Derry Girls; Julia; Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof; Hullraisers

“The show is a masterclass in hitting the sweet spot between decades-honed sitcom tradition and refreshing nowness. Its nostalgia is bright and cosy like a jazzy 90s jumper; its portrayal of young women as morally ambivalent and intrinsically comic human beings a cathartic, satisfying relief. Derry Girls is that rare thing: a brand new classic, in the best possible sense.”
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian

“This was as fast and funny as ever, despite the first half being an extended panic attack as the girls melted about their GCSE results. But what was this … Liam Neeson was here too, in an amusing cameo as a glowering chief constable. That has to be as triumphantly Northern Irish as this already adored series can get.”
James Jackson, The Times

“As a television comedy, it is pretty much perfect. Writer Lisa McGee brilliantly captures a time and a place, with McGee presenting an alternative to the bleak picture of Northern Ireland offered up elsewhere. It is sweetly nostalgic – the Spice Girls’ Wannabe on the soundtrack, a video shop in one of the scenes – without being remotely sentimental. Most importantly, it’s hilarious.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“One of the many joys of this show is that it can evoke its era so well, yet send up a modern-day crime show at the same time. Simply genius.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The episodes are so short, Derry Girls can feel frustratingly moreish. But McGee has inflected the show with such a sweet, endearing sense of chaos, that the plot never really has to be resolved. The end credits, and that bubblegum splash of Nineties pop, relieve the friends of any real responsibility for their actions.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent

“Julia is charming and warm, with all the appeal of comfort food, as unrefined as that can be. Sarah Lancashire is fabulous as Julia Child, managing to neither replicate Meryl Streep nor do a surface impression of the real woman.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian

“In an age where television is becoming increasingly bombastic and grandiose, Julia’s old-fashioned style is a welcome virtue. It takes its time and relies, appropriately, on the staples of good cooking – that if you use quality ingredients in the right measures and follow a tested recipe, you’ll serve up a satisfying meal. It’s a Chesterfield sofa of a series, finely crafted, likeably old-fashioned in its aesthetic, beautifully made.”
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph

“If you hadn’t heard of Wim Hof, you’d have been forgiven for thinking BBC1 had finally come up with a bold new spoof. Such an individual is born for a TV show, of course. In fact, he was pretty much the only thing making Freeze the Fear worthwhile. Without Hof, this show would be as flimsy as glazed ice. With him, it’s inspirational — you’ll want to prepare an ice bath straight afterwards.”
James Jackson, The Times

“After half an hour of watching celebs get cold and wet, and another half hour in which they abseiled, one at a time, down a cliff, I had to go and take a cold shower just to wake myself up.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Hullraisers is like a northern riposte to Motherland. Just far earthier and more hungover. And further evidence of how Channel 4 does, and has always done, new comedy so well.”
James Jackson, The Times