Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials; Doctor Who; Land of Women

“Investigating Witch Trials doesn’t get everything right. It seems to float the notion that, because some women today choose to call themselves witches, misogyny must be on the way out and women’s power increasing. In fact, the question is surely – regardless of whether we call them ‘witches’ these days or not – women are still socially and/or legally punished for speaking ‘out of turn’, for being poor or otherwise marginalised and what can be done to change a universe that sometimes seems impossible to bend towards justice. But it is a programme that makes you think. Smash some furniture, and think.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“These were in fact ‘women trials’. ‘I want to rename them,’ Jones said, because they were about the ‘persecution and abuse’ of women by men who often did it to further their careers. She’s right but I can’t see it happening. ‘Women trials’ doesn’t have quite the same touristy ring.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Jones made the point that ‘witch’ is a derogatory term while ‘wizard’ is not, when their supposed powers are similar. The narrative then ran away with her as the programme attempted to link the lingering taint of witchcraft accusations to Hilary Clinton and QAnon, influencer Andrew Tate and the overturning of Roe vs Wade. But Jones was always engaging, and it was nice to see a celebrity with a genuine passion for the subject rather than someone going through the motions.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“The two-part documentary Investigating Witch Trials sees her striding across the landscape in a long woollen coat to quiz historians, like a combination of Lucy Worsley and Gentleman Jack. As she unravelled the story of how, for 200 years, Puritans persecuted and murdered people — most of them women — accused of practising witchcraft, she also revealed a yearning to try a little white magic for herself.”
Christopher Stevens, The Daily Mail

“There are ample reasons to believe that Ncuti Gatwa’s time in the Tardis, and the much-hyped return of Russell T Davies as showrunner, mark a new golden age for the series, which is sparkier, funnier and more innovative than it has been in years.”
Leila Latif, The Guardian

“The first series finale of the Ncuti Gatwa era of Doctor Who, ‘Empire of Death’, feels like an encapsulation of his time in the TARDIS – thematically bold, handsomely produced, superbly performed. But showrunner Russell T Davies’s weakness for loose plotting and rushed denouements lets this final episode down.”
Stephen Kelly, The i

“As Gatwa’s first season draws to a close with its eighth episode, the one emotion Whovians young, old and in-between, are likely to share is the sting of anticlimax. After stringing us along since last year’s Christmas special with the so-called ‘mystery’ of Ruby Sunday’s origins, the series delivers the mother of all letdowns.”
Ed Power, The Independent

“It’s blandly entertaining comfort TV, set against a gorgeously-shot backdrop. I would say it’s the kind of thing you can happily have on in the background while painting your nails or delousing the dog, except half of it is subtitled, so you’ll need to pay attention to the screen if Spanish isn’t your language.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph