The Piano; Secret Life of the Forest

“I thought that I was going to dislike The Piano. It adheres to two wearisome rules of television talent contests: celebrity judges, and hopefuls only making it through the door if they have a heart-tugging backstory. Yet, after watching the first episode, I’ve fallen for its charms. When each person starts playing, it is just lovely to behold.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“This five-part series, building to a concert at the Royal Festival Hall, sensibly avoids over-complicating a simple concept. A succession of amateur performers show off their musical party pieces, while a pair of judges — pop star Mika and classical pianist Lang Lang — watch and comment in secret. As well as the music, there’s lots of emotion, as each of the musicians has a story that sets their love of piano in context.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The musicians prove to be even more diverse and delightful than the bakers, seamsters, potters and portrait artists previously showcased by series with a similarly celebratory intent. But the judges rarely observe anything we couldn’t have heard or seen ourselves, and the eclecticism of the pianists makes the idea of choosing one over the others seem even sillier than all TV music competitions already are. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter much, though: jazzed up or not, the chance to share ordinary people’s extraordinary gifts is a fine prize.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“While the instrument’s diversity was touted as its greatest strength, featuring players of all genres made The Piano disjointed and incohesive. The contestants were so wildly different, playing incomparable styles with fluctuating ability, that the show relied on spurious notions of musical beauty and sentimentality – and on the sob stories that have become a staple of the TV competition genre. It was like watching Bake Off without the themed weeks or distinct briefs: a load of people simply turning up to a marquee and shoving something in the oven, leaving Paul Hollywood to compare a chicken pie with a gingerbread house.”
Emily Bootle, The i

“It’s a pleasant enough show and I’m glad it’s not about singers for once. But over five episodes it could get samey.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Secret Life of the Forest was a lovely, soul-salving documentary almost ruined by a cloying, sugary soundtrack that trod with hobnail boots on its most beautiful moments of cinematography.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“In this charming nature ramble, we spent a couple of evenings with volunteer ornithologists who had spread nets hoping to catch and ring nightjars as part of a study. With their thermos flasks and their earnest banter, the four men were close cousins of Lance and Andy in Detectorists. As they organised a sweepstake with £1 bets on what time, to the precise minute, they would hear the first nightjar’s call, you could sense a sitcom waiting to happen.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail