Queen Charlotte; Silo; Inside No 9

“With classical renditions of pop hits aplenty and no shortage of steamy bedroom romps, Queen Charlotte delivers everything a Bridgerton fan could want, with touches of social commentary that feel refreshing, rather than preachy. If this series is an indicator, the Bridgerton-verse will continue to top the Netflix ratings – and for good reason.”
Nicole Vassell, The Independent

“The series is a rare exception to the rule of prequels (generally substantially worse than the originals and undermining all previous endeavours) and will hopefully set many of its younger stars on the road to success. India Amarteifio does especially well, shouldering the bulk of the show’s burdens and showing in embryo all of the Charlotte we know. But it’s with an innocent energy and unjaded intelligence that shows us something new too.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“The initial knockabout love-hate thing between Charlotte and George feels a bit like The Great but without the razor-sharp, filthy humour, while the frequent flash-forwards in time, when we see the older Charlotte, may be confusing to those not familiar with Bridgerton. But as a series it is well acted and directed. In fact, and this may not be a popular view, I preferred the prequel to the original show.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Silo can be read as a lot of things. It works as a critique of the class system and as a study in erasure and who gets to write, and rewrite, history. It’s also about the cross-competing advantages and disadvantages of truth and of living in denial for the individual and for the collective. But before all of that, it is a fantastically made story that embraces classic tropes and cliffhanger endings as enthusiastically as it does delicate characterisations and deferred gratifications.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“It’s asking a lot to commit to 10 episodes of anything. Perhaps, having paid for the silo, the producers wanted their money’s worth. But even as the characters clamber into its vaults, the sense of claustrophobia grows ever so stifling. By the end of the two launch episodes you may hanker to see the outside too.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“Best to enjoy this episode as half an hour of farce. There were some nice moments of slapstick, with Shearsmith negotiating his way around a ladder or accidentally drenching himself in the shower, while Pemberton and Spiro were amusing as luvvies treating the job with the utmost seriousness. It’s reliably good entertainment, even if the writers can’t pull the rug from under us every week.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“The comic playlets written by stars Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are becoming superfluous. Once packed with imagination and dark invention, the series is now running out of steam.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail