I think we're living in a little golden era of TV, particularly for fans of intelligent sci-fi, exciting fantasy and dramas with high-concept twists. Even better, many of them have crossed over into the mainstream, with everyone recognizing their strengths.
It's wonderful to see the types of shows I've always enjoyed being embraced by the masses and 2007 has been a particularly strong year -- with established shows refusing to let the quality slide (despite a few wobbles) and new shows hitting the ground running with intriguing concepts...
There were many TV shows that caught my eye and entertained me this year, but my heart is always captured by scripted drama. Below are 10 shows, that aired in the UK this year, and demanded my blogging commitment, loyalty, admiration and respect...
In ascending order...
10. Robin Hoodseason 2, BBC1
The first series was poor, but not irredeemable. The major flaws of Robin Hood were in its youthful casting of the outlaws, irritating anachronisms, cheerful panto violence, slothful storylines and repetitive action.
But, against expectation, series 2 has managed to fix some of the problems (but there was no major recasting, obviously). While it's still flawed, and nowhere near as gritty and complex as I'd like, Robin Hood is now good fun. The storylines are more cohesive, the plots feel fresher, and the tone is more willing to paint with darker colours.
Best Bit: At time of writing (and there's only 1 episode to go), I think the most successful moment in Robin Hood this year was when Marian's father died in Show Me The Money – which was both heartfelt, much darker than usual, and instigated the real blossoming of the Robin and Marian romance (which isn't usually a compelling aspect of the show.)
9. Dirtseason 1, Five US
This Courteney Cox vehicle was a surprisingly enjoyable watch, being slick and often naughty entertainment. I never expected to like it, but thanks to Cox's committed portrayal, Ian Hart's twitchy performance as ratty photo-journo Don, and a few eye-opening scenes of nakedness, violence and personal betrayals, Dirt became a little treasure on Monday evenings. But not one you'd easily admit to watching -- as it's the TV equivalent of a trashy magazine you protest about in polite company, but keep hidden in a drawer...
Best Bit: I could choose a rude bit involving Courteney Cox, but I'll try and refrain from something so obvious. Instead, Dirt really slapped me round the face when slimy publisher Brent Barrow (Jeffrey Nordling) was threatened with castration by two goons in his own home – one played by cheerful Wayne Brady from the US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?!
8. Prison Breakseason 2, Five
I never expected Prison Break to last one season, as the prison escape premise sounded too restrictive. So it was a surprise to see season 2 evolve into a sprawling Fugitive-style adventure, introducing William Fichtner as conflicted manhunter Agent Mahone. The second year became very slapdash after a confident start, but the series has always been able to keep things going at breakneck speed, and is seldom boring.
In many ways, Prison Break is actually a bad show, but it's so ruthless efficient and entertaining you can overlook the meandering subplots, dozy conspiracy, repetitive goings-on, and the fact half the characters just don't work outside of confinement. Even more surprising, season 3's setting in a lawless foreign jail has successfully extended the lifespan of the series once more... although surely a fourth year would be pushing it?
Best Bit: After being captured by the Feds mid-season, escapee brothers Michael (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) are being transported through a tunnel, and are allowed to escape by corrupt FBI Agent Mahone (only so he can kill them later), and find they have an unexpected ally in the shape of government hitman Kellerman…
7. Life On Marsseason 2, BBC1
The 70s cop drama with a sci-fi twist returned for its second and, disappointingly, final season. Contemporary cop Sam Tyler (John Simm) was still trapped in 1973, on the beat in Manchester with sexist dinosaur Gene Hunt (Philip Glennister) and trying desperately to get back to the present.
As with the first series, the mysteries themselves were never that taxing (the culprit tends to be the only guest star with a sizable role!), but it certainly ramped up the time-travel/coma mythology, and generally had more fun with its premise. The final episode was very fitting, albeit totally illogical… but that's another debate. We eagerly await Hunt's return in 80s-set spin-off Ashes To Ashes… and brace ourselves for the American remake, with Irish Star Trek actor Colm Meany as their version of Hunt…
Best Bit: I can nit-pick it to death, but the finale's reveal about exactly what happened to Sam after his car crash was still compelling and emotionally done. Great use of the Bowie track "Life On Mars" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", too.
6. Battlestar Galacticaseason 3, Sky One
Season 3 was the show's weakest year, but that only goes to show how brilliant this revamp of the cheesy 70s sci-fi original is. The new series opened with a run of episodes that had obvious parallels to post-911 events in Iraq, with hints of WWII's French Resistance, as the human residents of New Caprica become enslaved by occupying Cylons.
From there, Battlestar Galactica built its mythology towards a pivotal moment in an ancient temple that pointed the way to Earth, before unfortunately hitting a bad run of standalone Cylon-less episodes. Fortunately, the courtroom drama finale was well-executed and left fans with some jaw-dropping reveals. Whether these brave twists will be the series' undoing, only time will tell...
