Cold Call; Vienna Blood; Home Free

“This was the sort of drama where very unlikely things happen very quickly in a schlocky sort of way. But, frankly, aren’t there nights when you would rather watch that than a drama in which very unlikely things unfold very slowly in a Stephen Poliakoff sort of way? Roll on tomorrow night’s episode.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Cold Call was compelling drama on a timely subject delivered with authenticity, humanity and a light touch, which meant you didn’t feel you were being slapped round the head with a social issues pamphlet. Even if by the end of episode one it was tiptoeing into farce territory.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Cold Call lacked credibility at times, with certain parts of the plot a little too convenient and unsubtle to enjoy, and the pace so fast that some of the emotional heft was lost. However, this was compelling TV, redeemed from some clunky moments by the warmth of June’s character.”
Kasia Delgado, The i

“It’s a timely drama, educating viewers on how the thieves operate without labouring the lessons. Some of the coincidences were overdone, and I’m not sure how amateur private eye Des (Daniel Ryan) was able to track down the evil Mr Coyote when the Fraud Squad couldn’t. But I’m hooked and can’t wait for tonight’s episode.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“If you tuned in hoping for a drama of equal sophistication to Sherlock you were out of luck. It had more the vibe of a period potboiler made in the 1980s with accompanying mood music. It was hammier than a butcher’s knife, but it wasn’t unenjoyable for it, providing you took it with a fistful of salt.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“For the first half an hour, it feels as if the makers are failing to repress their Sherlock complex – the jaunty camera angles, the hyperreal look, the jangly music – until it starts to relax into itself.”
Emine Saner, The Guardian

“The problems start with the episode length. Ninety minutes feels too long. Then there is the attempt at odd-couple chemistry. There was also a creepy, entirely unnecessary fixation with naked women.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Home Free was hugely life-affirming, warm and non-patronising. It showed how, with the right help from loved ones and councils and brilliant support workers, more people might be able to enjoy the thrill of having their own space for the first time.”
Kasia Delgado, The i