Dodger; Doctor Who; Whale with Steve Backshall

“There is a laugh every minute in Dodger but, perhaps more importantly, a general feeling of being given an unconditional treat. It’s a lovely early Christmas present.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“That Dodger can attract such a splendid cast is testament to a fizzingly witty and zippily plotted script by Lucy Montgomery and Rhys Thomas. Nothing is immune from their gentle ribbing, from the foul-breathed urban poor to the hoity-toity higher-ups of church and state. It’s a mystery why this delight hasn’t been held back for Christmas Day.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“This was one of the strangest episodes of Doctor Who I’ve seen, and that’s in quite a crowded field. It was mad, abstruse but also funny — which you can’t always say with this show.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Tennant was funny and fizzingly charismatic, revelling in his chemistry with Tate. There was warm bickering, clever wordplay and dark hints of the Doctor being haunted by his origins. Their reunited double act feels nostalgic yet thrillingly new – perfect for marking the show’s 60th anniversary, before launching its new era.”
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph

“With a Disney budget behind them, Wild Blue Yonder boasts colossal scale CGI in a Star Wars style space ship that the Doctor and Donna explore in a hover car. Despite the impressive visuals of the shape-shifting ship, the entire episode is a tribute to Tenant and Tate’s talent. The nothingness moulds into matter, the tension builds as it becomes harder to determine who or what is real. Strange limbs aside, it’s a wacky, creepy chase that doesn’t ever stray on the side of comical or absurd.”
Jess Bacon, The i

“One of the most impressive aspects of these new Tennant adventures is their determination to play it straight. Davies’s big return could easily have tripped up on its self-importance. The 60th anniversary is on the way, and Tennant is making history as the first Doctor to return for an entire arc. But all of that is left unstated. Davies, Tennant and Tate are here because they love the Doctor. That uncomplicated enthusiasm ripples through an episode that is ultimately just another great helping of Who.”
Ed Power, The Independent

“Whales get about a bit and so does this four-part photo essay. The first episode opened in the Azores and took in the Bahamas, the South Pacific, Mauritius and Mexico. He even went to Wales (though, alas, not to film whales); the photography was awe-inspiring.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“The film touched on the problems of noise pollution created by humans, everything from jet-skis to oil rigs. Steve suggested this can disorientate the whales so badly that they ‘beach’, or get stranded in shallow water. But most of the hour was devoted to soothing footage of whales and dolphins, revealing their family bonds and playful behaviour.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“If Backshall is auditioning to be the new Attenborough, he’ll need a slightly better, less cliched script. But while his programme was never going to be a patch on Planet Earth III, it did provide interesting insights – and not just about whales. If exotic travel is your ambition, for example, try a career as a TV naturalist.”
Gerard Gilbert, The i