Windrush: Portraits of a Generation; Glamorous; Puzzling

“There is plenty to admire in Windrush: Portraits of a Generation, which follows 10 fascinating and inspiring members of the Windrush generation having their portraits commissioned by Buckingham Palace – and created by 10 different artists. Those portraits are now part of the royal collection, which is immensely significant for both the artists and their subjects. But the programme is out of step with the news, and seems to want to take a broader national shame and wrap it up in a neat bow.”
Leila Latif, The Guardian

“Here the stories of the sitters could be fleshed out — their faith; the racism they suffered as nurses or factory workers or in the railways; the police brutality; the violence from Teddy boys in the early 1960s. But, as one of the young artists remarked, the way they carried themselves, maintaining dignity, patience and rising above it, set an example to the generation coming up behind them.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“All arrived from the West Indies after World War II, many on the Windrush itself. With the youngest in his 80s and the oldest approaching his centenary, their combined ages come to nearly 1,000. Britain is lucky to have all of them.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The most insufferable lead character of the year has arrived. Marco, played by a singer, actor and YouTuber called Miss Benny, is all of your Gen Z nightmares made real. If you’re older than Marco, you may remember a fun series called Ugly Betty, set in the offices of a New York fashion magazine. Glamorous is superficially similar, and there are some likeable supporting characters. But the star of Ugly Betty was adorable. Marco is anything but.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Glamorous is largely a bust. It is derivative, taking bits from Glee, Gossip Girl, The Devil Wears Prada, A Star Is Born and every wish-fulfilment fantasy in between. Which would be fine if it captured the lightness and fun of any of its predecessors. The first step might have been to cut at least 10 minutes from every episode and run it at the tight half-hour it is begging to be.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“It isn’t as mindbending as Only Connect with Victoria Coren Mitchell or as surreal as Richard Osman’s House Of Games, though it takes elements from both those shows. The easiness of some of the rounds gives Puzzling a daytime TV feel: one round saw players counting up slices of pizza or petals on flowers. Others demand basic general knowledge. But the questions come so thick and fast that the cumulative effect is to give our brains a thorough workout.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail