James Walton

Another drama about how women are great and men are rubbish: C4’s Philharmonia reviewed

Plus: remarkable stories of foundlings searching for their origins, and finding them

This is a woman who should certainly be watched — in more ways than one: Marie-Sophie Ferdane as Hélène Barizet in Channel 4's Philharmonia 
issue 06 June 2020

On the face of it, a French-language drama about a Parisian symphony orchestra mightn’t sound like the most action-packed of TV watches. In fact, though, Philharmonia (Sundays) is pretty much Dallas with violins.

The first episode began with the eponymous orchestra blasting out a spot of what Shazam assured me was Dvorak, before its elderly conductor dropped his baton and collapsed to the floor, never to rise again.

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