Harry & Meghan; Litvidenko; Stacey Solomon’s Crafty Christmas

“Harry & Meghan, more than a piece of entertainment — and it is, as a whole, very entertaining — is an act of self-preservation for the couple, of committing their own story to public record, knowing full well that the palace will not (or cannot) respond. Is it vengeful? A little, but given the strife Harry has been through, it’s impossible not to sympathise with his want to speak his own truth. “To move on to the next chapter, you have to finish the first,” says Harry. With all six episodes of Harry & Meghan now out in the world, consider it over. We would all do well (Harry and Meghan included) to close the entire book, though I imagine that might be wishful thinking.”
Emily Baker, The i

“If you have yet to embark on the six-hour marathon Harry & Meghan, here’s my advice having wearily stayed the course. Ditch the first four hours (boring!) and just watch the last two. If you don’t want to waste time watching two wealthy adults frame their lives like a fairytale in the style of a soppy Tui advert, do yourself a favour and fast-forward. Because while there are not massive “bombshells” in episodes five and six, there are well-aimed grenades.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Meghan and Harry’s story isn’t one that can really provide much in terms of new information. Nearly every element has been reported on ad nauseam, from the meetings surrounding their departure, to her miscarriage, to the lawsuit against the Daily Mail. But the series still lands a punch because there are so many unlikely twists, with palace officials leaking information to scupper their plans, horrendous death threats, social media frenzies and the truly surreal role Tyler Perry played in their rescue. Fervent royalists will probably be outraged by Harry being so openly critical of his father and brother, but in the programme it seems that Meghan’s mere existence is enough to infuriate many of them.”
Leila Latif, The Guardian

“Litvinenko died in 2006. This shouldn’t have been a rush job. There has been the opportunity to work on the story of his life and his death and transmute it – especially in a time when dictatorial regimes, violence and governmental lawlessness are in the ascendant – into something better, broader, more meaningful than this.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“That first hour is absorbing, the entire episode hinging on Litvinenko’s own testimony. But when the inevitable happens and he dies from the poison (a pathologist would later describe his insides as having been turned to “sludge”), the drama transforms from a gripping story of international murder into a run-of-the-mill crime series.”
Emily Baker, The i

“The story took off because Litvinenko was able to speak from his deathbed, detailing the method of his own murder and pointing the finger at the men – and country – responsible. But it’s downhill from there, because turning this tale into a four-part television drama presents an insurmountable problem. Spoiler alert: Litvinenko is dead by the end of episode one. This means that the remaining three episodes are devoted to the police investigation and the eventual inquiry, and the dramatic potential drops faster than you can say, “Let’s avoid that branch of Itsu, if it’s all the same to you”.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“Solomon is a wonderfully natural, effervescent presence, and was joined here by her husband, Joe Swash (a former EastEnders actor and fake tan aficionado who is the colour of a peach melba) and her children. One of TV’s favourite buzzwords is “relatability”, and Solomon has that in spades. She survived on benefits as a teenage single mum before her life was transformed by an appearance on The X Factor in 2009. Despite a significant change in circumstances – she presented this show from her lovely home in Essex – she hasn’t forgotten what a struggle it can be to make ends meet.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“Her delight in everything Christmassy is gleefully childlike, and this primetime special would have been better in an afternoon slot.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail