My Top 20 Shows of 2019

20: GameFace (Channel 4)

Roisin Conaghty returns for a second series as Marcella and while her character might be falling apart at the seams, Roisin herself has raised the game with this improvement on the first run. Marcella’s family are still weird, her love life is still a mess and to make matters worse her crap therapist has a crappy sidekick. It’s still quirky and potty mouthed, just more so. However, the ending might mean GameFace has reached its endgame.

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19: Taskmaster – Series 9 (Dave)

After an iffy eighth installment at the start of the year when the contestants didn’t seem to gel and the tasks weren’t up to scratch, Taskmaster came back firing on all cylinders. Everyone was brilliant. Ed Gamble’s competitiveness made up for Jo Brand’s lack of interest and David Baddiels general confusion. It was all brilliant and hopefully the move to Channel 4 won’t mess with a winning formula.

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18: Dead To Me (Netflix)

A farcical comedy with a dark heart. Jen has recently lost her husband in a tragic accident and soon meets Judy at a support group. Her world is about to be flipped over again as the two become close friends with a lack of trust as the unspoken third wheel in the relationship. Dead To Me is a sensitively played out story with plenty of laughs and emotional pathos.

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17: Catastrophe (Channel 4)

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s potentially final installment as a bickering, troubled couple offered plenty of the gross out moments and arguments we’ve come to love over the years but there was an even sharper edge this time round. We loved Sharon and Rob through some very questionable behaviour over he years nd that is a credit to the writers . Sharon and Rob. If this is goodbye then let’s at least end on good terms.

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16: Brexit: The Uncivil War (Channel 4)

A riveting take on a very British storm. In parts factual and in parts exaggerated, The Uncivil War was a comical spoof which summed up the ridiculousness of the whole thing. Let’s face it, facts aren’t important these days anyway. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Dominic Cummings, the man behind the madness as we see see his methods behind the political revolution. It’s a fun, engaging thrill ride which can’t be said of Brexit itself.

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15: Sex Education (Netflix)

A bright, bold tale of teenage sexuality told through the eyes of Otis who ends up giving advice to fellow students despite having no direct life experience himself. Sex, drugs, body image and bullying are just some of the topics handled in a direct and funny manner. It pulls no punches with the headstrong storytelling. The setting is actually the main thing that causes unease because its British students dressed as American students in a British school which looks like an American school. It’s very discombulating indeed.

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14: The End Of The F***ing World (Channel 4 / Netflix)

The teenage tearaways Alyssa and James don’t get things any easier when a woman named Bonnie who is set on revenge comes into their lives. Still artfully shot and masterfully told, the story surprises in the direction it takes. The End Of The F***ing World is lo-fi Tarrantino set in Britain and it’s still f***ING brilliant.

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13: Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix)

The gruesome foursome of Shiela, Joel, Abby and Eric continue their take on surreal suburbia. The show with all its gore and lunacy has impressed with every series. There’s not much new on the plate here but to stay urgent and hilarious despite that is credit to the performances from a pitch perfect cast. Netflix, like Sheila with her victims has cruelly cut Santa Clarita Diet off in its prime. We left things on a cliffhanger that could have taken the show to new realms. It’s sad to say goodbye.

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12: The Capture (BBC1)

Holiday Grainger plays D.I Rachel Carey who gets caught up in a world of make believe that takes her straight to the heart of conspiracy and law. Shaun Emery, a recently cleared British soldier is the man at the centre of it all and how can he prove his innocence when the evidence shows otherwise? The Capture is a thrilling emotional rollercoaster with twists that’ll mess with your head. There is style, substance and almost certainly a second series in the offing. When do we start?

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11: Year Of The Rabbit (Channel 4)

Think Ripper Street visiting Garth Merenghi’s Dark place hospital in Victorian times. Got it? Weird isn’t it? Matt Berry plays Inspector Rabbit and yes, he’s being very Matt Berry here but it suits the madness. Rabbit teams up with Mabel and Wilbur to solve crimes in ways only they can – badly. Quick-fire jokes, great visual gags and complete nonsense are the order of the day and it’s an absolute riot.

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10: Guilt (BBC Scotland)

Max and Jake are brothers for better or worse and in Guilt, mostly worse. Late one night they drunkenly kill an old man with their car and what follows is a tale of cover ups and repercussions. Through it all they meet Angie, an American with her own secrets. Guilt is a steadily paced farce that questions whether family is really stronger together.

