Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour; Doctor Who

“Even though I dislike the forced format of the ‘odd couple’ – here, the celebrity barrister and the X Factor contestant turned presenter going to Italy together – I approached Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour with my prejudice suspended. And, how annoying is this? I enjoyed it. It actually had something to say. Because it wasn’t really about Venice itself, even though we saw lots of it. It was about human heartbreak, fragility and healing.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“I was pleasantly surprised by these odd-couple travelling companions. Their relationship seemed warmer and more genuine than most purported celebrity ‘friendships’.”
Gerard Gilbert, The i

“Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour begins in Venice, and does all the things you would expect of a celebrity travelogue. They take a gondola, look around the Doge’s Palace, visit Murano to see some glass-blowing. But at the same time, the programme functions as a kind of self-help session for these two presenters who have been through bruising divorces. I know, on paper that sounds like ghastly self-indulgence, but the pair address their issues with honesty, humour and a big dollop of joy.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“What’s most interesting about the programme is how it challenges our perception of Clark. For centuries, the Grand Tour was undertaken by those who more closely resembled Rinder, people with the right sort of class and education, unlike Clark, who was a ‘ginger kid from a council flat in Stepney Green’. But it is lovely to behold where that kid has ended up, see his formidable mind absorb the glories of the journey Byron once embarked on and watch his confidence bloom in the Italian sunshine.”
Leila Latif, The Guardian

“Space Babies was a fairly mid-tier episode by Russell T Davies’ standards, but after five years of flat scripts and shallow ideas, fans have finally found a pond in the desert: an imperfect story that nonetheless crackles with the energy, warmth and wit Doctor Who has been missing.”
Stephen Kelly, The i

“Ncuti Gatwa is a natural as the new custodian of the Tardis, both mischievous and mysterious, and is by far the best thing about the BBC’s biggest franchise as former showrunner Russell T Davies takes up the reins once again. In fact, Gatwa’s charm proves essential in two wildly uneven opening episodes, which suggest that Davies hasn’t quite got back into the galaxy-hopping groove yet.”
Stephen Kelly, The i

“The big takeaway is that Gatwa is already perfect as the Doctor. Some Time Lords are a work in progress. He’s the finished article right from the jump – quirky, nattily attired (though his vintage wardrobe never overshadows the performance) and brimming with megawatt charm. The stories aren’t entirely there yet but with Gatwa at the controls, it comes as a huge relief to report that the Tardis is in safe hands.”
Ed Power, The Independent

“With the aid of Disney’s bottomless budget, Gatwa has regenerated the show. He’s charming, he’s light-footed, he delivers every line with a playful twist – he looks like he’s having all the fun that every fan expects from time travel.”
Christopher Stephens, Daily Mail

“Since Disney joined forces with the BBC to create the Whoniverse, the show has taken on a new tone: slick, expensive and nothing here to scare the horses. Mostly, there’s nothing here to scare anyone who has recently graduated from Bluey and Peppa Pig. The main asset of the new Doctor Who is Gatwa, who carries the series along with the force of his megawatt charisma.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph