“Katherine has ditched the political jokes, and kept the innuendos to the odd barbed aside”

All That Glitters

“Their keenness to help out, and the way contestants were expected to assist rivals, marked a change from the slightly aggressive competition of the first series. All That Glitters suffered an erratic launch last year, but it just needed a little cut and polish. Thankfully, Katherine has ditched the political jokes, and kept the innuendos to the odd barbed aside.The role of the judges has been amplified, with more expert commentary. That’s crucial: most of us can enjoy Bake Off or Sewing Bee, because we all like cakes and wear trousers. But without some guidance, we’re unlikely to know whether a chain has been well soldered or a bezel setting firmly fixed.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Speaking of gems, there was a hidden one in All That Glitters (yes, it should be “glisters” but what can you do?), which is to jewellery what Bake Off is to cakes. But given the potential for an inspirational and uplifting story arc it felt like a big, fat anticlimax.”
Carol Midgley, The Times 

Selling The OC, Netflix

“There are too many exhausting, baffling meltdowns, accusations of badmouthing being flung around, counter-accusations, loyalties and disloyalties, alliances and double-crosses going on for any normal person to cope with. I had to lie on the sofa in a darkened room for three days for every 10 minutes watched. But watch I did, and you will too.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian 

A Farm Through Time, Channel 5

“Like a stroll around a National Trust property, this show offers plenty of diverting glimpses into the past…But the best sequence followed a young shire horse, Blossom, learning to pull a plough … though she’s still at the practice stage, dragging a tractor tyre. ‘There are fewer shire horses in the world, than there are giant pandas,’ said Rob. What a glum statistic.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

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