South Park – Season 12

Archived review

Season 12 (yes, 12!) of everyone's favourite crudely-drawn animation finished not too long ago, and the show proved that it isn't about to run out of ideas just yet. Sadly though, this year it seemed to have run out of laughs. The show's tackling of current issues, sometimes with subtlety and sometimes with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face, mixed with its usual concoction of lunacy and weirdness, has always been a hit-and-miss formula, but hardly any of the recent episodes could be described as hits. Sure there's some standout moments, but laughing hard once isn't quite so enjoyable when you're bored the rest of the time. Of the most recent batch, only the US election-inspired episode held my interest throughout and that was partially only due to its relevance (the show, complete with sections of Obama's actual victory speech, was broadcast less than a day after the fact, a feat that literally no other scripted show could achieve). No need to call in the coroners just yet though; Every show can have its off-year, and every show can bounce back. Get some sleep Matt and Trey, and wake up feeling fresh for the next batch.

Mad Men – Season 2

Archived review

After a critically acclaimed first season, Mad Men had a lot to live up to in its second year; With awards being thrown at it left, right and centre, and an increased awareness of the show's existence by the general public, creator Matthew Weiner had to deliver on the promise of what he had started, whilst still keeping things fresh. He achieved success on both counts, particularly the latter. By jumping the story ahead two years without so much as an onscreen explanation, and then setting the narrative at a rate of several weeks between episodes, it's clear this is a show that wants to move forwards as quickly as possible, which is ironic as the actual pace of each episode is slow and luxurious. This is the most positive/negative aspect of the show, depending on who you talk too. In its attempts to appear as genuine and lifelike as possible, nothing is ever spelt out for the audience; We only get occasional glimpses into these characters' lives, and it's often frustratingly hard to figure out what could possibly be running through their heads. Just like real life. Despite its glamorous (yet sometimes hideous) 60's backdrop, this show doesn't try in the least to sell its audience with equally spectacular stories, instead it's all about the atmosphere. Mad Men is to be experienced as much as simply watched, and many viewers won't connect with the show for this very reason (and for a while in the first season, I was one of them). However, for those who can accept it, Mad Men's second season excelled itself, shedding more light on these fascinating characters whilst cleverly reflecting on the changing society of the time without making it the centrepiece. There's still a lot more life left in this one.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Archived review

A brief look at Joss Whedon's recent Internet sensation, a 40-minute low budget musical caper wot him and his mates did wen everyone woz on striking. As a piece of entertainment, it was classic Whedon and very enjoyable (not as strong as the Buffy musical, but bravo to the impressive performance put on by Neil Patrick Harris as the titular evil underachiever), but it certainly won't set the world on fire. What is important to note is the way it was made and distributed through Whedon's influential connections and bypassing the network studios completely. I'm confident that the cast and crew will be able to make enough money back through DVD sales, but even if they don't, that's not the point. This must be one of the biggest projects that avoided the creative stranglehold of the studios, and if it's any indication of what could be done in the future, be it a very, very long time from now, that's important. Having said that, I'm glad Whedon's coming back to TV proper with Dollhouse next year, starring Eliza Dushku, Tahmoh Penikett, Dichen Lachman (of Neighbours' Katya 'alien-face' Kinski fame), and a wealth of other actors that would make a Scrabble player very happy.

Doctor Who – Season 4

Archived review

This series of Doctor Who completely reversed the usual trend of how a full series of this show should progress. Instead of a strong establishing opener, followed by a long inconsistent mix of both outrageously good and outrageously shite stories capped off with a pleasingly epic finale, we get quite the opposite; Partners in Crime is definitely one of the weaker episodes of the whole show, let alone of the opening episodes, although it serves as a good introduction, right off the bat, to the new-and-improved Donna Noble played by Catherine Tate, who despite what you think of her comedy work (and I'm admittedly not a fan), shows that she's actually much better a serious actress than anyone had reason to expect. In fact, bypassing the romantic link between the Doctor and his companion has definitely been a smart move, so there's slightly less of a been-there-done-that feel that we got with Martha Jones in the third series. Following the weak first episode, we then get a surprisingly consistent batch of episodes that doesn't really wane until the rather clunky finale. It would take too long to go through each episode, but special mention should go to the Steven Moffat-written two parter Silence in the Library/The Forest of the Dead, which manages to equal Paul Cornell's sublime Human Nature in terms of emotional intensity but adding his own trademark spook factor as evidenced in Blink. The series is in safe hands once he gets handed over the reins to the show from Russell T. Davies next year.

