Critical Condition: Temple

Temple | SoHo, 8.30 Sunday

☆☆☆☆ “Even without the whiplash-inducing plot twist at the end of episode one, Temple, Sky One’s virtually indescribable new drama, was bona fide bonkers. Here was just another story of a doctor who’d set up a secret hospital deep beneath a working London Underground station after his scientist wife had died of a little-known disease that she hadn’t told him she had because she’d been working on a cure for it with a friend and colleague who – one could easily forget to mention – was having an affair with her husband. TV today is so predictable. Incredibly, though, Temple held together because it was shot through with several strands of tension.” — The Telegraph.

☆☆☆☆ “The whole thing is a lift from the Norwegian Valkyrien … Needless to say, this is all completely batshit … The tunnels all very much look like tunnels, so it doesn’t seem to be a very hygienic place to run a clinic, given the risk of rats, Tube engineers or, indeed, trains. Strong, though, is a very steady hand. No mere plot hole can defeat his stoical facial expressions.” — The Times.

☆☆☆☆ “Mark Strong plays a grieving surgeon who runs an illegal operating theatre under Temple station. It’s a nutty concept, and it’s to the credit of the cast — including Daniel Mays and Game of Thrones’ Claire Van Houten — that its as watchable as it is. And don’t miss the finale scene.” — Daily Mail.

☆☆☆☆ “This is one of those programmes where it’s best not to look too closely at the many absurdities of the premise. But a top-notch cast play it straight. The script (by playwright Mark O’Rowe) is tight and pacy. And director Luke Snellin creates a suitably surreal atmosphere from the landscape of tunnels, staircases and side doors that Tube travellers glimpse out of the corners of their eyes every day. Well worth a look if you like your medical drama full-on and a bit bonkers.” — iNews.

☆☆☆☆ “There are some neat production touches which give Temple something a little different, like fixed camera shots from the top of a battered van, smart contrasts between claustrophobic interiors and exhilarating outdoor wide shots, or the shards of macabre humour that illuminate the dialogue. Matthew Herbert’s superior background music is the black icing on the cake.” — The Arts Desk.