So what might you have missed this year and what might you not have given a go because, well, you have a life. Here's a few scripted series' suggestions in some sort of order which might be of assistance...
10) 'Fortitude' - Sky Atlantic Sky's heavily-marketed, star-studded foray into original drama at the start of the year did the best 'genre-twist' of the year (see also Wayward Pines for another example). What starts off as a bit of a by-the-numbers Nordic Noir - not least because of the Icelandic scenery and the lead actress from The Killing, turns into something far more interesting. Whether they can continue that success into a second season is up for debate.
9) 'Dark Matter' - SyFy Sci-Fi isn't everyone's cuppa, but with a little bit of media attention turned towards Star Wars (there's a film out, by the way) series' like Dark Matter have a better chance of reaching a deservedly larger audience. Kicked off by a strong concept - six astronauts wake up on a spaceship with no memory of who they are and how they got there, the series stumbles a bit by going straight into 'planet of the week' storylines. But the cast's chemistry and overarching mystery soon kicks in and makes it a worthwhile watch - with the right balance of reveal and cliffhanger to make season two worth a watch.
8) 'Walking Dead' - Fox With a fifth season finale and sixth season kicking off this year, you'd be forgiven for thinking watching hapless survivors run from shambling zombies is becoming a tad dull by now. It's to the show's credit that the writers find new ways to refresh the concept and keep up the genuine dread you feel whilst watching. No other series manages quite the same sick-making feeling and thats mainly down to the fine ensemble cast and still, silent scenarios that bookend all the blood and gore. Although the 'main character in peril' plot employed in the latest episodes didn't quite pay off, it was the first few episodes of the same season that proved what a fine programme it still is.
7) 'Bloodline' - Netflix Netflix are pretty well-established now in commissioning original drama directly and have a more than decent hit rate. Buzz was good around 'Bloodlines', with its rich family, dark secrets and murder premise led by the not-uneasy-on-the eye Kyle Chandler. Although the first few episodes made it quite difficult for you to actually care what was happening to this bunch of spoilt brats, it's to Netflix' credit that their 'all available to view' format worked in the show's favour and you were soon incredibly invested in the drama and its clever, sparing use of flash forwards and backs. It was actually Ben Mendelsohn who stole the show as the black sheep returning to the fold and doing a great job in generating sympathy and hatred in turn as the twists played out.
6) 'Catastrophe' - Channel 4We might be in the midst of 'Peak TV' right now - yes, it's a thing - but it's certainly not a golden age of comedy (Brooklyn Nine-9 and The Goldbergs exempted). Mind you, with Mrs Brown being so popular maybe we get the comedy we deserve. And yet, out of nowhere in January, along came yet another new series from / starring the under-rated but Jonah-like Sharon Horgan with a string of failed comedies behind her. The difference here is essentially the chemistry between her and her co-star / co-writer Rob Delaney. Although I wouldn't want to say their's is a typical relationship, it is believable above all else. That we got not one, but two, series of acerbic, hateful putdowns and cringeworthy scenarios this year was a big bonus.
5) 'Game of Thrones' - Sky Atlantic I really don't need to provide a synopsis of this show, do I? Season 5 finally caught up to the books and robbed thousands of people of their smugness in holding the power of spoilers over the rest of us. It wasn't the greatest of seasons, but that is holding them to a high benchmark, and now that we've reached this point it might prevent some of the wheel-spinning that's somewhat spoilt things on occasion (i.e. Danerys meandering to Westeros). Key cast members finally were brought together (then obviously torn apart - well it IS Game of Thrones), the Starks weren't catching the slightest of breaks and we had arguably the best episode nine of the series to date - including 'that wedding one'. 'Hardhome', and specifically the climactic 30 minute battle which introduced 'the big bad' who didn't say a word, was one of the most cinematic in scope, edge of the seat action sequences ever to appear on the small screen. And with that, TV finally killed cinema.
4) 'Daredevil' - Netflix The principal reason I got Netflix was bound to end up in the Ten wasn't it? Extremely high production values, a more realistic take on the super-hero genre (or as realistic as you can get), some of the most original and best-choreographed fight scenes (the finest example being the single-shot hallway fight) and an actually complex villain in the form of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin who, despite going all Vinnie Jones with a car door and a goon's head early on, is introduced to us admiring art and awkwardly chatting up a date and is genuinely sympathetic, car doors notwithstanding...
3) Sense8 - Netflix The Wachowskis are possibly the very definition of hit or miss, but, partnering with the more hit than miss J. Michael Straczynski, hit geek gold with Sense8 - your everyday story of eight strangers in all corners of the world inexplicably experiencing shared senses and abilities. Although the characters border on racial stereotypes at times (the cool London DJ, shy demure Indian girl heading into an arranged marriage, the US cop jock hero, the Asian martial arts expert) it makes the times when the unexpected happens all the more...well, unexpected. There are some genuinely fist-pumping / cheering moments caused when the eight leads start sharing abilities and revealing the bigger mysteries which presumably will be explored in the second season. For a popcorn action romp, Sense8 takes 2015 hands down.
2) Fargo - Channel 4 I was criminally late to the Fargo party, missing the first few episodes of season one and then never catching up until Channel 4 repeated it this year. In those circumstances I do count myself lucky to have the pleasure of viewing two seasons in one year. Like American Horror Story and True Detective they took the approach of telling a separate story for the second season. That said, the two were connected in some ways which underpinned a degree of familiarity amongst all the newness, a few characters from season one in their younger days during 1979 and the Sioux Falls Massacre, referred to previously, played out to searing effect in the penultimate episode. The production values were sky high, revelling in the '70's setting by employing split screens to great effect and the sound track was sublime and offbeat. The sense of bad things about to happen to good people gave an unsettling atmosphere to each episode, but, as with season one, sometimes bad things didn't happen to good people after all. I never thought I'd be recommending a series based on a film and starring Ted Danson and Kirsten Dunst as highly as I am but, if Fargo keeps up this standard of storytelling over a couple more seasons it will be talked about in the same league as Breaking Bad, The Wire and The Sopranos.
1) The Leftovers - Sky Atlantic A confession - I loved The Leftovers' first season. Other shows may have been flashier or better scripted but no other series stayed with me longer, the themes being explored stirring thoughts on mortality and life's purpose far more than wondering what was going to happen to character X. I say this because a lot of end of year polls have included season two in their own top tens but more as a back-handed compliment by saying the first season wasn't all that good. Shifting the core cast to a new town, kicking the season off by (inexplicably at first) opening on a cavewoman giving birth, changing the atmospheric titles and theme and then only featuring the Garveys in the final scene of the episode all underlined the bravery and risk-taking of a show that has already been pretty brave and made it clear they'll never explain its premise (of 2% of the population disappearing in a rapture-like event). Not only was the reveal of the season mystery of what happened to three teenagers incredibly satisfying (another example episode nine reveal), but the risk-taking of the 'International Assassin' episode proved as bewildering as its episode title. Many series have 'I'm not sure what's happening now' moments but very few have them for an entire episode. I've never felt as confused, concerned, annoyed and then in admiration of a show in one sitting before. All of which is trying badly to be a spoiler-free description of what happens. Believe the critical hype of this little show that could - and that effectively led to it being renewed for one final season. Or at least watch it to marvel at how well Liv Tyler actually pulls off scarily bad-ass. Or to see Justin Theroux in a bathtub.
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