Speaking of, and despite being appreciative of all the things he's got right in bringing this show back, it's about time. Russell is good with the big picture, knowing that this show is a family show and always trying to involve the kiddies with everything he writes. He's worked wonders at drawing in such a huge family audience, but in doing so there are things he's had to sacrifice; Complex and involving villains for one, well-structured storylines not dependent on the shocks and cool moments for another. It's not that he's not capable of it either. Anyone who's seen his previous work such as The Second Coming, or even this year's chill-inducing episode Midnight will know that it's in him. But I don't know what he was thinking in penning this year's finale, which should have been entitled Deus Ex Machinae. Sure it's his swansong effort (apart from next year's specials) so it seems natural that he'd want to pull out all the stops. But bringing back twice the number of guest stars than necessary simply to have them up there on the screen again was always going to be a bad idea, no matter how he tries (and fails abysmally) to create a suitable plot making them all important players. It was fanwank of the highest degree, and I hope the lesson's learned that sometimes, even for a show with such huge ambitions, that less is more.

So there we have it, a show that (partly because of its format) still hasn't got stale and hopefully won't for a while to come. I'm still gladly looking forward to the specials next year (so long as they are in fact special) and for Steven Moffat to hopefully bring in a new more intelligent era of Doctor Who, even if this does lose some viewers, with or without David Tennant (who I would gladly have back for as long as he wishes). And I've stopped listening to everyone who hates the show because it's kiddy and the effects are rubbish. If you can't put a show into context and appreciate its target audience and British budget, then it doesn't seem like a valid opinion. Bitch over!

Lost – Season 4

Archived review

Now this is more like it. Perhaps the most surprising thing I've seen this year is Lost's return to form, given how a lot of people had given up on the show for laying on the questions without answering any. The best thing that happened to this show was last year's announcement of an end date, as it brought about the need to have a sense of purpose to everything that follows as the show hurtles towards its end in two years' time. The second best thing to happen was the new storytelling format that has permanently shaken things up. Through the inventive use of revealing flash forwards (that ends, one presumes, with the timeline shifting about three years forwards to establish us back in our 'present' day…confusing I know!), we now know of several people who actually make it off the island and how they managed it.

This is one show that last year's writers' strike didn't manage to screw up; In fact it helped a great deal. The season, admittedly only planned to consist of 16 episodes anyway, was cut down to a leaner 14 episodes and the lack of space for 'filler' material made for one of the most tightly-plotted, consistently intriguing and 'complete' seasons of any show I can think of. The writers even managed to pull off things that they had previously got wrong. After the embarrassing inclusion of the useless characters Nikki and Paulo in the third season (and their subsequent deaths, admittedly an entertaining admission of error), I was concerned to hear of the introduction of a whopping four new characters this year, particularly since there would be even less screentime to give to them. However, unlike previous additions, these guys played central to the whole rescue storyline and made a good impression straight away. Chopper pilot Frank and Oxford physicist Dan (Faraday, not Warren) particularly shone, especially in the fantastic time-travel episode The Constant.

Have there been faults? Surprisingly, I can't recall that many. Clearly flashbacks have gotten a bit stale, and the few episodes that reverted back to this format were generally weaker (although gotta love the misdirection in the Jin/Sun episode!). There was also one completely embarrassing 'action' scene where faceless survivor after faceless survivor idiotically run out into gunfire and get mown down, but this blunder was more than made up for by the fantastic fight scene between Sayid and Keamy in the finale. In fact, in a review that is tracking the show's evolution rather than the show itself, it would be easy to overlook the consistently amazing production values this show has; Even the weaker episodes can be enjoyable for Michael Giacchino's rousing score and the exotic Hawaiian locations. It is without a doubt the prettiest show on television, and a must watch in HD. I'm clearly looking forward to this show's return next year. Like the first season, my anticipation also comes with the slight concern of 'How can you top that?' and in truth, they probably won't be able to. Then again, Lost has been anything but predictable.

