Zero Day; Amandaland; Reacher

“Zero Day was completed before the second Trump presidency, but there’s no doubt that he and his rippling, destabilising effect on society, on the media, on the definition and handling of truth, and on the principles of democracy are the fuel that keeps this storytelling engine running. But it remains first and foremost an astonishing amount of fun – firmly grounded by De Niro and his portrait of a good man struggling to do the right thing in a world that offers corruption at worst, and only compromise at best.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“When Mullen tells off protesters for believing “bull—- conspiracy nonsense – you’re not behaving like an American, nor a patriot,” they immediately quieten down. Bassett, who has two Oscar nominations under her belt, delivers her lines in embarrassingly hammy fashion. Having seen all six episodes, I can also warn you that the set-up is far better than the pay-off. The main reason to keep watching is De Niro, whose star power drives the show. Enjoy watching a master at work, even if he looks as if he could do this stuff in his sleep.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph

“Across its six episodes, Zero Day encompasses an array of timely themes. Indeed, at times the show’s resemblance to real life is almost too on the nose: Mullen is a Bidenesque ex-president who stepped back from a potential second term in office, who has never quite recovered from the loss of his child and who may be in the early stages of dementia. Then there’s a hedge fund manager and a tech billionaire, scary Russians and nerdy hackers. Zero Day takes all these, shoves them in a bag, has a rummage around and offers us the jumble that emerges.”
Marianne Levy, The i

“Amandaland isn’t just wickedly funny. It’s a perfect defence against being ripped off by romance scammers and Artificial Intelligence bots. Dr Mairi Macleod, writing in the Mail’s Inspire section on Monday, offered this tip to anyone who suspects messages from their online date might actually be generated by an AI programme such as ChatGPT: ‘Ask them about Amandaland.’ ‘If he is UK-based and is genuine, he should be able to answer,’ she advises. The show, a spin-off from Motherland starring Lucy Punch and Joanna Lumley, has become unmissable in the space of a couple of weeks. Anyone who hasn’t heard of it probably doesn’t live here, no matter what they claim. And only a robot could reply, ‘I’ve seen it but didn’t think it was amusing.’”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“As Reacher shatters noses, snaps legs and delivers laconic one-liners, this is TV as muscular as its protagonist’s oak-like arms. It’s ultraviolent and unrepentantly macho but laced with enough wit to keep it the right side of silly. That’s where Reacher has the edge on “Dad TV” rivals such as The Terminal List or The Night Agent, which take themselves terribly seriously. Reacher has his tongue firmly lodged in his cheek and delivers rollicking entertainment with a knowing wink.”
Michael Hogan, Telegraph