Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks review the sheer number of pornographic drawings is a big shock

"The hook for Turner: the Secret Sketchbooks is meant to be that many of the 37,000 sketches left behind by the great British painter JMW Turner have rarely been seen and never been filmed; therein may be hints at the nuances of his elusive character that his main oeuvre kept hidden. Equally remarkable, though, is the documentary's bold choice of contributors. As well as the art historians and present-day British artists who would dominate a standard art film, there are famous laymen, from the obviously somewhat qualified Timothy Spall played the artist in Mike Leigh's biographical film Mr Turner; Chris Packham is well placed to comment on Turner's reverence for the natural world to the more surprising hire of Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones."

"Having been brought up adjacent to the most vivid realities of adult life in the centre of Georgian London, Turner suffers a devastating bereavement at the age of eight when his younger sister dies. His mother's mental illness, which eventually sees her confined to a nightmarish asylum where she perishes unvisited but surely not forgotten when Turner is still in his teens, is a second dark spot on the soul of a young man who soon displays signs of febrile genius. Turner's early sketches show him capturing buildings in obsessive detail, which leads to the programme's first headline-worthy statement: Packham, who is autistic himself, describes Turner as hyperfocused in a way that maybe speaks to his potential neurodiversity."

Thirty-seven thousand sketches by JMW Turner remain largely unseen and unfilmed, offering fresh insights into hidden aspects beyond his main oeuvre. Contributors include art historians, contemporary British artists and unexpected public figures such as Timothy Spall, Chris Packham and Ronnie Wood, which balances accessibility with analytical rigour. Turner's childhood losses and his mother's institutionalization informed a temperament that accompanied early signs of febrile genius. Early sketches demonstrate obsessive architectural detail. Observations about possible hyperfocus suggest potential neurodiversity. The material can attract newcomers to exhibitions while allowing established scholars to refine their understanding.

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