The Fortune Hotel; The Jennings v Alzheimer’s; Me and the Voice In My Head

“As the runaway success of The Traitors has made plain, watching people lie to each other makes for excellent TV. Whatever that says about the public, it’s a true as ever in The Fortune Hotel, which shows every sign of being as successful as its predecessor. What’s more, with seven episodes left, it’s literally all to play for. Combining emotional intelligence and logic with sheer chance, helmed by a charming host who looks like he can’t believe his luck at landing a gig in a luxury hotel in the Caribbean (fair enough), The Fortune Hotel has already hit the jackpot.”
Emily Watkins, The i

“All game shows take a while to bed in, but the rules were easy to grasp and the game became more inviting. The Mangan from Del Monte eventually eased into his role and at one stage invoked the classical dictum ‘fortune favours the brave’, introducing a bit of class into a show that quite frankly needed it. While TV viewers tend to be quite alive to imitations of hit shows, it wasn’t a terrible formula. But I’m still keeping my early check-out card handy.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“Sounds like a horrific Frankenstein format, but somehow it works. Of the new wave of post-Traitors copycat programming, this comes the closest yet. It’s a fiendishly addictive affair that might just be your next reality fix.”
Michael Hogan, The Guardian

“Perhaps the pernickety concept will become clearer, and just maybe it’ll be a humongous hit, but for the moment it feels like starting on a new board game but first having to pore over the small print of a casuistical rulebook. In the first episode’s finale came a psychological test involving much exchanging of said suitcases. It’s quite as pulsating as it sounds.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“The game almost works but, ultimately, like a half-built holiday hotel, it needs more work.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Maybe, like a holiday suntan, the show will improve as the weeks go on, but for now, it’s patchy and a bit underwhelming.”
Katie Rosseinsky, The Independent

“The Jennings v Alzheimer’s holds all its component parts in balance. It doesn’t let the sadness overwhelm the achievements of Carol and the scientists, but – thanks to judicious use of footage from years gone by of the charismatic Carol advocating with effortless fluency for the Alzheimer’s cause – never loses sight of all that she and her loved ones have lost. It doesn’t dwell on the cruelty of the disease, but doesn’t shy away from its savagery either.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“This was a tribute to her selfless foresight as well as a fascinating insight into the Job-like patience of neuro geneticists. It was also a fine example of television drawing on its own archive to tell the story of Carol then and Carol now.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“Dancing delicately on the borderline between comedy and tragedy, Me and the Voice In My Head pulled off the unlikely trick – come on, Joe was a child magician – of being simultaneously entertaining, informative and surprisingly moving. That’s a lot of rabbits to pull out of one head.”
Keith Watson, The Telegraph

“This is a portrait of vulnerability and pain, delivered with disarming honesty. It is an unusual and arresting documentary.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian