Review of the Year 2015

Channel 4 got the drama success it has been craving all these years, when sci-fi hit Humans debuted on our screens. The scarily accurate drama took a look into an alternative reality and gave us a story of synths – robots that humans are buying to service their every need. The drama chronicled the race’s growing dependence on this new wave of technology, through the eyes of the normal Hawkins family.

 

While the science-fiction element was handled well and was the initial draw to this series, it was the storytelling and dynamics that kept it going until the season finale. It was interesting to see how the various elements of the story came together – the out-of-control prostitute synth who is prone to violence, the two guys looking for ‘Mia’ who happened to reside in the Hawkins household under another name. The human characters weren’t neglected either, with a tragic hit-and-run background for Laura Hawkins and the cheating ways of her husband Joe who decided to activate his synth’s adult settings. All this paves the way for an eagerly anticipated second series, due to hit our screens next year.

 

Once ‘just another’ detective series, this drama got seriously interesting when World War II ended.  With Foyle now working for an intelligence agency, the series got more into the world of spies and espionage, a move that would have made Ian Fleming proud, without departing from the key elements of the series. The final episode alone contained an attempted assassination, a traitor and a bomb while Sam, Foyle’s loyal companion dealt with a pregnancy in a more relatable plot.

 

The last episode of Downton Abbey more than redeemed an otherwise dull series. In one of the best episodes of the drama, we bore witness to Lady Mary’s meltdown as she lashed out at those she loved, and ruining her sister Edith’s engagement when she revealed that Marigold was Edith’s child. And yet we still couldn’t help but root for Mary to pull her act together. While some of us were hoping that she would get together with ex-chauffeur Branson (seriously Michelle Dockery and Allan Leech had fantastic chemistry that should have been mined), she settled for racing driver Henry who persisted until he got his girl. Now all we want for Christmas is for Edith to finally get some happiness, with former fiancée Bertie if possible.

 

OK so maybe the plots can get a little complicated and far-fetched at times but EastEnders is still miles ahead of the other soaps. With plot twists not broadcast before the episode, characters that aren’t all a misery-fest (how awesome is Bonnie Langford as Carmel?) and the resolution of one of the most talked-about murder mysteries ever, the soap delivered week after week and looks set for a strong 2016.

 

I had to go right back to the beginning of the year to find a suitable candidate for this. Miranda ended on New Year’s Day 2015 with the title character finally getting her act together and galloping to the church to marry Gary (no, really!). The slightly odd sitcom which could deliver big belly laughs with an envious ease is still missed from the schedules, with no obvious replacement as of yet. Maybe 2016 will herald a golden age of comedy. 

 

I’m not sure if I’ve just coined that genre but 2015 saw the rise of skills programmes such as the Great Pottery Throw down, Hair, and The Big Painting Challenge. But one programme outranks all of them. For a couple of months each year, the whole nation goes baking-crazy and this year was no exception. Millions watched as Nadiya Hussain won the competition in an episode which, believe it or not, is still the most-watched broadcast of the year at the time of writing! As reality shows, scripted and otherwise, seem to dominate the schedules, it’s great to see something a little classier and very British do so well.

 

It’s become a part of life now. Around the nation, cold Saturday evenings are being spent in warm houses enjoying the glitter-filled phenomenon that is Strictly. The competition has hardly changed that much over the years – there are the front-runners, the controversies, the dud but entertaining celebrity ‘dancers’, and Craig Revel-Horwood being evil but the series manages to stop just shy of formulaic, feeling fresh and new every week.

 

I’m ceding to popular opinion here since this show is still on my To Watch list but according to reliable sources (my friends), it’s the best thing ever to have aired anywhere since the dawn of television or radio for that matter. While I’m not sure it’s that good, it’s worth mentioning that it was one of the most (legally) streamed programmes of the year, with three series under its belt and a fourth eagerly anticipated.

 

Whilst myself and the TV adaptation of the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series have had our disagreements this year, it’s still a spectacular piece of drama, featuring strands of characters miles and even continents away from each other, battling different scenarios and yet still inter-connected. The fantasy series has everything we could desire – a teenaged queen with dragons being awesome, the continued battle for the Iron Throne and a warrior leading the defence of a kingdom from all manners of supernatural creatures and wildlings before being killed off in one of the most shocking moments of the year (except he is Not Dead, mmkay?). The next series is back next year which is more than the book readers can hope for.

 

Admittedly Doctor Who had some great stand-alone episodes this year – the second-to-last episode in which Peter Capaldi gave a mostly solo performance was fantastically compelling – but overall this series just didn’t deliver. The opening episode went from a great adventure in which the planes had stopped to the Doctor giving a rock concert in medieval Essex and sadly that seemed to be the theme in this series. The two-parters didn’t help either – most of us were longing for the good old-fashioned 45 minute adventures. Let’s hope Doctor Who remembers its roots and becomes a bit more light-hearted next year. Peter Capaldi is more than capable of doing drama and comedy after all.

 I have no idea what ITV were trying to go for but Stars in their Eyes was a classic show that didn’t deserve to be messed with. It was a career low for Harry Hill and left some viewers wondering whether it was supposed to be a satirical commentary on entertainment series. Sadly they were probably over-thinking and the series was swiftly axed. Somewhere Matthew Kelly is weeping.

 

OK I’m cheating; it didn’t take place on TV. Who cares? Jeremy Clarkson still lost it and thought it would be a great idea to punch a producer over food. The BBC decided to sack him. Members of the general public bizarrely thought this was wrong and started a petition to reinstate him. Months later, Clarkson and his co-hosts are due to start a new Top Gear-like show on Amazon Prime while the BBC prepare to relaunch the actual Top Gear with Chris Evans as host. At least it was entertaining to watch unfold on Twitter, if nothing else.

 

 

I’m aware I’ve left lots out but do I really need to expand on the fact that Katie Hopkins would have won the Worst Person category and Kit Harington would have been a shoo-in for Dreamiest Person Ever? Of course not, you’re all smart enough to work it out for yourselves. There are things I probably should have mentioned; Poldark was noticeably absent for example, but when it came to entertainment, this year was just that good! 2016 has a lot to live up to, but with epic dramas such as Sherlock and War and Peace airing next month alone, and the returns of some of our favourite shows, it looks like we’re in for an even better year, full of entertainment, drama and amusing fails. I feel exhausted just thinking about it!