First-rate. ... Powley renders Gies an endearingly flawed and emotional volatile heroine. [8 - 21 May 2023, p.6]

A Small Light is an extraordinary story about a historic figure people don’t know a lot about, with a compelling lead performance from Powley.

A glossy but moving tale of resistance and courage, and the risks everyday people take just to hold on to their humanity. ... But the clear highlight of an already-stellar cast (which also includes Noah Taylor and Andy Nyman as fellow Annex residents) is Schreiber, whose Otto is the pillar upon which the show truly rests.

At eight episodes, A Small Light is far too long, but via Gies’s story it succeeds as an evocative retelling of an oft-documented tragedy.

There are no happy endings when it comes to Hitler and the Jews. But as a homage to those who tried to make a difference when the lights went out, Disney’s take on the Holocaust shines brightly and bravely.

Mostly, though, come for the inspiring reminder that heroism comes in many forms and that it’s measured in doing what’s right and doing what you can, not only in scale; stay for Powley and the ensemble.

The look of the series is so typically period drama that the contemporary flourishes are likely to be more of a confusion and a distraction than a draw. However, it's still a emotionally weighty series with some impressive central performances, a truly incredibly real-life story to tell and an interesting, if not 100 per cent successful, approach to doing so.