Friday, December 01, 2006

Top 5 Telly Of The Year

Since I've written about every other form of audio/visual entertainment I've experienced this year (those posts coming soon), I'd be remiss if I didn't even mention the good ol' telly! Plus, as I have no real life to speak of, TV has become a huge source of fun this year, even eclipsing films in terms of quality and anticipation. Here goes...


5: THAT MITCHELL & WEBB LOOK (BBC)
Stepping out from under their 'Peep Show' genius-stone, comedians David Mitchell & Robert Webb took centre stage in this sketch-ish show that, in my opinion, has completely refreshed mainstream skit programs. Subversive yet commercial, disturbing yet fun, this show struck the fine balance of recurring characters (Sir Digby Chicken Caesar), one-off satires (Hole In The Ring) and cult catchphrases ("That's Numberwang!") without ever coming across like a Little Britain cash-cow.


4: LOST (ABC)
Well, talk about a turn-up for the books! After a dull-as-dishwater last season where the creators were clearly treading water, and sorely lacking the input of J.J Abrams, this new series has rejuvenated itself and remembered why it was good in the first place - twisty shocking stories, daring ideas and actually answering some question as well as asking them. This is a new era for Lost, possibly even besting the stunning 1st season, as the flashbacks (once its calling card) are now the least interesting part of the show, making the brave and adventurous island story front and centre.


3: THE OFFICE (NBC)
Yes, the American one! Get over it! After a shaky but promising start 2 years ago, no show has completely reverse jumped-the-shark like this. Inventive, intelligent and edgy (yes, it's still American), this is now easily as funny, compelling and actually better in places than our beloved BBC series. In fact, this US version has outlasted the Brit version, with writing in the 3rd season being brilliant - some episodes from our own Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The cringes are there in spades thanks to a fantastic Steve Carrell, combining with the soap opera element and amazing supporting cast to make this the best sitcom on telly. So there.


2: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (SciFi Channel)
I'm tired of trying to defend this show to people who judge it on its title, so I won't even try. Just watch it! The darkest telly on the telly; political, spiritual and sharp as a fucking razor (not to mention top-notch FX), this has been the best season so far after taking a huge and brave gamble with the audience. Covering topics such as civil war, suicide bombings from the good guys, insurrection, and personal demons (courtesy of a fabulously loopy James Callis), Battlestar continues to set the standard for television drama. And even the critics love it, so you can too. I kid you not.


1: HEROES (NBC)
Wow! This one came completely out of left field. I only started watching this telly (new this year, still in its first season) because all my other telly was on a break, and I'd heard some net buzz about it, so thought I'd give it a whirl. And bloody hell, I was stunned, so much so that in 2 days I'd downloaded and watched 8 episodes of the fucker! And then I made copies for my friends. And bloody hell, they were stunned too, so much so that they'd caught up with me a day later.

Unfairly dubbed as X-Men the series, although this has nothing to do with that property at all, this show follows a group of strangers as they uncover special and maybe unnatural abilities (the indestructible cheerleader, the heroin junkie who can paint the future, the average cop who starts hearing the thoughts of others). But that's where the similarities end. These are real people coping, and struggling, with real lives and problems - being a single mother, working on a failing marriage, simply just trying to fit in - who find themselves forced to deal with unreal events. Solemn, gripping and actually quite beautiful, no telly has got me like this all year, and it richly deserves all the praise it's getting.

Save the cheerleader, save the world!

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