“Shrinking has expanded to become something we all need in our roster of streaming shows”
Shrinking, Apple TV+
“Shrinking has expanded to become something we all need in our roster of streaming shows: an ensemble piece stuffed with people who are just like us, but a shade smarter, funnier and more outspoken. It’s essential to have an inessential hangout show you can call upon when you can’t face anything more taxing.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian
“Series two is less reliant on the big two of Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, bringing in Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein (also a writer on this show) in a surprising role as Segel’s new antagonist. It works up to a point but to this gnarled old churl there’s still too much growing and learning going on, and all among wealthy people with Elle Deco lives. Ultimately, it’s just too easy not to care: Shrinking’s appeal, a season in, is indeed shrinking.”
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph
“Shrinking is everything that’s awful about American comedies. It’s laboured and unoriginal, the characters are stereotypes, the sets patently fake, and the dialogue is elbow-deep in schmaltz.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail
Beyond Black Beauty, Prime Video
“Even though it is clumsy and insipid – and its portrayal of European grandeur is more Disneyland Paris than Brideshead Revisited – it is hard to resent this show. Its heart is in the right place, aimed at inspiring children to follow their dreams. There are plenty of sweet equine moments that may well inspire younger viewers to find a purpose in horse riding, caring for animals or devoting themselves to a sport. It’s just a shame that the destination is far more interesting than the journey.”
Leila Latif, The Guardian
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, Netflix
“Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is the gobsmacking, disturbing tale of one of the longest-known catfish scams in the UK, but this documentary managed to make it quite boring. I wonder how many viewers will make it to the jaw-dropping twist about 65 minutes in because if I hadn’t been reviewing it, I’m not sure I would.”
Carol Midgley, The Times
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