Primeval
You don’t need to be Darwin to unravel the evolution of Primeval, ITV 1’s new £6m rival to Doctor Who. It might look modern – its theme music and moody flashlights are genetic traces of Torchwood and the X-Files – but secretly it is a throwback to a golden age when sci-fi meant thigh-length boots and monsters made out of green-painted bubble wrap.
However, the presence of Douglas Henshall, as hero Professor Nick Cutter, instantly gives this a touch of class. Cutter is an expert in evolutionary biology, but more importantly for this kind of a show, he gets to look handsomely troubled in a nicely-cut coat as he mourns the disappearance of his wife eight years earlier.
The sighting of the monster in the forest of Dean sees Cutter and his assistant (James Murray) rush of to investigate, falling in with his motley crew of students, Home Office officials and zookeepers who are destined to provide the pansexual tension necessary for fans to blossom. Taking in time-travel, dinosaurs and government conspiracies, it is widely entertaining – even if some special effects look prehistoric. Still, thanks to Henshall, and a daft internal logic, Primeval is a Jurassic lark.
Victoria Segal - The Sunday Times