Jamie Hough

This show is really poor, I dont know why I sat through the whole thing. It's built entirely on forced narratives, over the top drama and exudes a sort of fakeness. I dont know why penguins have to be celebrities now - its like The Only Way is Essex Penguin Edition and its dreadful. I can only assume those giving it good reviews are under the age of 15 or are simpletons (sorry). The cinemtagoraphy isnt anything to write home about either as the focus is entirely on creating these fake penguin 'characters'. Also look out for the penguin theyre talking about changing between shots - their markings change indicating that they have edited together different birds in differnet locations to try and create some drama. Its like the American version of Kitchen Nightmares where theyve edited it to create a false narrative - whereas that show has breaks in such underhanded creative tactics, Penguin Town is built entirely on it. The music is also terrible - its that cheap American style of fake orchestra swells and out of place 'stabs' to try and convince you something life-chainging is happening, with the occasional corny emotional song. Avoid.

Its really, really boring. Not just because its slow (which it most definitely is), but because there is seemingly no plot, nor point to the 'story' being told here. It doesnt work as a piece of historical cinema or an emotional drama - it pains me to say it as I'm a sucker for historical films even when theyre 'off' but this one is really poor.

It starts off ok, but quickly falls into a repetitive female fantasy of having a super-husband. Its not horrendous and certianly doesnt blast you over the head with an agenda or anything (like so many shows these days do), but the quality falls off a cliff after the 2nd/3rd episode - it feels like something happened in the writing room as the tone shifts and the story becomes less interesting. Worth a punt for lighthearted afternoon filler, but not particularly groundbreaking.

Really peculiar adaptation. Clumsy social justice messages intertwined into a boring love story with practically nothing in common with the source material. I’ve no idea what the writers were thinking, or how the bbc commissioned this.