How I Met Your Mother – Seasons 1-3

Archived review

Traditional live-audience sitcoms seemed pretty much dead and buried when Friends made its final bow a few years ago, and perhaps with good reason. They're inherently cheesy. How can a show forced to make every other sentence come attached with a punchline not seem corny? Which is why I'm surprised I enjoy this old school comedy about twentysomething New Yorkers so much. Because it is corny. It's all about a normal guy called Ted trying to find love in the big city when it seems like everyone else is already settling down. He's sappy and romantic and when unsuccessful he will always get by with the help of his friends. Aaaawww.

Fortunately, the way the show is presented is a saving grace. Told through future-Ted telling his future kids all about his crazy younger self, it gives potential to be a bit outside-the-box when it comes to linear storytelling. Like Scrubs before it, although not as excessively, there's room for little flashbacks and fantasy sequences that do a lot to help keep things feeling fresh and unlike any of the other traditional sitcoms out there.

Crucially the cast is a good one and is never outshadowed by the star power of Alyson Hannigan, the reason I tried out the show in the first place, but it's very much an ensemble piece. Having said that, suit wearing hedonist Barney is starting to outshine the other characters with his catchphrases and great comic delivery, so bravo to the impressive performance put on by Neil Patrick Harris in this role (woah, déjà vu!). In terms of what I've seen, season 2 was the funniest so far, but all of it has been pretty decent. This is me signing out, and hoping that Sarah Chalke is indeed the titular 'mother' of the piece, and that Ted does eventually marry her. If not, can I?

The Big Bang Theory – Season 1

Archived review

A live-audience sitcom about a bunch of nerdy physicists being nerdy physicists has a number of dangerous factors that could make it an embarrassing failure. There's a danger that the jokes revert to making fun of one-dimensional stereotypes unaware of how ridiculous they are as they whine about the Star Wars prequels or argue incessantly about Kirk-vs-Picard (pointless, by the way. It's obviously Picard.). There's a danger that the dialogue is so highly esoteric that only Stephen Hawking and his mum would find any appreciation in it. And there's also a danger that, being an American show, it would feature a stupidly good-looking cast and thus seem completely unrealistic. The Big Bang Theory actually succumbs to all these faults, in varying degrees…Yet somehow, it still works. Why? Because.

Firstly, because they're not all completely unaware. Whilst Sheldon, a socially-retarded genius with probably about 15 behavioural conditions (and perhaps the greatest such ridiculous comic creation since Niles Crane), thinks that he is right and the rest of the world is not only wrong but irrelevant, protagonist Leonard provides a welcome counterpoint. When Leonard falls in love with outrageously-hot-in-a-wholesome-American-way literal-girl-next-door Penny (Kaley Cuoco from 8 Simple Rules and Charmed), he tries his best, admittedly failing most of the time, to lessen his nerdish tendencies and become the kind of man he thinks she might like. He's extremely sweet but undeniably inexperienced, and when asked by Penny after a particular display of kindness why all guys can't be like him, his knowingly bittersweet response is that if all guys were like him, the human race would become extinct. Their expected first date happens unexpectedly quickly, by the end of the strike-shortened first season. It'll be interesting to see how, or even if, their relationship progresses next year.

And yes, some of the show's more physics-y based jokes are incomprehensible to the average viewer, but that's often the point. It's the comic delivery of the lines that are accessible to everyone; Even if you can't understand what they're talking about, it's the way they get heated up and aggressive that makes the show easy to enjoy by everyone. Recommended for anyone with an inner nerd, and clearly anyone with an outer nerd such as myself.

30 Rock – Seasons 1 & 2

Archived review

Let me get this straight; Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was a good show. It had an unfulfilled potential to be a great show. Yet as I was watching it, it seems strange that there was a similarly-themed show that started airing at exactly the same time and that was addressing all the problems I had with Studio 60's overblown sense of importance, and I didn't even know it. Well, I'm caught up with two seasons of 30 Rock now, and I'm very glad I did. It's one of the strangest comedies I've seen, being a complete hotpot of different styles. At times clever political satire, at times touching-without-being-schmaltzy drama, and often a refreshingly silly concoction of irreverence and slapstick, 30 Rock primarily gets it so right by making anything game and not taking itself at all seriously, even when it's trying to make a serious point.

