The Control Room; Murder in Provence; Better Things

“It has an impressive central performance from Iain De Caestecker, but that’s the only mark in its favour. Still, it’s the sort of cheesy thriller that will doubtless do big numbers on iPlayer. The opening minutes are promising. But the flashbacks are so numerous that they take you right out of the action, which kills the tension – apart from one getaway scene which will definitely jolt you awake. Drama doesn’t have to explore big themes and come with a social conscience. There’s plenty of room for popcorn thrillers that have you on the edge of your seat. But this feels like something Channel 5 would knock out to fill a scheduling gap, not a premium Sunday night product for BBC One.” 
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“The plot is a meaty, succulent thing that does not threaten to sprawl. It drops plenty of hints and clues about what has gone on via (restrained, non-irritating use of) flashbacks and present-day scenes. The convolutions of the current narrative seem to arise organically and never strain your credulity. The whole thing is threaded through with a genuine sense of grief caused by deaths from both natural and unnatural causes, which is especially marked in a wonderful scene between De Caestecker and Bowman in the second episode. And it is anchored by a terrific, tender performance by De Caestecker.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian 

“Performances from both De Caestecker and Vanderham were exquisite, balancing the bittersweetness of finding each other with the stress of an agonisingly high-octane situation – after all, this was no straightforward reunion. As Gabriel was pressed to choose between helping Samantha and handing her in for her part in a serious crime, the tension didn’t show any signs of easing. With its fresh-feeling premise, fleshed out characters, and just enough twists to deliver escapism without compromising believability, The Control Room has all the ingredients to emerge as one of the year’s standout dramas.” 
Emily Watkins, The i

“The Control Room is well written. I can see that Iain De Caestecker’s performance as the ambulance call handler Gabe is accomplished and the plot original. But my main response to this thriller was irritation. I’m not mad on “stress-watch entertainment” at the best of times” 
Carol Midgley, The Times

“If all that sounds wildly improbable, of course it is. But the three-part serial, which continues tonight, is thick with nightmarish atmosphere that makes Gabriel’s blind terror believable as he stumbles from crisis to crisis.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The performances of the leads redeem a lot of the slow pace and disjointed storytelling. De Caestecker just about convinces us that Gabriel is emotionally damaged enough to be duped; and Vanderham makes Samantha into an excellently strange and intriguing character. Dead-eyed and devious, she is slowly manipulating the increasingly frightened Gabriel. It’s like watching a python swallowing a rabbit – disturbing but compelling.”
Sean O’Grady, The Independent 

“The set-up is lovely, and the locations glorious. I just wish the plots were a little less pedestrian. Someone gets bumped off, a list of suspects is paraded before us, and at the end one of the quite obvious ones is revealed as the killer. The stories aren’t terrible, just standard daytime fare.” 
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“If it weren’t for Allam’s handsome performance in Murder in Provence I might have nodded off at times. Don’t get me wrong, it was gorgeous to watch, all those lovely French cameos a spa bath for screen-weary eyes, but, blimey, at times it was slow. I get that this is partly the idea; a relaxing, soothing murder watch and some light château porn. But it didn’t half go round the houses, flagging up virtually everyone as a suspect and then revealing the killer to be the person I’d suspected all along.” 
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Antoine and Marine are saved from terminal tweeness by Allam’s sardonic relish in his constant quips. He speaks every line as if he can taste the blood in it…With a classic Citroen and jeans two sizes too tight, Judge Antoine is a richly drawn figure: fussy, vain, courageous and maudlin.The other characters have less depth so far, but this was a promising beginning.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The scenes are so bursting with sunshine and colour it’s like a travel show, and I half expected Judith Chalmers or our own Simon Calder to pop up in the local bistro. Instagrammable lunches and fine wines are parked on the whitest of fine linens. Everything is immaculate – puns included – and plays hard into the British notion of idealised Frenchness. Yet the producers have done well to leave the lead actors’ mellifluous voices alone and not impose Inspector Clouseau/‘Allo ‘Allo accents on them.” 
Sean O’Grady, The Independent 

“It’s is a creatively confident style of storytelling, this hectic flickering between characters and conversations and settings, and one that turns the knotty, nuanced emotional palette of the show into gripping entertainment. It also feels representative of the way life feels”
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian 

“It’s Gilmore Girls meets Curb Your Enthusiasm, slyly touching on themes of ageing, love and loss. Amid the caustic wisecracks and farcical set pieces, there are moments of tenderness and intimacy that take your breath away. Adlon has twice been Emmy-nominated for her star turn and it’s easy to see why. It’s a performance of real heart, brimming with hope and hard-won wisdom.” 
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph