Hollington Drive; 28 Up: Millennium Generation; Outsiders

“It’s a nicely atmospheric, evocative first hour that plants lots of seeds that soon begin to take root and grow. The characters are better drawn than you are really entitled to expect from new ITV four-part dramas. Likewise, the relationships between and among them, which also touch on wider issues such as class, make their fracturing under pressure that much more enjoyably credible. Overall it’s a fine addition to the suburban nightmare-trove.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“It is fortunate that Anna Maxwell Martin does most of the heavy lifting in Hollington Drive because without her Kitemark quality it would be too miserable to contemplate. At least for me. I have no appetite for a story about a missing, possibly abused child who went to school hungry and with bruises and will doubtless turn up dead. Yet Maxwell Martin as the depressed, uptight Theresa, living in her perfect house next door to her high-achieving, glossy-haired robotic head teacher sister, Helen (Rachael Stirling), is the juicy carrot in a gloomy stew.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“It’s the kind of domestic thriller that ITV churns out by the dozen, but casting Maxwell Martin is a smart move because she’s such a good actress that she elevates the material.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Thankfully, Maxwell Martin’s delicate performance as a woman plagued by her past and wracked with guilt pulled the hour from uniformity. The nuggets of intrigue are more than enough to warrant sticking with it for at least another episode.”
Emily Baker, The i

“Hollington Drive promises to be an outstanding psychological serial.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“What was striking about 28 Up: Millennium Generation was that at 28 years old none of the contributors had children and most still lived at home with their parents. And although these were ordinary young people, their stories were quietly riveting.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“However engaging the characters, this series lacks the emotional connection between programme-maker and subject. There was also a sense, when looking back at the early interviews, of the seven-year-olds being baited to talk about the producers’ pet subjects of class and wealth. Of course, Michael Apted also asked such direct questions, but repeating it decades later in an attempt to ape his style had a cynical feel.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“The six young people revisited by the cameras in 28 Up: Millennium Generation were mostly struggling for things to say. The show has interviewed them aged seven, 14 and 21. Now they’re at that stage of early adult life where reality is overtaking their childhood dreams but their futures have yet to find a settled shape.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Dave’s new comedy entertainment format feels a little like the result of a long consultation about how close a television programme can legally be to Taskmaster without actually being Taskmaster. It’s a hard line to walk, but overall looks like a success for Dave. In Outsiders, it has created a show entertaining enough to replace Taskmaster, but not quite good enough for Channel 4 to poach. Result.”
Stuart Heritage, The Guardian