Highlights of 2010 in Television
Our annual look-back on the year gone by in television kicks off with the positive; the highlights of 2010 in television for us. Making the grade for us this year were Downton Abbey, Doctor Who and Gradma’s House.
Our annual look-back on the year gone by in television kicks off with the positive; the highlights of 2010 in television for us. In any given year there are shows that explode onto our screens and quickly become the fashionable thing to watch (if you work for The Guardian for instance, this would be The Shield). Then there are the shows that don’t get the attention they deserve and quietly go by without anyone noticing until its too late. Some shows promise much but ultimately don’t deliver while others don’t the chance – axed because of low ratings.
Downton Abbey – ITV
Unquestionably the most successful drama of the year and perhaps even more surprising given it’s an ITV drama. Remember back a few years to when the broadcaster produced flop after flop with only Doc Martin its only real notable success. Downton Abbey has heralded a more confident ITV in terms of drama and its content. No one really expected the Julian Fellowes drama to be the success that it was – in the fact it’s ratings topped 9 million took even the press by surprise who were quick to jump on the bandwagon and heap praise on the show.
Downton did deserve such praise though as it was a real Sunday treat with a wonderfully diverse cast ranging from Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Penelope Wilton to Joanna Froggatt, Rob James-Collier and Michelle Dockery. A second series was promptly ordered by ITV and there is even talk, already, of a third year for the Edwardian drama.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who arguably faced its biggest overhaul and challenge since its revival by Russell T Davies in 2005. The series returned to BBC One at Easter with new everything; new actor playing the Doctor, new companion, to show-runner, new opening titles, new Tardis and new arrangement of the theme tune. Steven Moffat had taken over from Russell and Matt Smith had taken over from David Tennant and no one was too sure how the public would respond to the re-jigged series.
There was little need to worry though as critics praised Matt Smith and new companion Karen Gillan while audiences lapped up the new series. Despite what the Daily Mail might believe in its attempt to paint the shows “sexing up” as prompting a viewer exodus ratings remained strong throughout. However, viewers did opt for alternatives ways to view the episodes at times more suitable to themselves – such as repeats or via the BBC I Player service. Sure not all Who fans took kindly to the new arrangement of the theme tune or the multi-coloured Daleks but fandom with Doctor Who is so wide and diverse that difference of opinion is a common thing. However, what the majority do agree on is the future of Who with Matt Smith and Steven Moffat is in safe hands.
Grandma’s House – BBC Two
Comedy series written by Dan Swimer and Simon Amstell in which the former host of Buzzcocks also appeared as a version of himself. In the comedy “Simon” decides to quit his television career for something better – only he isn’t too sure what that is – much to the horror of his overbearing mother and his ever anxious Grandmother. While trying to work out what he wants to do next “Simon” must contend with his mother’s new boyfriend Clive, who he can’t stand, and the ever bitter rivalry between himself and his aunt, Liz.
The six-part comedy was not a huge hit for BBC Two but it was a delight to watch with its sense of being real and comic one-liners. Grandma (Linda Bassett) always asking if someone wants a banana at the most in-appropriate moments as she frets over the happyness of everyone. Meanwhile Simon’s mother (Rebecca Front) desperately trying to push her son into things he really doesn’t want to do – like Celebrity Ballooning. The cast also consisted of Samantha Spiro, James Smith and the late Geoffrey Hutchings who sadly passed away shortly after filming the role.
Caprica
The short-lived prequel series to Battlestar Galactica which was set 50 years before the events of the re-imaged series and chronicled the development of the Cylons in the colonies. Caprica charted the rise of the Cylons through the lives of the wealthy Graystone family and the Tauron immigrant Adama family. The two families are unexpected brought together following a terrorist attack in Caprica City by religious fanatics, Soldiers of the One led by Sister Willow (Polly Walker).
Caprica has now been axed because of low ratings which is a shame because this rich series explored, much like its parent series did, a wide range of social issues still relevant today. The battle for religious supremacy between various factions and the ideological supremacy of one belief system over another is one theme – monotheism versus polytheism. Racial discrimination is another concept in the series with many Capricans being openly phobic towards Taurons and other colonial nationalities.
The shows main draw back was its lack of action compared to its parent series and was very planet bound which may save on budget (space battles cost money) but also ultimately put people off. The fact Caprica is being replaced by Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome which is set during the Cylon war and will most likely feature big battle sequences is very telling. Caprica starred Polly Walker, Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Paula Malcomson, Alessandra Torresani, Magda Apanowicz and Sasha Roiz.
The Bold and the Beautiful
The most popular daytime soap in the world has unfortunately left UK screens now due to the short-sightedness of digital channel DIVA TV. Despite The Bold and the Beautiful being the most watched programme in its (limited) schedules earlier in the Autumn the soap disappeared without little warning and much to the anger of its UK fans. The soap was roughly two years behind the American broadcasts but with double episodes each weekday was quickly catching up.
At ATV Today we got into The Bold and the Beautiful this year and were quickly hooked. We can’t quite explain why we fell in love with the soap. Perhaps its the fact that for about three weeks the same cast members appeared in each episode essentially re-hashing scenes again and again. Perhaps its the never ending Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang), Ridge (Ronn Moss) Taylor (Hunter Tylo) love triangle which has dragged on for two decades and seen Taylor declared dead at least twice and both Ridge and Brooke married to other characters at various stages. In fact Brooke has been married to several other members of Ridge’s family including his own father Eric (John McCook).
Maybe its the devious Forrester matriarch Stephanie (Susan Flannery) who rules her brood with an iron first, disapproving of Brooke and the Logan family, and being a cross between Alexis Carrington’s bitchyness and Pauline Fowler’s self determination to rule her children’s lives. Perhaps we love The Bold and the Beautiful because….well because its daytime and it can do whatever it likes because it is limited by the realms of reality that our British prime-time soaps are. If it wants to bring back a character from the dead – ala Taylor – it will do and not care about the “reality” of it. If it wants to do dream sequences, flashbacks and outlandish plots involving doppelgangers it will do. The Bold and the Beautiful is the most watched daytime soap in the world because its actors play the part which conviction even when the plots aren’t always sane – but we love it anyway.
(We just hope it returns to UK screens sometime soon)