Best Bit: The show has always had fantastic visual effects to hand, but they never take precedence over plot and character. However, I don’t think anyone will forget the exciting, unpredictable moment when the Galactica jumped into the atmosphere of New Caprica to launch a rescue mission. Big screen spectacle on your TV!
5. JekyllBBC1
Steven Moffat, the celebrated Doctor Who writer, was handed his own six-part series by the BBC, and chose to update classic Victorian horror Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. James Nesbitt took the dual role in this imaginative quasi-sequel, performing the part with infectious enthusiasm and charisma.
This mini-series was one of 2007's weirdest shows, as it constantly teetered on the brink of silliness, lurching from tense horror and playful dumbness every 10 minutes. It was more schizophrenic than its protagonist/antagonist, but never boring. It may not make logical sense by its conclusion, but it was a brave and immensely enjoyable Saturday night treat for summer.
Best Bit: There are plenty of moments to savour, and even chuckle at, but I think the show really surprised in the sequences when Hyde realizes Jekyll has gone and the empty space in his head fills with previously unobtainable memories…
4. Doctor Whoseason 3, BBC1
It's now clear the revamp of the series in 2005 has worked a treat, as Doctor Who moved further away from farting aliens and into more grown-up stories. Series 3 took its time to get going, after introducing new companion Martha (Freema Agyeman, immediately consigning Billie Piper to history), but once that second-rate Dalek story concluded, things really got interesting...
Bizarrely, series 3's excellent second-half barely features The Doctor per se -- as he was transformed into a human for the superb Human Nature story, reduced to a cameo in the extraordinary Blink, and aged into a cripple for much of the finale! And, despite the last episode being a damp squib in some respects, the beautifully haunting reveal of nemesis The Master was a TV highlight of the year...
Best Bit: Yes... for pure spine-tingling brilliance, you can't beat the breathlessly-edited sequence when kindly Professor Yana (a superb Derek Jacobi) is transfixed by his fob watch, opens it, and is transformed into The Doctor's sinister nemesis: The Master!
3. Dexterseason 1, The FX Channel
One of the best new shows, Dexter is a slick mix of gruesome procedural and high-concept pulp, as an affable Miami forensics expert moonlights as a serial-killer. The central performance by Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) is chiefly responsible for the shows success, as he manages to make Dexter into an engaging anti-hero, who you worryingly begin to really care about...
Indeed, the show's moral grey area is the most appealing aspect of the show, as audiences are made to like a cold-blooded killer purely because he at least only targets criminals and was trained by a legendary lawman.
It's patently absurd on many levels, but the sheer vigour of its storytelling, inherent tensions, and overarching mysteries, neatly off-set initial misgivings. By the time the final batch of episodes arrive, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more compelling TV show. And season 2 is even better in most respects...
Best Bit: Undeniably the moment the Ice Truck Killer's identity is revealed in a slow pan… causing a few gasps.
2. Heroesseason 1, Sci-Fi Channel/BBC2
Undoubtedly the year's most talked-about show, Heroes was also one of the most consistently entertaining. This tale of ordinary people discovering they have superpowers, and slowly coming together to thwart a nuclear bomb in New York, was the dictionary definition of must-see TV. It has a very engaging cast, frothy pace, exciting premise, great production values, and a keen sense of fun.
Of course, it helped enormously that everything about it was new and there was a lot of ground to explore (past, present and future). Unfortunately, season 2 has proved Heroes isn't quite so strong now we're acclimatized to its style and have a handle on all the characters' lives – with the surprises and sense of adventure being mostly absent. But... that first season was magic; even with the duff ending.
Best Bit: The show was very adept at providing jaw-dropping cliffhangers, but I'll always love the moment teleporter Hiro (Masi Oka) realizes he's actually in a future New York… just as a nuclear bomb destroys the city.
1. Lostseason 3, Sky One
After a disappointing six-episode "mini-season" in late-06, Lost fought off growing criticism to produce arguably its most consistent run of episodes since season 1. We learned more about the mysterious Others, met new characters, witnessed the downfall of DHARMA, got a shadowy glimpse of the enigmatic "Jacob", and then the rug-pulling finale set in motion the beginnings of a rescue...
Lost is still the most dense, intelligent and entertaining genre show TV has produced in years, and shows no sign of running out of ideas. It's had a few upsets along the way (with some people abandoning it for being "too slow" – whatever), and the flashbacks are becoming more redundant, but the masterful writers never lose control and make repairs whenever necessary.
The core audience hated two new characters, who were subsequently killed off in one of the season's better episodes; and one that explained their assumed "pointlessness" as something more interesting. That's the way to do it!
Lost is a superb mystery show, with each episode like a beautiful piece of a jigsaw. You may have to put each piece to one side for now... but you know they'll fit together later, now the bigger picture is slowly emerging...
Best Bit: There are dozens to choose from in the second half of season 3, but I particularly liked the creepy reveal of ghostly Others leader Jacob, after Ben leads Locke to that abandoned cabin in the jungle…