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9: Dead Pixels (Channel 4)

Meet Meg a gamer who has a mind murkier than some of the darkest frogs of the internet and her curious gaming friends. They don’t want to live in the real world but their fantasy lives within the game blur into every aspect of their day to day. Dead Pixels is fun, rude and genuinely funny as fuck. Meg and Nicky are completely awful people but just like them we can’t keep our eyes from the screen. The mashup of in game play and standard settings is a visual treat.

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8: Giri / Haji (BBC2)

The English translation of the title is Duty / Shame. Kenzo is carrying out his duty, Yuko is his shame. Giri / Haji is set in Tokyo and London and the beautiful cinematography perfectly captures both cities. The direction throughout is crafted with an exception eye for detail. Kenzo is a detective sent to London to find his missing brother, who’s been involved with the Yakuza and accused of murder but the ramifications are the heart of the matter here. Giri / Haji is brooding, intelligent drama with plenty of revelations.

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7: Line Of Duty (BBC1)

Line Of Duty was almost back to its best after a disappointing fourth series. Steven Graham as the main antagonist was a big reason for this but throwing Ted Hastings in at the deep end was the real masterstroke, taking AC-12 into uncharted territory. Our little hearts couldn’t take Ted being corrupt and the way writer Jed Mercurio weaves in so much from the show’s history means the viewer can never relax. The levels of complex storytelling are unparalleled. This run was short on the long interrogation scenes, maybe as a way of not turning into a spoof of itself. The ninety minute finale was tense event telly at it’s very best. Is the strange ‘H’ reveal at the very end a double bluff?

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6: Ghosts (BBC1)

Horrible Histories goes ghastly ghouls on our asses and comedy is a better place as a result. There’s still that brand of humour from them we love but with a slightly more adult twist. Alison and Mike get the keys to a rundown country house but the dead inhabitants don’t taken kindly to their new housemates. They’re all larger than life characters but Lolly Adefope’s Kitty might be the standout. What follows is a madcap twist on the genre. Ghosts is odd, charming and already commissioned for two more series.

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5: Peaky Blinders (BBC1)

Peaky Blinders took a change in direction this year and it wasn’t to everyone’s taste. This was a study of Tommy’s personal demons. Read all my reviews of series five here and cast interviews here:

https://yekimmikey.wordpress.com/category/peaky-blinders-series-5/

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4: Brassic (Sky Atlantic)

From the mind of Joe Gilgun and starring the man himself, Brassic offers a working class way of life not often given airtime on television. Brassic is Vinnie’s fight against depression but told through the medium of stealing ponies, bum exposing wrestles snd getting stuck in sewers. His gang of friends, with Dylan his closest buddy pulling away from him, get themselves in all sorts of scrapes with diminishing returns. The opening monologue of episode one is a northern take on the famous ‘Choose Life’ diatribe in Trainspotting and sums up Brassic’s mantra from the off. Though however bizarre things may get Gilgun and fellow writer Danny Brocklehurst manage to keep it grounded. Crude and sincere in equal measure, series two follows in 2020.

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3: Pure (Channel 4)

Newcomer Charly Clive excels as Marnie, a 24 year old sufferer of ‘Pure O’, an extreme form of OCD that involves near constant violent, sexual and taboo thoughts. She runs off to London but can’t escape her own mind and Pure is the engrossing tale of her adjusting to her new life and getting to grips with her illness. There’s awkward thumbles, workplace terrors and difficult friendships aplenty but her brain is the biggest hurdle to overcome. Pure is a realistic, heartfelt and refreshingly honest work.

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2: Years And Years (BBC1)

Russell T. Davies covers fifteen years through the eyes of a family that sees a rapid, frightening shift of the world’s axis. Back near the start of the year it already felt like an uncomfortable watch as what should be sci-fi was almost mimicking our daily news. A few months down the line and the show’s themes are even more relevant. Covering so many big political and technological moments in a domestic setting is the biggest achievement of many that Years And Years achieved. Read my reviews of all the episodes here:

https://yekimmikey.wordpress.com/category/years-and-years/

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1: Stranger Things 3 (Netflix)

Stranger Things 3 is the brightest, boldest and funniest series yet. There wasn’t just a tone change but more urgency and a different sort of peril. If series two felt like a rehash of the original run then this subverted expectations. There’s so much to love from Steve and Dustin’s bromance reaching new levels, the introduction of Robin, the cynical heroics of Hopper and so much more. Using the mall as a centrepiece was another masterstroke as well because we needed to see more of Hawkins, we needed to see these great characters in different settings and different situations. It’s rare for a show to improve as it goes on but Stranger Things has done so in style. The gut wrenching ending pulled the rug from under our feet and it looks like we won’t be seeing anymore of Hawkins at all from now on.

Years And Years (Episode 6 Review)

Either by sheer coincidence or clever plotting, BBC schedulers made it a dystopian Tuesday evening by putting Our Next Prime Minister and Years And Years next to each other. Imperfect bedfellows to say the least. The awkward political wranglings of the quest for our next leader had many of the hallmarks Russell T Davies has covered in this spectacular series but at least this finale had one thing the previous hour couldn’t offer.. hope.

It’s 2029 and our future Prime Minister Viv Rook has killed the BBC, closed food banks and banned reporters from asking questions. The seeds sown in our  present day real life is reaping magnificent, thought provoking  drama. Over the top? Maybe. Overly sentimental? To some certainly, but the message that we must choose love over hate is the epicentre of Years And Years. It’s the loving heart ticking away in a cynical, twisted body.

Anne Reid, who charms and intimidates in equal measure is the shining light as Muriel who has gradually become the main character. Her “It’s your fault” speech is more stirring than any national anthem and the wake up call her family needed. This is what great dialogue and impeccable acting does – it turns the mundanity of people sat around a table into essential viewing.

Edith gets the gang together and goes out with a bang as part of a revolution. Saving Viktor was simply an added bonus to overthrowing the government. While she is blocked by men with guns, Rosie is trapped behind gates once more. It’s an obvious metaphor but their escape is symbolic of everyone breaking free of their chains. In a show that’s mostly portrayed technology as an evil, the erstwhile refugees use their phones to connect to the world and tell it their truth. They are scenes that felt close to Doctor Who in tone but Years And Years has earned itself a dose of overindulgence.

Redemption is another through-line and the Lyons family stick by Stephen despite everything, even if it means going behind his back to support him. His guilty conscience needed them but he ultimately ends up in prison for possession of a firearm but that seems very harsh considering it was only Woody who took the bullet.

Everyone gets an end to their story but Vivienne is not afforded a full stop. It seems a waste that her, until now, malevolent presence fades into thin air at the crucial moment. Sure, it’s not her story but we got no reaction from her as the revolution was kicking off and there’s no scene once her actions are exposed. We see her twice briefly and one of those was a body double. Perhaps Emma Thompson was filming an Oscar nominated film that week.

An increasingly ill Edith does get her full stop and in a twist no one saw coming (don’t pretend you did) she’s having her memories uploaded to the cloud. Again, this was essentially sci-fi but there’s that heart again, now digitally clicking away in the dying embers of a soul. It’s a long, calm scene that ends a chaotic series. The release could be construed as a bid for freedom. It’s an ending that will jar with many but it’s all down to how you interpret it. When Edith says “You’re wrong. Everything you’ve stored, all those downloads, bits of me that you’ve copied onto water. You’ve got no idea what we really are. I’m not a piece of code. I’m not information, all these memories. They’re not just facts. They’re so much more than that” is it her fighting the cloud or accepting it? Was she there? Are we there? What the heck are we anyway?

It’s probably best to leave the last words to Muriel. Believe her when she says “Beware those men, the jokers and the tricksters and the clowns. They will laugh us into Hell.” Next month we’ll have a new Prime Minister and then what will we have in 2029? Maybe, just maybe it’ll be some love, hope and redemption.. 

Years And Years (Episode 5 Review)

The jollities of new year have never been so forced as the Lyons family see in 2028. There’s blackouts, digital crashes, bomb explosions and floodings. It’s also a case of old acquaintance not being forgot for a family struggling in the aftermath of Daniel’s death. There is no resolution in sight for them.

The main wonder of Russell T Davies’ script, other than it’s warmth and humanity, is that you never know where it’s going to go next. The beats to the story are so unpredictable that it verges on disorientating and that’s probably the point. The surreal feels uncomfortably real.

It’s not just the main arcs that keep viewers on their toes, it’s in the little flourishes too. Like Muriel and Celeste’s unlikely and strange companionship, or Rosie’s hilarious run in with customer services. It must be said that Ruth Madeley is on top form here.

New Prime Minister Vivienne Rook has declared a housing emergency and anyone with two spare bedrooms has to legally house those in need. Edith is sidetracked by a search for “The Disappeared”, humans that have got lost to the state and her cynical mind won’t believe it’s a myth.

Stephen is a shadow of the man he was five episodes ago. Loss has turned his soul bitter. Loss of money, loss of marriage and in a powerful scene with Viktor, loss of empathy. His principles are in tatters as he joins his friend and Hong Sha denier Woody and chances upon Rook gloating about concentration camps and genocide like it’s a chat over the water cooler. Sending Viktor to the newly named “erstwhile” are the actions of a man gone rogue and yet Rory Kinnear plays all the rough edges so well there’s a sense the nice, moral man is still inside and redemption next week could be possible.

Bethany is coming into her own and in a closing twist could become an unlikely saviour as the living embodiment of a phone and tablet. She’s literally an all seeing eye and teams up with a poorly Edith to carry out a break in. Will we find out what was in those papers? As a superhuman with the truth about Stephen at her disposal, Bethany could prove to be a superhero in the finale. Russell T Davies probably has other ideas..

Years And Years (Episode 4 Review)

 

As time lapses further into the future of 2027, governments are changing almost as quickly as the impending sense of doom. For the first time in the UK and by hook or by crook the new Prime Minister is Vivienne Rook. That’s the country shook.

The central focus this time is the troubled relationship of Daniel and Viktor. The trouble comes from outside sources but when the outside sources threaten banishment and murder the stakes are high. Dan and Viktor are engaged but they have to flee a Spanish revolution. The socialist government has been ousted and their safe space is now dangerous. 

It is a stressful journey to get back to England, through being scammed for money and hiding in the luggage compartment of a bus. Russell Tovey and Maxim Baldry are a playing an absolute blinder here, summing up their innocent quest to love freely and the heartache when their hope keeps ebbing away. The expected doom arrives but it is still a brutal piece of television. They manage to get to a boat but it’s a distressing watch as too many panicked refugees spill onto it. Dark screens cut to an idyllic beach covered in dead bodies and one of them is Daniel Lyons. It’s reminiscent of when the writer shocked viewers with a death in Cucumber. Television can be powerful and emotional, it can make important statements.

The rest of the episode has peaks and troughs. The peaks are in little touches like the fact that Mary Nightingale has aged extremely well, those breath tests for ID and Stephen’s drug addled side affect where he keeps looking left. Even that could have been a literal political nod. 

The troughs? Rosie setting up a burger van business by borrowing £10,000 off gran when it’s not that clear what the point is. The same can be said of Celeste broadcasting Stephen’s affair with Elaine. Has he been having an affair because of the dystopian situation or just because Celeste is a horrible person? While it’s all perfectly performed by the cast it feels a little out of place and very much in the shadow of Daniel’s tragic death.

You think things are bleak now? We still have 120 minutes to go and  Rook is now in control. God help us all.

Years And Years (Episode 2 Review)

So it turns out the world hasn’t ended which is a good job because the last five episodes of dead air might have been a tough watch for even the most hardened TV obsessive. After such a dramatic finale last week the mood is naturally rather subdued but on screen this post adrenaline slump comes across too. We have moved a year forward and only a few thousand people died in the nuclear attack (phew) so Edith is positively glowing (with radiation) as she returns to England. Mood wise she’s grumpy and fed up with activism but a shortened lifespan will do that to you.

We knew of her return in a strange move a week ago when she showed up in the ‘next time’ reel, somewhat ruining the dramatic conclusion and that’s how episode two feels. It’s the difficult second episode. That’s not to say anything is particularly bad here, it just doesn’t live up to the hype it has built for itself.

In a world of technology and impending political doom, Russell T. Davies is going for the emotional jugular. He’s finding the human in the inhumane. Not that there’s much humanity in Celeste but it’s difficult not to feel a modicum of sympathy for her as daughter Bethany becomes a walking phone (a literal mobile?) and gets closer to the cloud than a Ryanair flight.  Part machine and part human, Bethany is Robocop for the digital age. But without the weapons. Or armour. Or police status. So not like Robocop at all really so forget that analogy. The point is, bar an imprint on her wrist she looks normal when she is anything but. She walks among us. The insanity of it fits in comfortably into day to day life.

