots, the best-used location is the family’s bathroom… Besides, the script also screamed at us not to trust the psychic… It’s a sign, hopefully, that the writers have a more meaningful plan for all this otherworldy energy.”
Alex Hardy, The Times

“The nation’s favourite Ulsterman wandered around Dingle and ate ice cream and generally effused Irishness out into the ether… We’ve been here before, and not that long ago, courtesy of Terry Wogan and the BBC. Nice scenery, though.”
Virginia Blackburn, Daily Express