It helps to have one of the better ensembles of recent years, with Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer in particular shining as ridiculously black Tracy Jordan and ridiculously white Kenneth respectively. The real stars however are Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin who have such a great mostly-platonic camaraderie between them, and whose creative differences really make the show interesting. In portraying sketch show producer Liz Lemon, Fey provides the necessary stable grounding of a relatively sane person in an insane environment, but like Scrubs' JD before her, has enough funny quirks to make her character very memorable indeed (particularly her tastes in both men and food). Speaking of memorable, however… Alec Baldwin is amazing. Having surprisingly not seen him in much else, yet knowing of his reputation as a serious actor, I wasn't expecting to find him as Godlike as he's turned out to be, but everything he says as uber-capable executive extraordinaire is solid gold. Watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTj47rcuM-4 to see what I mean. Genius.

This is another show I can't wait to see back on the screen again, and definitely still has a lot of life in it. Baldwin roolz!

Skins – Season 2

Archived review – note that these were my initial impressions, and I've since grown more fond of this season after rewatching it. Time, and mood, can do that to you!

Series 2 of the (very) British teen drama still had some excellent moments and kept the tone that makes it so different from any other show, but all in all I felt this series to be a little bit lacklustre compared to the first. The plot didn't seem to move as quickly, perhaps as a result of trying to deal from the fallout of Tony's accident and Cassie's departure. It's great to have a good ensemble for a show such as this but, despite my usually liking the different-episode-different-character format, it meant that there was a major problem with issuing screentime; Cassie doesn't get more than a scene until the fifth episode and Maxxie basically disappears after the second one. Still, there's a lot to praise the show for. The first death of a recurring character in episode 3 was done extremely well, and Jal and Chris' rapidly growing relationship was a nice antidote to the frankly rather dull woe-is-me duo of Tony and Michelle. And, after the confusion of the penultimate episode (just watch it and try to make sense of the symbolism, I bet you can't, maybe that's the point), the finale was a return to form with a hilarious car chase scene reminiscent of the show's early humour and provided a fitting sendoff for all of the characters. Although I'll miss many of them, I think it's definitely for the best that the show starts over with a fresh cast as, and Lost has proved this, a character-based show can get stale quickly without injecting new blood every now and then (besides which, they killed off the best one anyway!). For now, I'm still watching...

Ashes to Ashes – Season 1

Archived review:

The spinoff to time-travelling cop drama Life on Mars had a lot to live up to, and given the class act that that show turned out to be, it was clear Ashes to Ashes would be judged not on its own merits but on its differences to its parent show. Which is a bit of a shame, because looking at them both makes me sometimes think that this new version doesn't quite cut the mustard, when in truth the first series (it's British, so I can finally say series, not season!) was constantly entertaining and fun to watch throughout.

The premise of Ashes to Ashes is much the same as the original – modern day police officer finds themselves on the brink of death and suddenly wakes up in the past, where they must tackle the cultural prejudices of the time, get a new perspective on the people from their childhoods, and work begrudgingly with the infamous Gene Hunt, already one of police dramas' greatest creations. While some of the differences are quite superficial (70's Manchester might now be '80s London but that doesn't really change the procedural format of the show), the most major change is obviously the replacement of Sam Tyler (XY) with Alex Drake (XX). I thought I'd specify their genders both to avoid confusion with their rather androgynous names and also to make a point; Whilst I enjoyed the slowly developing buddy buddy friendship with Sam and Gene in the original series, Alex's relationship with the Gene Genie is a lot more interesting; Their affection for and attraction to each other (try as hard as they might to deny it and squabble with each other) is a good draw to the show, particularly since (and no offense to John Simm and his drab 70s costumes) Keeley Hawes in 80s gear is easy on the eye. However, in other ways the show has gotten lazier, using the device that Alex knows exactly what is happening from the outset after reading what happened to Sam as an excuse for her to talk about the world being fake and no-one batting an eyelid. It gets irritating when she demeans another character's existence or says something worthy of ten years' counselling and they just carry on with their business.

However, on the whole, I'd mark this show as a worthy successor. It doesn't always quite do weekly stories as perfectly as Life on Mars did, but it adds some fresh dynamics to the mix and in some areas actually improves (Alex's family background is further explored than Sam's ever was, making the final episode that much more resonant). Some may be disappointed with the show, but I would argue that if roles were reversed and Ashes to Ashes came first, wouldn't people be just as critical of Life on Mars? And to conclude, because I'm that shallow, Keeley Hawes is hot. For a posh bird.

