Doctor Who; Rebus; Insomnia

“Boom is a nerve-shredding thriller as good as anything Steven Moffat’s written before. If last week’s episodes were brilliant, now it feels like Ncuti Gatwa’s reign has really begun. Gatwa’s refreshing brand of all-singing, all-dancing charisma has been a joy to behold so far, but – on the brink of death, tears rolling down his face, his sassy facade giving way to something darker – he has never been as electrifying.”
Stephen Kelly, The i 

“Boom is a bit of a damp squib. It wrestles with chunky themes – the dangers of AI, religious extremism, and the parasitic wickedness of the arms industry. And it introduces us to the Doctor’s future companion, space marine Mundy Flynn (Varada Sethu). But the execution is wishy-washy, and on more than one occasion, Moffat risks contradicting himself.”
Ed Power, The Independent

“You can’t escape the Disney influence, and not just with a set and costumes which look like Star Wars leftovers. There’s a cute kid and a cheesy ending. But it’s far darker than previous Gatwa episodes.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Richard Rankin’s Rebus is physical, forceful and irresistible, his eyes twinkling by default yet capable of glazing over with regret or being suddenly clouded by crimson mist. But in a TV series that can’t and won’t replicate the novels’ auxiliary function of documenting social changes in Scotland over time, a lot rests on Rebus being uniquely roguish – and it’s hard to differentiate this troubled, rule-breaking maverick from all the others.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“It is terrific, mainly for two reasons. The first is Richard Rankin (no relation to Ian), who plays John Rebus with a dark, dangerous charisma and bone-dry sarcasm that is mildly hypnotic to watch. The second is Gregory Burke’s script, which is nimble, non-clichéd and underscored with a wit that sometimes made me laugh loudly.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Richard Rankin (no relation to the author) gets much closer to the character on the page. Trouble is, he becomes so deeply nasty that the show is all but unwatchable.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The plot contains a couple of promising strands – a combustible legal case, a highly inappropriate affair – that go for nothing, plus a shameless coincidence which ushers in the key character of Caroline (Lyndsey Marshal). The three excellent main performances are stronger than the writing: like good sculptors Vicky McClure, Leanne Best and Marshal use their skill to carve depths into shallow matter.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph