I meant to post this before Christmas but didn’t get round to it, then thought I would wait to top it up with all the festive fun that I watched as well. Except, it didn’t really feel like there was that much exceptional stuff on over Christmas? I’ve mentioned the gameshow nostalgia already, and I loved the Gladiators Celeb special, but in terms of drama and comedy, there wasn’t much beyond Gavin & Stacey, was there? So anyway, a catchup of recent viewings with or without Christmas in the middle.

Doctor Odyssey

I feel like this series has gotten a love/hate reaction, people are either enjoying the ride or thinking it’s a load of old nonsense. I’m not arguing that this is classic groundbreaking TV, but I thought it was quite a lot of fun. It’s a medical drama without too much blood and gore, it’s a soap opera with a great cast including Joshua Jackson, and it’s a glimpse into the crazy lives of those that can afford to charter yachts. Guest appearances from Shania Twain and Kelsea Ballerini? Sign me up!

Rivals

Gosh, this was good. I really didn’t know much about the Jilly Cooper world before but am completely obsessed now. You better believe I’m going to be reading the books very soon. But I just loved how carefully and gorgeously the 80s scenes were created, how brilliant the caricature characters were, alongside the more relatable relationships that underpinned everything. Lovely stuff.

The Penguin

I haven’t seen any of the new Batman films but I wanted to get a glimpse of Colin Farrel in all this makeup and how he performed this role. One episode in and I was hooked. It was really good, so interesting to be watching an entertaining drama about a villain - you’re never quite rooting for him (especially not after the last episode, sobbing!) - but it’s so well done you can’t help want to know what happens next.

Junior Taskmaster

I wasn’t sure about this because I’m a massive fan of Taskmaster, not so much the kids. But I thought it was really well managed. Rose & Mike helmed the show really well, being kind to the kids but not pandering or talking down to them… knowing exactly how far to push it before crossing over into cruelty. It’s not something I would seek out to watch again, unlike the main Taskmaster show, but it worked much better than I thought it would.

Bad Sisters, Series 2

Everyone thought this show was done after one series, and maybe it should have been, because the second was nowhere near as good as the first. HOWEVER, it was still really good. These girls are so brilliant, and the twists and turns were fun. It was a different thing, the structure and the way it was told having to be different following the events of series 1. You just have to wonder how they keep finding such hideous men?

Return to Paradise

I used to love Death in Paradise, but probably less interested now we’re five detectives in. The first spin off Beyond Paradise is good because it’s all about Humphrey who continues to be adorable. This second spin off doesn’t seem to have a lot to do with the main series, other than shoe-horning in an appearance from an older detective. It’s in Australia and aside from the fish-out-of-water scenario, it doesn’t bear too much resemblence. But I still enjoyed it, the characters were good and the humour and banter enjoyable to watch.

The Listeners

The first two episodes of this were exceptional, setting up the intriguing premise of what would happen if someone could hear something that no one else could. How that affects every moment of their day, and how they gradually lose control a little bit. For me, the four-part series didn’t quite stick the landing, it drew to a conclusion but was it satisfying? Not sure. Well acted, though, and as I say, thought-provoking.

The Hardacres

I’m not even sure how I stumbled across this, a period piece set up north with a rags-to-riches family trying to adjust to suddenly having lots of money and being out of place wherever they go. There’s only a few of these period shows that I actually like but this one grabbed me for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on. Hope there will be a second series.

The Day of the Jackal

WELL. I thought this was brilliant. Eddie Redmayne was fab in the main role, cool, calm, collected, a stone-cold killer. The scene where he regretfully but purposefully kills Rasmus was heartbreaking. Beautiful locations, great acting, and an incredible thrill of a ride to get to the conclusion. Will there be any more?

Squid Game, Season 2

I mean, I don’t know about this. I, like many people, loved the first series. I’ve watched it a couple of times actually. It’s the games and the structure and the whittling down and the moral choices, all that good stuff. This second one took a while to get going as it had a lot of backstory to fill in. And it made no sense to me that our main guy was just participating even though he didn’t have to, and the Front Man was also playing even though he didn’t have to. What is going on? The new games were good though. That spinny one and then finding a group… oof!

A non-shout out to Before on Apple TV+ which was so boring and made no sense whatsoever, and The Franchise which I wanted to love and had a couple of funny moments in but really should have done a lot more with the amazing cast they had on board.

What will 2025 bring to the small screen?