🔗 Share this article That Drifting Excrement Was Way Too Symbolic! It's the TV Letdowns of the Past Year. As we consider the television offerings of the past year, a selection of shows emerge not for their brilliance, but for their notable failures. Ranging from awkward spin-offs to bafflingly bad documentaries, here are the programmes that left us scratching our heads or simply reaching for the remote. And Just Like That How to start with this love/hate follow-up? Burdened with dreadful writing, cringe-inducing character development (we demand better for Miranda!), and a paltry 71 seconds of beloved Samantha, the show fought to justify its existence. For a moment, as the third season started, it looked like it had at last hit its stride. Then came an episode centered on Seema’s natural deodorant. No wonder the creator declared this would be the last season. It concluded on a bum note; the lingering shot of Miranda’s loo full of poo was just way too symbolic. Yet, viewers undeniably found joy dissecting every single “what on earth?” episode. And as Carrie – once again single – twirled around her palatial townhouse to Barry White, who couldn't release a small sob? All’s Fair ‘Can Kim Kardashian act? Of course she can’t.’ But that was almost the least of this show's problems. The subject of a exceedingly uncommon zero star review, it was difficult to know where to begin listing the flaws. The hilariously wooden writing? The mind-numbing glorification of wealth and materialism? The almost wilful procession of tropes? Acting so poor they felt borderline spiteful? Suffice it to say “each and every one” and never speak of this show again. Except, a new season has been commissioned, so we’re probably going to have to. AKA Charlie Sheen Given the legal troubles, domestic violence claims and fatherly failures, it’s reasonable to say Charlie Sheen has been a bad boy. Not that you’d truly have gleaned it from this multi-part documentary which chuckled along at Sheen’s various episodes of reckless excess while failing to tell us anything we weren't already aware of. Instead, it felt as if this loose cannon was being indulged, so any pity this show might evoke should be saved for the people who have had to suffer close contact with this charismatic but dismissive egotist. The Supercomputer Drama Of course we understood it was ridiculous from the get-go: a thriller about a supercomputer known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either save the world – or annihilate all of humanity. We stuck with it out of pure admiration for its leads … but by the end, it felt like even they had given up trying. One barely reacted when his character died, and the other ultimately slicing Charlie with an axe … in painfully slow-motion. That's what you call admitting defeat. The Gangster Drama Dodgy characters meeting in empty boxing gyms? A certain band's Firestarter blaring in club scenes? The late 90s called and wants its gangland drama back. Actually, that is harsh on the gangland dramas of the late 90s. Many look a bit dated now, but at least they didn’t suffer the ignominy of having to accommodate baffling accents. But there were plenty of other problems. Mainly that it was just profoundly dull; a dispute over drug-selling territory between various cockney picaresques which seemed a bit basic. The Meghan Markle Series Given the extent to which she grinds the gears of certain performatively angry commentators, it’s almost easy to applaud the Duchess of Sussex’s various ventures into quaint homemaking as deliberate provocations. But then you view them and are compelled to admit that in this case, they might have a point. It’s like watching a lifestyle catalogue come to life; a meme for evening drinks with ideas of grandeur; a parade of snoozing dogs, humming beehives, sentimental sayings and forgettable crafting “hacks” you’ll forget instantly. All supported by vast, mostly unearned wealth. Ugh. Victoria Beckham There are obviously fascinating things to be discussed about both Victoria Beckham and her journey with vocation, identity, self-worth. But for whatever reason, this documentary series chose not to say them. Instead, the viewing was akin to reading a marketing brochure. She obviously has every right to bridle at what she describes as her “stern” image. But sadly, she failed to do herself any favours with this cagey letdown of a series. The Inheritance It should have been the next cultural phenomenon – except even camper, with a famous star as a deceased benefactor and a sharp-tongued personality managing her inheritance. What more could you want? As contestants competed, there was plenty of backstabbing and arguing. But the rules quickly became bewildering: it’s even now too confusing to explain what precisely was happening. Even more regrettably, we only saw glimpses of the star via prerecorded videos. The series ended up smelling of a programme that was straining desperately to emulate something way beyond it. The Lena Dunham Romcom How do you succeed a show that defined a generation? The expectation was immense for this starry romantic comedy about Jessica, a rosy-eyed New Yorker who arrives in London with a broken heart. The lead actress seized the opportunity by the horns and was a delight to watch, reveling in Austen levels of romantic ideals. But it was all very glossy and, paradoxically, was not enough. Plus, the abundance of famous friends involved felt uncomfortable. The Sketch Show Return Not good enough to be ‘uneven’. Given the smart recruitment of gifted emerging comics, expectations were high. But sadly, most of it didn’t land. A particular sketch was a single joke stretched to a dry pulp but recurring in every episode. One star seemed too ready to slip into a well-known ranting mode. The writing room sketches, meanwhile, simply provoked the idea that they should probably have remained in there a while longer. The Knox Dramatisation This retelling of the story of Amanda Knox was executive produced by Amanda Knox and pretty much solely presented the viewpoint of Amanda Knox. So, while there probably is an interesting drama to be made about the tragic 2007 murder, this isn’t it. The subject matter needed to be handled sensitively. Rather, the series laboured awkwardly to find the right tone, lurching from oddly jaunty, slightly stylised farce to inevitably, real-life horror. Twisted? Perhaps. A total mess? Absolutely. Prime Target We admire the star … but did we believe him playing the greatest maths genius since, a man so smart he’s on the verge of a discovery that could ruin society? No! This international thriller about secret services targeting – and eliminating – intellectuals honestly got more absurd by the second. Silliness-by-numbers. 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story This hagiography followed the content creator notorious for explicit escapades as she prepared for her most extreme challenge yet. What on earth would motivate her? What we craved was way more examination of her actual psychology, plus those of the men in the queue. They could at least have interviewed the legendary mum who appeared to drag her son away from the queue. What we got was horrific shots and absolutely no interrogation of her notoriety whatsoever. And to think, the documentary-maker has a teenage daughter too.