Eric; The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan; Race Across the World

“Eric might be named after a lumbering, swearing puppet, but at its heart it’s a straightforwardly gripping crime thriller complete with the requisite red herring clues and multiple suspects. It might be set in a bygone New York City, but Abi Morgan’s writing gives the series a distinctly British sensibility – slightly eccentric, dark in all the right moments and an ultimately hopeful tale of redemption.”
Emily Baker, The i

“A lot of dramas fumble around for the right tone. That Eric can explore grief in one moment, then switch to Benedict Cumberbatch and his fluffy sidekick dancing away to the strains of Gloria by Laura Branigan, is testament to the talent involved here. It’s inventive, assured and far less weird than you expect.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“You can see why Eric attracted such a formidable cast. The series is an ambitious swing, which is in itself a great thing – and if it misses, that makes it no less admirable an attempt.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Eric has far more to say about grief, trauma and creativity when the hulking blue monster is on screen. It is a mystery with a twist, where the twist is more interesting than the mystery. You don’t drink the cocktail for the garnish, but that doesn’t stop it adding some, much-needed, zest.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent

“This time The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan took him to Uganda, which he admitted he instantly associates with Idi Amin. So do I, to be honest. His host Alex, one of Uganda’s many princesses, looked a bit peeved by that, and wanted to show him Uganda’s beauty and wildlife. They were stunning, but unfortunately for her were not the most interesting bit. More juicy was when they discussed Uganda’s popular law that makes homosexual sex illegal and technically punishable by life imprisonment.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“More and more he is getting to show a more cerebral side, and in the case of a tour of Uganda it made for some percipient, memorable television. His guide throughout was a Ugandan princess (one of 200, she admitted) called Alex, who he was good enough to introduce as his co-presenter. They joshed along in the usual travelogue manner as she showed him her country, but halfway through Ranganathan asked her for her views on Uganda’s draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act, which was enacted in May last year with broad (and shocking) public support. It was a riveting two-hander: Ranganathan was masterful in framing the debate and skewering, without incitement, his delightful co-host’s bigotry.”
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph

“This show’s running joke is that he is not a confrontational chap — he wants to like everyone. He might take the mickey but never gets stuck into an argument. That has been the chief weakness of the show since it first aired in 2018, and never before has it been so ruthlessly highlighted. He must have had plenty of time to prepare for this conversation, but the best he could do was to mumble a protest about, ‘making it illegal to be who you are’.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“What a great, wholesome show this has been, showing what ordinary people are capable of if they dig deep, and that the world is mostly a friendly place full of kind people.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“It is the perfect antidote to an ever-shrinking world that we all fear will end up being just a screen in the palm of your hand. Without phones or the internet, without likes or subscribes or followers or fake friends it asks: “Who are you? Where are you going and how are you going to get there?” Roll on series five: my bags are packed.”
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph