2015 gave us a bumper crop of top telly treats. In looking back over the past year, I’ve tried to eschew the obvious blockbusters in favour of a few lesser-known and perhaps lesser-seen TV titles. So here is my Top 10 TV Series Of 2015, in no particular order.
1) LIP SYNC BATTLE (Spike TV)
The premise is deceptively simple, hugely entertaining, and one that I wish I’d thought of: but Stephen Merchant, John Krasinski and his other half Emily Blunt got there first, coming up with the concept during the downtime inbetween filming. For those of you new to the show, it goes something like this: Two US celebrities (usually A-listers) compete against each other to mime along to the biggest songs in town. Round 1 is the solo round; round 2 features a carefully choreographed dance-routine and costumes galore. LL Cool J presides over the show, ably abetted by his ‘colourful commentator,’ supermodel Chrissy Tiegen. The audience decides who wins and who doesn’t.
Now the UK is getting its very own version of LIP SYNC BATTLE, and it premieres on Channel 5 on Friday January 8th. Mel B will be your host, assisted by Professor Green; and we’ll be able to see if Britain’s Got (a) Talent for miming, when David Walliams takes on Alesha Dixon on the very 1st show.
2) THE JAVONE PRINCE SHOW (BBC 2)
You probably recognise Javone Prince’s face, if not his name, from Channel 4’s under-rated PHONE SHOP, in which Prince played smooth-talking mobile phone salesman, Jerwayne. His self-titled show mixed stand up with sketches; and like a lot of sketch shows, it was sometimes ‘hit and miss,’ but I’d say this series had more ‘hits’ than ‘misses.’ Made In Peckham, in particular, was a stand-out spoof of MADE IN CHELSEA – and I think it deserves its own spin-off show.
The BBC didn’t seem to have a great deal of faith in Prince, however, only commissioning 4 episodes for the series, rather than the usual 6. Let’s hope that he’ll be granted a longer stay when he hopefully returns to our screens in the near future.
3) STEPHEN FRY IN CENTRAL AMERICA (ITV)
Stephen Fry proves himself to be a very congenial travelling companion, in the same vein as globe-trotting Michael Palin, as he invited us to join him on his travels around Central America. For safety reasons, Fry had to board an innocuous old school-bus to undertake his journey, showing that amidst the natural beauty of his destinations, danger was never too far away.
Erudite, entertaining and, above all, enthusiastic, Fry’s attempts to immerse himself in Central American culture were amusing and often moving. My highlights were when he met, along the way, real-life manatees, tapirs and the biggest turtle I have ever seen. Fry’s new-found lust for life was infectious and I’d happily travel with him again, from the comfort of my own armchair.
4) HUGH’S WAR ON WASTE (BBC 1)
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall waged war on food waste, targeting food producers, retailers and even us consumers, to try to curb the astonishing amount of perfectly edible food that is just thrown away every minute of every day. Hugh’s passion and perseverance shone through, as he tried to reason with slippery retailers who blamed the mountains of food-waste on their shoppers’ quest for perfect fruit and veg. After a prolonged and awkward confrontation, this particular pair of retailers admitted that shoppers hadn’t actually asked for such perfection; and that a pilot scheme, where mis-shapen veg was sold side by side with more aesthetically-pleasing specimens, had not been allowed to run long enough to yield notable results.
Hugh didn’t stop at food-waste, however – he also tackled the obscene amount of clothing items that are regularly thrown away, rather than being donated or recycled. This was TV with a conscience and the outcome was very thought-provoking.
5) DANNY AND THE HUMAN ZOO (BBC)
In the same year that Lenny Henry received a Knighthood, the BBC paid their own tribute to the hard-working comedian, in a fictionalised account of his childhood growing up in a working-class Jamaican family in 1970’s Dudley. The lead character of Danny Fearon was played by newcomer Kascion Franklin, and his ability to mimic Henry’s uncanny impressions of Frank Spencer and Tommy Cooper was outstanding.
