Rebekah Vardy; High Desert; Without Sin

“As a presenter, Vardy is empathic and inquisitive. Clearly, she knows this world; when she meets others who have been through similar experiences, she has meaningful conversations perhaps because she has been there, too. When she tries to talk to the Jehovah’s Witnesses UK branch on camera, no one will come forward. That is not surprising, but this documentary certainly is. You may come to it cynically, thinking it an attempt at career rehabilitation after ‘that trial’, but I doubt you will get to the end and still think that way.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian

“Vardy was a calm, dignified presence throughout a sad hour of troubling claims. It was often startlingly damning. Perhaps she didn’t find her answers, but she is certainly a survivor: here she is, still no sign of Armageddon.”
James Jackson, The Times

“There was little here to cause surprise – the restrictive aspects of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are well-documented. Allegations of covering up sexual abuse have been explored in-depth elsewhere, including an award-winning, year-long Telegraph investigation. It was an interesting insight into a secretive sect, but the film functioned best as a psychological study – we can now view Vardy’s behaviour as an adult in light of her awful childhood. It explains a lot.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Telling Vardy’s story with sensitivity and precision, the programme established space for her to process her own experiences without distracting from the wider picture. Watching someone investigate wounds not entirely healed made for compelling TV, by turns uncomfortable and wildly tender.”
Emily Watkins, The i

“There’s lots going on. If you are looking for a calm, measured drama, High Desert is not for you. But Patricia Arquette is well cast, and her charisma propels the series through its changes of tone. She is funny enough to land the gags but plausible as a beleaguered addict, too.”
Ed Cumming, The Telegraph

“High Desert strives for the free-flowing zaniness of an acid trip – but can’t quite conjure the accompanying profundity. As an off-beat exploration of grief, addiction, and recovery, though, it’s refreshingly easy to digest.”
Louis Chilton, The Independent

“For the life of me, I cannot understand why ITV bosses are now launching their biggest shows via video-on-demand, sometimes half a year before screening them on the TV channel. All we know for sure is that, when these programmes do finally appear on ordinary TV, they feel slightly stale, like a reheated dinner. Vicky McClure’s an actress who never gives less than her all, but she’s struggling here, in a straggly wig so ill-fitting that she has to wear a woolly hat to stop it from slipping over her face.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail