His Dark Materials; That’s My Jam; 1923

“Niggles aside, His Dark Materials was a gorgeous spectacle: visually lush with exquisite costumes, beautifully realised details and a sweeping score that made it feel like something really special. But that polish was matched by performances which have only improved as the series has gone on, hammering home the emotional complexities of Pullman’s tale and ready to step up to the vast scope of the eventual grand finale. Don’t be fooled by the 7pm air time: the scary stuff was properly scary, the themes were enormous and the whole thing took me on a wild ride upon which the fate of many worlds hangs in the balance. Merry Christmas indeed!”
Rachael Sigee, The i

“Welcome to the final series of His Dark Materials (BBC One), one that will cover the action of The Amber Spyglass, the last volume of Philip Pullman’s trilogy. How poignant that the BBC has chosen the festive season to broadcast Jack Thorne’s virtuosic adaptation of Pullman’s no-less virtuosic inversion of Milton’s Paradise Lost. Not that I’m complaining, but its appearance in the yuletide schedules does clinch the point that Christmas is not the season to celebrate the birth of our redeemer, but for rampant atheism – whether in the form of the worship of mammon or Pullman’s compelling broadside against organised religion.”
Stuart Jeffries, The Guardian

“I am always glad to see His Dark Materials back in the schedules, especially around now as it feels Christmassy. But high quality as it consistently is, it does feel time to wrap it up now. The original plan had apparently been to stretch it out to four or more series. But given that each one is eight episodes, 24 feels quite enough.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Adapting these books for the screen, as the terrible 2007 film The Golden Compass demonstrated, is a daunting task. His Dark Materials has faltered, but this is a worthy and comprehensive adaptation of a literary world which deserves to be seen.”
Jack Taylor, Telegraph

“While Jack Thorne’s adaptation is faithful to a fault, well-acted and exquisitely designed, it’s also rather plodding and humourless. “I’m trying to decide if you’re a madman or a genius,” Commander Ogunwe (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) says, at one point, to Asriel. “I rather hoped the two could co-exist,” comes the warrior’s reply. Sadly, there is neither genius nor madness in this small-screen version. The dazzling intelligence of the books becomes blandly expository in the actors’ mouths, while that spark of madness – the shimmering aurora – fades as the story reaches its final notes. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
Nick Hilton, Independent

“That’s My Jam is making it up as it goes along and hoping to strike gold. On a normal panel show, the aimlessness doesn’t matter because it’s all just a route to witty badinage. This is merely a vehicle for low-key, finger-clickin’ singalongs, performed with forced grins. The closest we get to something worth clipping and sharing is when the wheel spins again (Mo: “Come on, wheel!”) and Alesha, a terrific all-rounder who is a bit wasted as a Britain’s Got Talent judge, does a genuinely brilliant version of Shut Up by Stormzy in the style of a Disney princess.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“Is it worth you signing up to Paramount+ to watch it? (This is easier said than done, if my experience of trying to register and log in via my Sky box is anything to go by.) Well, a working knowledge of Yellowstone isn’t necessary; I couldn’t really tell you how Jacob is related to [Kevin] Costner’s character (a great-great-grand uncle, I think?). Just take it on its own merits and it’s a classy product.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph