Comments on: 2008

By: Lucie Jones, Wales

Lucie Jones, Wales — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:47:09 +0000

Re. The Kevin Bishop Show’s ‘Wanking the Dead’ sketch, I don’t think it was Kevin dressed up as Trevor Eve, but his co-star Oliver Maltman…not too sure though. HAHA

2008 was a fantastic year for TV in my opinion, and 2009 has been even more fantastic. Roll on 2010..

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:34:32 +0000

Perhaps we could add Bonekickers as the most banal, incompetent and downright stupid drama of the last few years. What was that piffle about German soldiers in the First World War trying to resurrect Joan of Arc or something? Exactly, no wonder people named it Bonkers.
However, Survivors worked very well, even pulling in a hefty audience against I’m A Celebrity, and a new series in 2009 is eagerly awaited. Done well, as in the case of Doctor Who, Survivors and Primeval, telefantasy can prove a big ratings draw as it did in past decades and the creative juices are still flowing in some drama producers.

By: Jon Haw

Jon Haw — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:41:51 +0000

Did I accidentally skip a bit, or did you really fail to mention BBC One’s “Criminal Justice” in the drama section?! That has to qualify as the best drama serial of the year, surely?

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:08:33 +0000

Hello, Jack, I can foresee the one hour episode of Emmerdale being pared back as this is failing badly against Eastenders. Maybe Emmerdale could be cut back to a twice a week show, but as you say ITV has relied for it for so long in the 7pm slot that it would be unsure about what to put in its place. However, doesn’t Mr Grade remember that this slot on non Emmerdale days was often filled by highly successful game shows and Wish You Were Here? Perhaps this is what he should consider instead of letting Emmerdale burn itself out.
My predictions for 2009 will be that Emmerdale and Corrie will see their episodes reduced, that the traditional ITV game show will be revived at 7pm, telefantasy will continue its revival and this year will see the end of Big Brother. Reality will continue, but be confined to digital channels as the public’s appetite for it is waning. However, X Factor, Strictly and Britain’s Got Talent will continue to be the biggest shows on television.

By: David Bridgman

David Bridgman — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:39:05 +0000

I think Wogan’s Eurovision retirement was, arguably, overdue. The wry chuckles and sly digs were fun in the 1980s but it’s hard to maintain that stance when the UK is in the bottom five each year.

Coronation Street was on something of a slippery slope in 2008. One producer axes the Morton family just as they were given a few decent storylines. The came the Windasses, a kind of Battersby-lite clan. Given the number of episodes produced, I have a terrible feeling that even more creaking old storylines are about to resurface.

Nice to see Blue Peter get a mention. Twelve months ago the show appeared to have plumbed new depths of awfulness, hindered by a lacklustre presenting team. The disappearance of three of them has possibly been the shot in the arm the programme needed, especially as the two replacements have arguably enhanced the show.

Unsung hero of the year? Holby City. Some of the storylines are, shall we say, odd but generally the standard of both plots and acting is pretty high. Compared to Bonekickers, it’s Shakespearian . . .

By: John G

John G — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:35:56 +0000

A great review of the year, although one major category you overlooked was costume drama. I sensed this year that the costume drama bandwagon was beginning to run out of steam, with Little Dorrit in particular feeling distinctly underwhelming and unengaging – I am not surprised that the ratings tailed off, though poor scheduling by the Beeb was also doubtless a contributory factor. I think part of the problem is that Andrew Davies has too much of a stranglehold over the genre, and other adapters are needed to bring a fresh approach. My favourite costume dramas of the last 15 years are actually Martin Chuzzlewit (why on earth has it never been repeated?) and Cranford, neither of which were adapted by Davies. At least Channel 4 has given us a different approach to the genre with The Devil’s Whore and John Adams, although neither show quite lived up to my expectations.

Speaking of The Devil’s Whore, I think Andrea Riseborough has been the definite acting find of the TV year. Her performance as young Mrs T in The Long Walk to Finchley was superb, and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

By: Jack Kibble-White

Jack Kibble-White — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:21:56 +0000

Hi there Glenn – you’re quite right we didn’t mention Celeb Air and those other shows you listed. Unfortunately even at over 7,000 words, some things inevitably slip through the net. It would have been fun to talk about Noel’s HQ too, and the horrible insidious, growing trend of the angry small minded rising up and hitting out at anything and everything they don’t like (see also the Ross / Brand affair), as I think that’s another emerging trend from 2008. I quite agree with your thoughts on soap, and I think we did cover some of those points. Your Emmerdale prediction sounds likely, although what would ITV1 screen at 7pm instead?

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:21:19 +0000

2008 was a watershed year for soaps with Emmerdale achieving its lowest ratings since it was a daytime show in the seventies and Corrie’s ratings falling as well. Just as with the Australian variety in the nineties, the overkill is hurting ratings and a lot of people who were avid fans of the two ITV soaps have given up as the acting is pathetic, the plots repetitive and the sets like something out of Cell Block H. Perhaps in 2009 the soaps will see a cut in their allotted airtime and I think in a few years time Emmerdale will end up a daytime show.
Also reality seems to be in a downturn now. Your contributors have failed to mention such forgettable and low rating dross as Celeb Air, When Women Rule The World and Colleen’s Real Women which came and went with almost no interest. However, as this is cheap, disposable television I can see digital channels running reality shows for a good few years.

By: Ljones

Ljones — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:59:45 +0000

*thinks …. One thing I would add though was the resignation of Terry wogan from eurovision (is Graham norton taking over?). So it’ll be intresting to see what eurovision 09 will be like.

IHMO 2008 wasn’t a very remarkable TV year and there are still some out of place shows, such as C4′s property shows – hopefully these “look at how much money my house is worth” style of shows will vanish in 2009.

Also maybe (with any luck) BBC2 will finally kill off “The weakest link”. This show IHMO is long past its sell by date (remember the failed attempt to get it to the USA?).

And what of BBC1′s “The one show”? For me it still seems as it was when it started, a rag-bag collection of items presented by people who sometimes give the impression that they don’t really seem all that intrested. And then there’s this years’ attempt at a really appaling xmas tune. Who was the guy sitting on the seat in the one show’s xmas tune “video”? He looked totally bored and unintrested!

As for ITV IHMO their schedule still remains completely unremarkable and forgettable. For me the only thing even remotely worth watching on ITV is “TV Burp”; the rest of it is either cheapo programming, reality TV or talent shows. Yawn.

It must be quite hard to recall the whole of TV over the previous 12 months, mind you most of it is so bad it is pretty much forgettable anyway!

Hopefully 2009 will be better!

Ljones