This one-off feature length drama followed Danny from his triumph in a local talent contest, to him being a regular fixture on the comedy circuit. A booking with the controversial Black and White Minstrel Show betrayed the sadness behind the laughter that Danny evoked. Henry himself popped up as Danny’s emotionally distant dad Samson, in a drama with first-rate acting. I think an acting BAFTA should be winging its way to Franklin as we speak.
6) CHEWING GUM (E4)
CHEWING GUM was rude, raucous and often really funny. Created and written by Michaela Coel, adapted from her award-winning play CHEWING GUM DREAMS, Coel played protagonist Tracey – a naïve, religious twenty-something desperately trying to find her way in the world.
What set the series apart from other sitcoms aired around the same time, was CHEWING GUM’s overwhelming desire to push back the boundaries of what could be said and shown on the small screen. It was NSFW or for parents, either.
7) JEKYLL AND HYDE (ITV)
It looked like ITV hoped to give the BBC a run for its money, by broadcasting its own Sunday night series that would appeal to fans of Doctor Who. Created and written by THE FAST SHOW’s Charlie Higson, the series took the premise of mild-mannered Dr Jekyll and his outrageous alter-ego Mr Hyde as a starting point, and then added monsters – lots of monsters.
Ofcom received 459 complaints about JEKYLL AND HYDE’s opening episode, centred upon the graphic violence not being conducive to family-viewing in its tea-time slot. Sometimes the dialogue and acting were a little stilted, but what stood out for me was the star turn by lead actor Tom Bateman. I thought Bateman was a revelation, swapping with ease between his two personalities, to the extent that I have been busy championing him as a potential new James Bond. He’s got the looks, he pulled off his fight scenes convincingly – what more can we ask for?
8) JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR NORRELL (BBC1)
The BBC gave us an epic adaptation of JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR NORRELL, based on Susanna Clarke’s best-selling novel of the same name. Set in England during the Napoleonic Wars, the series transported us to an alternate history where magic was respected and feared, but rarely practised. Jonathan Strange is convinced by street magician Vinculus (Paul Kaye) that he is destined to become a legendary maestro of magic; and so Strange begins his tutelage under the experienced eye of Eddie Marsan’s reticent Mr Norrell.
The pace was slow to begin with, and as time went by, the plot bore more and more similarities to the seminal David-Bowie-In-Tights-vehicle LABYRINTH (1986.) What held the series together, however, along with the impressive special effects, was Bertie Carvel’s commanding performance as Strange, starting as a bland Everyman, and finishing as a raving megalomaniac.
9) THE X FACTOR (ITV)
After years of giving the X FACTOR a wide berth, due to the sameness of the styling and song selections, I decided to give the series another shot. Intrigued by the new additions to the line up, I was lucky enough to win tickets to one of the Auditions round and gained an insiders view of what went on. On the day, Simon Cowell kept his audience waiting for hours before he showed up, meaning that the filming of the show over-run by hours too.
Initially reluctant of Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora’s recruitment, I quickly warmed to the new judges. But two people in particular made this series of THE X FACTOR. No, not new hosts Caroline Flack and Olly Murs, but none other than runner-ups Reggie N’ Bollie. At first it looked like the energetic duo would occupy the contest’s ‘novelty’ slot – but over the weeks that followed, Reggie N’ Bollie became a credible act that turned the ‘feel good factor’ up to 11. While they weren’t the best singers in the competition, their boundless joy and heartfelt sincerity made them very special indeed.
10) LUTHER (BBC1)
The long wait for LUTHER fans was over last year, when Idris Elba returned to our screens as maverick detective, John Luther. Luther came out of early, enforced retirement (and hiding) to investigate the many murders of cannibalistic killer Steven Rose (Jonathan Strange’s John Heffernan on very fine and unsettling form.)
This was scare-tastic viewing at its best, and was best watched with the lights on. Fridges will never look the same again. Long live Luther, and Idris Elba – the King of Cool.