Breaking Bad – Season 1

Archived review

"F**k me." When I watch a moment in a TV episode that puts me in sheer awe of that moment's 100% pure shock/touchingness/coolness, those are usually the two words I arrive at. If the moment was especially shocking/touching/cool and the episode ends I may repeat those words over and over again in disbelief (I don't usually pronounce the asterisks however, as I don't know what they're meant to sound like). Recent "F**k me" moments have been few and far between but include the perfect pacing of Lost's first time-travel episode The Constant, the sudden sight of Britney Spears shotgunning her head off in South Park (well, most of it), and the gutwrenching death of Wesley in the series finale of Angel (Yes, it's been five years. I finally caught up!). Some shows are lucky enough to have one or two "F**k me" moments each year. Breaking Bad has had three such moments already. And after just seven episodes – I would blame the writers' strike but only nine were planned anyway.

The second original drama series from up-and-coming cable channel AMC (and considering the first is critical darling Mad Men, they've had a good track record so far!), Breaking Bad stars Malcolm in the Middle's Bryan Cranston, who proves to be as amazingly adept a serious actor as he is a comic foil, as Walt Whitman, a previously good-natured Chemistry teacher who discovers he has terminal lung cancer and turns to cooking crystal meth to provide for his family after he dies. As ridiculous as it sounds (and the opening money shot of Walt in his underpants with a gun in the desert doesn't help to subvert this), the show is deeply serious and gets to some very dark places. Fast. For instance (and keeping a show such as this spoiler-free is imperative), Walt has to make a hard decision in the third episode as a result of his escapades in the premiere. The episode is a bit of a slow burner, and I predicted the outcome rather quickly. What I did not imagine, however, would be just how it would make me squirm, not for gory sensationalism (there was none) but for just how intense the scene was, and how it made me wish I wasn't there watching it. That, by the way is "F**k me" moment #1.

The show is additionally rather heartfelt. FM #2 illustrates this perfectly, as in episode 5 Walt explains to his family why he's declining chemo. It makes perfect sense coming from this character why he, having lived such a closeted life up until now, would want to choose to go sooner but with some dignity because it's just about the only choice he can make any more (well, aside from the illegal stuff, but they don't know that!). Not only that, but the show can throw up moments of sheer unadulterated coolness, such as the FM #3 that ends the sixth episode.

I'm not saying this is a perfect show. It isn't. The fleshing out of other characters, particularly Walt's family, has only come out in occasional uninvolving storylines that so far have lacked any kind of punch. Also, despite things progressing quite quickly in terms of 'big-deal' events, the stuff inbetween is rather slow-paced and probably not to the enjoyment of those used to the action of Heroes or the rapid banter of Pushing Daisies. But Bryan Cranston is amazing to watch and Walt Whitman's mind is fascinating to study. F**k me.

Friday Night Lights – Season 2

Archived review: I had this to say after the first nine episodes of the second season (up to "The Confession"):

My discovery over the Summer, last year's do-no-wrong show has now done some wrong, but is still an absorbing experience every single week. Sure for the second season they chose some dodgy and highly contrived plotlines you would only expect to see in TV's more sensationalist TV dramas, but this is a show with actors talented enough to make up for the writers' mistakes. It's still the most consistently well-performed show on TV, with Connie Britton shining as wife-and-new-mother Tami Taylor. Her character may be a bit more disagreeable this year, but it's given the actress some amazing emotion to showcase. Given the show's quick production schedule, there's fortunately another six episodes left to be shown next year. Unfortunately, ratings have still been poor for this phenomenal show, so it looks like that's all we'll ever get. Shame. It's the show I've chosen to watch every Saturday morning rather than doing the sane thing and lying in, so it must be good!

I wrote this after the season had ended early, again thanks to that good old writers' strike:

Only six more episodes have shown since I last reviewed this one, so I don't really have anything new to add, except that I'm glad it's managed to survive thanks to NBC finding a smaller cable channel to cut a deal with. It's coming back for a third 13-episode season next year which, granted, is fewer than we got this year, but at least they'll be able to prepare for it from the outset and hopefully we'll have a much more focussed and football-driven season, devoid of some of the more contrived plotlines and vaguely melancholic tone that were unfortunately adopted this season. Perhaps the writers' strike actually did some good after all!