2006 TV
Just a top ten for this one. I didn’t give myself enough time to do this, ultimately. I hadn’t realised how much stuff I’d watched this year, there’s like 60 separate shows in the master list I’ve been working on over the past month or so, just yanking titles out of my memory, and I just know there’s other things, possibly even great things, I’m forgetting. I’ll keep a better log next year. I didn’t factor in how drunk I get on New Year’s Eve, among other things. But this is what I have at the time of posting. It’s probably pretty close to my true feelings. But “Jam and Jerusalem” really is the best thing I’ve seen all year, possibly better even than that. I’m just vaguely thinking about the show and I get a lump in my throat about how beautiful a picture Jennifer Saunders painted with her words and characters.
Oh yes, and I admit, I just realised, I’m quite the BBC whore, lol.
Jam and Jerusalem – as I said just now, just beautiful. I watched the whole thing with a homely grin on my face and on the verge of tears; even the Christmas special which was well within its rights to be cheesy turned out beautiful, if only for the moment it made me miss terribly a character we never even met in the series. Jennifer Saunders would’ve been a genius in my eyes if she’d only done Ab Fab … this is a whole new world, and I love it.
The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard – Jane Horrocks literally at her best, excelling even herself, inspiring, thought-provoking, and the ending actually changed my outlook on a lot of things.
afterlife – series 2 – I did worry about this one because I felt the first series was quite perfectly self-contained, and when Robert got the tumor I seriously could’ve switched off if my mood had been bad – so many shows have been ruined by that plot turn – but the last couple of episodes of this series, in fact the penultimate one was one of the most brilliantly written things I’ve seen in years, had me bauling my eyes out. Bring on the 3rd series, I really trust these guys to make gold out of lead now.
Time Trumpet – dark comedy in the Chris Morris mould. Just genius, if only for the Tesco wars skit. In fact, this one bears uploading, but luckily someone else put it on YouTube, ‘cos I’m too lazy to help you.
Extras – series 2 – just brilliant. More emotional, bigger stars, and I think the greatest praise to give it is to comment on how much Stephen Merchant outshone Ricky Gervais and Ashley Jensen. Merchant is probably responsible for more of my semi-fatal laughs this year than any other individual. He’s a comedy god.
Torchwood – what I love most about this show, and I keep telling people whether they want to know or not, is how free it feels. The stories are all over the place, and yes they sometimes suck badly. But it really feels like these guys are feeling their way around, finding out what works, finding what’s new, what’s good, what’s bad, like starting from the beginning again. With so many shows settling dismally into the reliable, this one is much needed. And when it’s good, it freakin’ awesome.
Doctor Who – if I watched this again right now I’m sure it’d be number one in this list, so I apologise, but it feels like too long ago now for me to make further comment other than including in the list where I’m sure it belongs.
That Mitchell and Webb Look – cracked me up continuously. “Hans … are we the bad guys?” “Oh and that’s a bad miss.” “And now he’s dead from too much electric!!!” This possibly matched my own personal sense of humour better than anything I’ve ever seen.
Countdown – I’m probably banishing better stuff from my list with this, but y’know, I have watched this show almost religiously this year, and I thought Desmond Lynam was a terrific replacement for Richard Whiteley and some people have been terrifically mean about him. If I’m the only person counting this in their favourite TV shows of the year, I still feel like I’m not doing enough. But it’s all I can do. I’ll watch one of Des O’Connor’s shows, but if I stick around as a fan it will only be because Susie Dent is so gorgeous.
Saxondale – it’s Steve Coogan, for heck’s sake, with character I personally found just as brilliant as Alan Partridge. I don’t know how this one came and went so invisibly. Its only fault was that it wasn’t on for long enough.
Honorable mentions – lots of them, mainly I don’t feel right including them in a top ten because they were one offs, and I know I might not ever watch them again and I don’t see myself actively seeking them out for a repeat viewing despite how perfect they were at the time – “How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria?”, for better or worse, the most innocent reality show of the year; “Time Team’s Big Royal Dig”, I spent, what, 12 hours, 24 hours? watching this and it was the laziest, most perfect Summer Bank Holiday weekend ever, I loved it, even though they found shit lol; “Manchester Passion” – I really hope they show this again next year ‘cos this is one I really am dying to see again, I loved it; “Children’s Party at the Palace” – best children’s TV event I’ve seen since I was a kid; “Children in Need” and “Royal Variety” – just for the “Wicked” and “Avenue Q” clips 
; “Derren Brown: Something Wicked This Way Comes” – watched this yesterday and it’s just genius, really caught me out, I wish I’d seen it live, but I’d be scared if I caught the monkey, lol.
And that’s all!