The Traitors; Willow

“It is terrible – a pandering to our basest, most voyeuristic, atavistic instincts, an exercise in exquisite cruelty lasting 12 weeks. You’re going to love it. The rules are, in a sense, immaterial – all you really need to know is that the game has been ruthlessly designed to set individual against individual, exploit every inch of humanity’s capacity for suspicion, dissembling, paranoia, guilt, sociopathy and every other unpleasantness you can think of.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“The Traitors is such a deliciously devious game that it will eliminate every shred of faith you have in human honesty. And after the Beeb’s lamentable recent forays into reality shows, such as Freeze The Fear and Unbreakable, it is also restoring my faith in TV’s ability to invent clever formats. This one has already been a hit in the Netherlands and it’s well polished. Even if you don’t usually enjoy reality gameshows, this cross between Cluedo and Big Brother is engrossing for the chance it supplies to spot liars at work.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“Like one of those pernickety board games with too many rules, it’s not a clean or fully logical concept. But when you strip away all the quirky persiflage and pompous tele-gothic trappings, what you’re left with is a moreish (if demoralising) study of human behaviour. I identify as someone who avoids getting sucked into all TV elimination contests, but may not resist this one.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“The contestants in this ambitious endeavour are no doubt all lovely in their own ways, it’s just that they are so given to screaming excitedly and hugging each other so manically it’s as if they’re secretly being fed industrial-strength caffeine by the producers. As the parlour game aspect of the show comes more into focus, things get better. The Traitors is maddening, but it might just become maddeningly addictive. I just wish it would all calm down a bit.”
James Jackson, The Times

“The Traitors is just made for Claudia, as the format allows her to express her personality and acting skills, and you can tell she’s embracing being the villain for once. With I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! wrapped up, The Traitors is in line to fill that void, given it’s aired three nights a week consecutively during the World Cup. Its success will just hinge on whether viewers can get their heads around the complicated format and truly care about those competing.”
Stuart Pink, The Sun

“It does get better (or at least more brain-scrambling for the contestants) once the Faithful begin guessing the identities of the Traitors and publicly voting to expel one another. That starts in episode two. My advice would be to take a break during the ‘missions’ and enjoy the rest of the show while trying not to be too depressed by humanity’s innate capacity for bare-faced deceit.”
Gerard Gilbert, The i

“The Traitors definitely isn’t a perfect reality show, or even the best in its genre right now, but it is pretty entertaining. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about watching a contestant claim that their fellow player is ‘a really honest person‘, while we sit at home smirking in the knowledge that they’re really a traitor. Deception might not be very Christmassy, but it sure is a lot of fun.
Isobel Lewis, The Independent

“Royal twins, arranged marriages, monstrous invaders – on paper Willow reads like Disney Does Westeros. The essential distinction is the show’s cheery bravado. With its yeasty blend of American and British accents, Willow taps into the cheesy spirit of The Princess Bride, Neil Gaiman’s Stardust and the 1980s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. Throw in a string of stunning location shoots across Wales – including the haunting Pendine Sands at Carmarthen Bay – and the package is complete. Roguish and ribald, this fantasy never forgets it’s supposed to be fun.”
Ed Power, The Telegraph