Time; Survivor

“Screenwriter Jimmy McGovern’s drama might be too conventional, too predictable, for real excellence. But this portrait of women on the edge, battling systems outside of their control, is tight, tense, and compassionate.”
Nick Hilton, The Independent

“This time we follow three inmates and their relationships with one another, rather than with the warders. Each is a little too clearly designed as a vehicle for a particular set of problems created, aggravated or failed by their time in prison, but the essentially fine and compassionate writing – plus three sterling performances – generally prevents this from hobbling the story.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“It’s wonderfully cast. Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) and Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) relish shucking off the roles they are best known for. Tamara Lawrance, with the grimmest storyline, brings tinges of Greek tragedy. It’s also thrillingly paced.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph

“McGovern has crafted another eye-opening foray into the reality of prison and its ramifications in the outside world. There’s a new Channel 4 show starting this week, Banged Up, in which various celebrities experience life behind bars in a disused prison. They should have just stayed at home and watched this instead.”
Gerard Gilbert, The i

“We are meant to feel angry at the injustice of this. My chief feeling was one of frustration and dislike for Orla, who was so confident the courts would let her off with a slapped wrist that she didn’t even bother making arrangements for a friend to look after her kids. Gritty and violent, Time depicts prison life as horrible … as if that’s something to be deplored. Isn’t jail meant to be a punishment?”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The episodes are a bit baggy, but that can happen early on, when there are a lot of new people to get to know. It’s well cast, with that crucial variety of competitors, who are not all just gym bods or wannabe Bear Grylls types. It may be the first time Survivor has aired on British TV in 20 years, but it feels like something you know already, partly because there are elements of so many other shows in there. It isn’t a reinvention of the wheel, then, but it is an enjoyable and comfortingly recognisable trip to the beach.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian

“This is Big Brother meets Bear Grylls’ The Island, meets Total Wipeout and Gladiators, meets I’m A Celebrity, meets The Traitors, all packaged up to resemble It’s A Knockout in the Caribbean. On top of that, comedian Joel Dommett is bouncing around like Murray Walker on a Spacehopper, commentating breathlessly on every splash and tumble.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“This is babyfood TV designed to enable multi-task viewing. Amid the formula’s yawning longueurs you get ample time to doom-scroll or swipe right or memorise the phonebook.”
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph