The Guardian critic Sam Wollaston loves some swashbuckling adventure on a Sunday evening and was left impressed and in a recommending mood after watching the first instalment of the BBC's new series. Noting that the show doesn't take itself too seriously, Wollaston praises the off-hand approach to the series and calls the whole thing a lot of fun. He writes, "will appeal to teenagers dreaming of adventure and love, of being swept off their feet by handsome men in leather or rescuing hot French babes... As well as new romantics, One Directioners maybe, fortysomething television critics etc."

The Musketeers group
Competition for Sherlock?

This view isn't shared by The Daily Mail's Jim Shelley however, who found the whole idea of a medieval adventure series that doesn't take itself seriously all too confusing. Calling it a "farce firing blanks," the critic for the Mail added that the final product "resembled a cross between Blackadder, a homoerotic ad for Armani leather trousers and a pop promo by hairy rockers Kasabian."

Peter Capaldi loves to play the bad guy

For those aren't homophobes, unbothered by the idea of leather clothing and male bonding, then the appraisals from Metro and MSN UK may persuade you to watch the new series instead. Metro critic Simon Swift admitted that the show is "no Sherlock," but conceded that it still provides ample entertainment at the end of the week. Whilst MSN writer Dan Owen was a little less impressed, singling out the production set-up and the acting, particularly the goateed Capaldi, but ruing the plot and dialogue of the show. Then again, with this being the millionth rehash of Dumas' tales, it was always going to be a tad familiar.

The Musketeers airs Sundays on BBC 1.

Peter Capaldi
Peter Capaldi has been singled out for praise by most reviews