Daniel is now happy with Viktor after the refugee romp (registered trademark) but we know full well that such positivity was never going to last long. His bitter and still boring ex reports Viktor to the authorities for having a glamorous petrol station job and their unity is torn apart. Even this, the poignant epicentre of the sixty minutes falls flat. Daniel doesn’t seem too alarmed and Viktor has the aura of a man who’s been upgraded to a posh suite at the Ritz. Of course it is early stages and it’ll be interesting to see how the issue is handled.

Meanwhile Viv Rook is continuing her takeover of the media by staring into every single camera. Seriously, politicians don’t do that. Not in 2019 anyway. In a well observed hustings she grasps victory from the jaws of defeat. When her own policies don’t stand up to scrutiny and affective debate beats her she resorts to sloganeering and soundbites. The blink device, used to turn off everyone’s phones is a masterstroke and so too are Rosie’s conflicted attitudes towards the politician. From dismissal, to undecided, to getting a selfie. The cult of personality is winning over the tedium of policies.

Immigration, Climate change and right at the very end, banks are the main focuses. In a reference to the financial collapse of 2007 Stephen loses his money but he’s not alone. The streets are flooded with angry customers and perhaps the streets is where some of them may remain. There is plenty going on in Years and Years with copious avenues to explore but it felt like a hangover from that synthetic alcohol the Lyons experimented with. Last week was an induced high but this was the duvet day that follows.

Years And Years (Episode 1 Review)

Ambition is perhaps a word that is overused when it comes to describing art, so much so that it’s become unambitious. It’s an oxymoron worthy of Years And Years, the latest creation from the much respected Russell T Davies. This opening episode is a bold statement of intent and there is definitely the sense that he’s going for, not only a grand artistic statement but plenty of artistic licence to boot. One family, fifteen years and six episodes. 

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To begin with we cosy up in the respective living rooms of the Lyons family. Daniel (Russell Tovey) who looks set to be the moral centre of this screwed up universe is shocked by a statement from politician Vivienne Rook (Emma Thompson) on Question Time (thankfully not fronted by Fiona Bruce so this alternate reality can’t be too bad). Things get political from this very first scene and there goes on to be references to Donald Trump, Brexit and the word salad our politicians deal in today. Daniel even works at a refugee camp as part of his role as “boring housing officer”.

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Meanwhile Stephen and Celeste Lyons (Rory Kinnear and T’Nia Miller) are having issues with their daughter who, after a truly funny Snapchat filter aping scene, declares she wants to be “transhuman” which basically involves becoming disembodied and uploaded to a cloud. It’s a Classic Russell T Davies moment in the Doctor Who style element of the idea and in the line “I will go analogue if I have to!” that Celeste barks in anger.

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Rosie Lyons (Ruth Madeley) gives birth and the scene is set. The Lyon family are the backdrop for our journey into the unknown. Suddenly we rush through a few years faster than you can take a sip of your tea. Trump has been elected for a second term and in direct parallels to actual current events, Rook has set up ‘The Four Star Party’. Many viewers will class Years and Years as snowflake left-wing propaganda and perhaps it doesn’t get it’s message out in the most subtle of ways but the script and performances are powerful enough to override such directness. It does perfectly capture the rate at which technology is moving and the growing disconnect in human interaction. There’s a strange sense of unreality in a very real world. As Daniel sagely points out “our brains are devolving”

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Lastly we meet another Lyons in the pack. Edith (Jessica Hynes) who is an activist doing good deeds abroad. As the family connect over technology (of course) war sirens blare as America launches an attack on well, exactly where Edith is. From the mundane beginning to a near apocalyptic end. It’s a world where bodies are no longer physical, communication is impersonal, sex is literally robotic and Russell T Davies’ writing is at its eclectic finest.

 

TIME AND TIME AGAIN:

 

– Could Russell Tovey star in his own spin off series called ‘Ears And Ears?’. Ahem. 

 

– What is the relevance of Daniel’s soon to be doomed marriage and his affair with a Ukrainian refugee? The need for affection and not someone consumed by technology? 

 

– Will things end as bleak as they seem? Will humanity win in the end? 

 

– If everyone had a 3D Snapchat dog filter would the RSPCA be inundated with even more unwanted dogs. Doesn’t bear thinking about.

 

– Flippin’ eck. Who else thought some of the accents sounded more Yorkshire than Mancunian?