The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer; The Hairy Bikers Go West; Palm Royale

“The Real Serpent is diligent in its accumulation of evidence against Sobhraj, some of it brand new, leaving us in little to no doubt that he is a multiple murderer. But that only makes the interviews more maddening: as the three-part series goes on, you experience the same helpless anger as when watching a modern-day political interview. Because, just like a government minister who has been given a ridiculous line to recite and cannot be made to deviate by facts or argument, Sobhraj has realised that swearing solemnly that black is white and up is down can, in a one-on-one scenario where no judge or jury will name a winner at the end, take you a long way if you have enough shameless gumption.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian

“The set-up was unfortunate, playing to the True Crime trope that says every story needs to be based on some You Won’t Believe This clickbait bombshell. One suspects that Sobhraj was stupid enough to put himself on the grill once again only because of his monumental ego, but to the programme’s great credit it set about systematically dismantling any remaining pretence that this snake was just some kind of cuddly toy. The only thing that could be said for the Serpent was that for once he was true to his word – he was open to any and all questioning.”
Benji Wilson, Telegraph

“We knew it was coming and we knew it would be emotional, but as Dave Myers and Si King reached the final leg of The Hairy Bikers Go West, their final road trip, this last episode felt almost unbearably poignant. As a viewing experience, I can’t think of another example like this, in which we watched a much-loved double act in the sad knowledge of what would come next. Myers’s death from cancer in February touched many and this BBC2 episode will have had viewers wiping away a tear.”
James Jackson, The Times

“The overwhelming silliness of most of the plot (multiple attempted murders, blackmail, a fake prince, a real astronaut and an actual beached whale) never manages to find a balance with the social commentary it flirts with. Palm Royale is a show about the dangers of excess, but it doesn’t practice what it preaches. Beautiful gowns, though.”
Rachael Sigee, The i

“Great cast, great performances, but they are in a series whose episodes somehow feel both overstuffed and overlong at the same time. Fun, perhaps, but it could have been so much more.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Palm Royale looks fabulous, and for a while that obscures the fact that this is a drama that does and says nothing at all. Save the Emmys for the production and costume designers who have recreated Palm Beach circa 1969 in dreamy colour.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph