That Drifting Excrement Was Far Too Meaningful! These Are the TV Disappointments of the Year.
Looking back, we reflect on the television landscape of the recent year, a selection of shows emerge not for their excellence, but for their notable failures. From awkward spin-offs to bafflingly bad documentaries, here are the productions that left us utterly bewildered or simply reaching for the remote.
And Just Like That
Where to begin with this love/hate follow-up? Plagued with woeful writing, painful character development (we demand better for Miranda!), and a mere 71 seconds of fan-favourite Samantha, the series fought to find its footing. For a moment, as the third series started, it seemed as if it had at last found its groove. Then arrived an installment all about Seema’s natural deodorant. Little surprise the showrunner announced this would be the final season. It ended on a low point; the closeup of Miranda’s toilet full of poo was simply too on-the-nose. Still, fans certainly found joy picking apart every single “wtf?” episode. And as Carrie – once again single – twirled around her sprawling townhouse to Barry White, who couldn't release a little sob?
All’s Fair
‘Can Kim Kardashian act? Of course she can’t.’
But that was practically the smallest of this drama's issues. The subject of a exceedingly uncommon zero star assessment, it was difficult to know where to begin listing the problems. The hilariously leaden writing? The tedious veneration of wealth and materialism? The seemingly wilful procession of cliches? Performances so bad they felt borderline spiteful? Let’s just say “all of the above” and never speak of this show again. However, a second season has been ordered, so we’re probably going to have to.
AKA Charlie Sheen
Given the restraining orders, abuse claims and fatherly shortcomings, it’s reasonable to say Charlie Sheen has been a bad boy. Not that you’d truly have gleaned it from this three-part docuseries which smirked its way at Sheen’s various episodes of self-destructive excess while struggling to tell us anything we didn’t already know. Instead, it felt as if this loose cannon was being indulged, so any pity this show might induce should be saved for the people who have had to endure close contact with this charismatic but flippant egotist.
The Supercomputer Drama
Of course we knew it was ridiculous from the outset: a thriller about a AI known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either solve global crises – or annihilate all of humanity. We persevered out of pure love for its leads … but by the end, it felt like even they had stopped bothering. One barely reacted when his character died, and the other ultimately hacking Charlie with an axe … in painfully slow-motion. Talk about admitting defeat.
The Gangster Drama
Dodgy characters convening in empty boxing gyms? A certain band's Firestarter blaring in club scenes? The late 90s called and wants its gangland drama back.
Actually, that is harsh on the crime shows of the late 90s. Many look a bit dated now, but at least they didn’t endure the ignominy of having to accommodate unconvincing accents. But there were many other problems. Primarily that it was just really boring; a conflict over narcotics territory between various London rogues which felt a bit basic.
With Love, Meghan
Considering the degree to which she provokes the ire of certain ostentatiously angry commentators, it’s almost tempting to applaud the Duchess of Sussex’s televised ventures into quaint homemaking as intentional provocations. But then you view them and are forced to concede that actually, they may have a point. It’s like watching a homeware magazine come to life; a meme for wine o’clock with ideas of grandeur; a procession of sleeping dogs, humming beehives, Hallmark platitudes and pointless crafting “hacks” you’ll forget instantly. All supported by vast, mostly unearned wealth. Ugh.
The Beckham Documentary
There are clearly interesting things to be said about regarding Victoria Beckham and her struggles with career, self-image, self-acceptance. But for whatever reason, this documentary series chose not to explore them. Instead, the viewing was like consuming a marketing brochure. She obviously has every right to resent what she describes as her “stern” image. But sadly, she failed to do herself any favours with this guarded letdown of a series.
The Inheritance
It should have been the next cultural phenomenon – except even more extravagant, with a glamorous star playing dead and a well-known personality overseeing her estate. What more could you ask for? As contestants battled it out, there was plenty of betrayal and arguing. But the rules quickly became bewildering: it’s still too confusing to explain what precisely was happening. Even more disappointingly, we only saw brief appearances of the star via filmed videos. The series ended up smelling of a production that was straining desperately to emulate something far greater than it.
The Lena Dunham Romcom
How do you follow a show that captured a generation? The expectation was enormous for this starry romcom about Jessica, a rosy-eyed New Yorker who arrives in London with a shattered romance. The star took her biggest role by the horns and was a delight to watch, reveling in Jane Austen levels of romantic notions. But it was all very glossy and, paradoxically, was insufficient. Plus, the sheer amount of famous cameos involved felt uncomfortable.
Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping
Not good enough to be ‘patchy’.
Given the smart recruitment of gifted emerging comics, hopes were high. But sadly, most of it fell flat. A recurring sketch was a single joke milked to a husk but recurring in every episode. One star seemed too willing to slip into a familiar irate mode. The writing room sketches, in contrast, simply inspired the idea that they should probably have remained in there a while longer.
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
This retelling of the story of Amanda Knox was executive produced by Amanda Knox and pretty much exclusively showcased the perspective of Amanda Knox. So, while there probably is an compelling drama to be made about the tragic 2007 murder, this isn’t it. The material needed to be treated with care. Instead, the series laboured awkwardly to find the right voice, lumbering from strangely breezy, somewhat stylised farce to ultimately, real-life horror. Twisted? Arguably. A complete mess? Absolutely.
Prime Target
We love the lead actor … but did we buy him playing the greatest maths genius in history, a man so smart he’s on the brink of a breakthrough that could ruin society? No! This international thriller about government agencies spying on – and killing off – intellectuals frankly got more farcical by the second. Formulaic nonsense.
1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story
This uncritical portrait followed the content creator notorious for explicit exploits as she prepared for her biggest feat yet. What on earth would motivate her? What we wanted was far greater examination of her true psychology, plus those of the men in the line. They could at least have interviewed the now-famous mum who showed up to drag her son out of the queue. What we got was disturbing imagery and zero critical analysis of her infamy whatsoever. And to think, the documentary-maker has a teenage daughter too.
