Trotter's Top Twenty TV of 2021 - 10-1

There were some blooming good shows airing in 2021 - entertaining us across time and space, in alternative realities that, sometimes, felt better than the one we were in at the time no matter how dystopian and...one about true crime podcasts.

10 Wandavision (Disney+) 

Critics of 'too many comic shows/films' I think write off some gems within that catch all statement. They can be as varied as, say dramas or crime shows, and even cover those genres too. Marvel's best foray into TV so far managed to wrap up a superhero show with a treatise of trauma and grief spanning the history of American TV through the decades. While some were glossed over a bit too quickly (such as the 90s/00's pastiches) to serve the culminating plot, others particularly the I Love Lucy/Brady Bunch eras were a great success. The Olsen/Bettany coupling was full of chemistry and able to be fleshed out far more than their bit part appearances in the MCU movies. The ending may have resorted to stereotypical CGI fighting and the Marvel reliance on seeding future TV and movies got in the way at times but overall this was a brave choice for which to lead their TV franchise.

9 The Expanse (Amazon Prime)  

Again, I'm cheating slightly considering this season is yet to finish (and has only aired four episodes so far) but as it is coming to an end and it won't be on any more annual lists after this, I think I can risk it. The Expanse was a 'lockdown show' for me - rattling through four seasons' worth of back story in 2020 and absolutely wallowing in the...ahem...expansive storytelling. Having not read the books, each season brings a surprise as to what its focus will be (they never take the obvious route) or even who will be the main focus each time. The case in point is one of this final season's biggest stars was merely a bit player three seasons ago. It was probably the programme I looked forward to coming back the most this year and so far they haven't disappointed. Especially off the back of the incredible previous season's finale where...well I won't spoil just in case I tempt you to give it a go. It's just a shame there won't be any more trips to the far reaches of space and time after this one.

8 The Circle/Celebrity Circle (Channel 4) 

What better programme to air in a pandemic than a reality show where each contestant is isolated in their rooms and no-one meets each other until they leave? The Circle proved as entertaining and felt as valid a social experiment as early Big Brother, casting a fascinating eye on its stars and human behaviour, online etiquette (and cat fishing), trust and friendship, with some of the 'reveals' being genuinely moving. The best scene was definitely seeing Lady Leshurr taking great delight in winding up some of the other contestants and the almost Stockholm Syndrome-like bond between two of the 'normal people' contestants. It was a hit critically both in this country and abroad, which made Channel 4's decision to cancel it all the more baffling. I mean, did they think we'd all be out of isolation by now or something??

7 Locke and Key (Netflix) 

Mom and kids move back to an ancestral home after the death of the Dad only to discover a series of hidden keys which unlock certain mystical realms or grant powers - all seems a bit Escape from With Mountain Disney really. But the execution of the concept is inventive, gripping and at times genuinely creepy. Moreover, the children manage to not suffer from Annoying Hollywood Child Actor Syndrome (in fact the daughter may even bag an Oscar nom this year). As an escapist bit of TV fun there wasn't much better this year.

6 Handmaid's Tale (Channel 4) 

Often, even with the highest-lauded of shows, by the time season four rolls around, the law of diminishing returns has kicked in. And to be honest, with the previous season treading water a fair bit expectations were unfortunately low. But season four was possibly the best to date - rattling through the story following some major plot developments kicked off in the previous season's final 20 minutes or so and actually making the audience question whether we want to root for June after all. Air strikes and prison/torture scenes were thrilling/disturbing enough but the stand out moment of the whole year for me in terms of a dramatic set-piece was the escape instigated by June (Elisabeth Moss) set to Radiohead's Street Spirit (Fade Out0 and er...somewhat interrupted by a train. Managing to be haunting, effective and horrifically shocking I've not seen anything match visuals, score and mood as brilliantly all year. Will the next (possibly last?) season keep up this high standard - here's hoping.

5 Squid Game (Netflix) 

Speaking of visually stunning small screen brutality - welcome to Squid Game. If you haven't seen it yet you must surely know of it by now. it's all rather odd why this particular show became such an international phenomenon, but it certainly is deserved. As well as the simple, violent storyline, with you the viewer counting down the contestants maybe not quite as desperately as the characters are, it's the look of the show, its staging, colours (those staircases are tremendous sets) that are truly stunning. And the staging of each challenge, especially the ones at height (tug of war and the glass walkway) were both stunning and sickeningly fear-inducing at the same time. The twist may have been pretty guessable if you follow tv tropes well enough but it's is SO binge-worthy and perhaps that is why being on Netflix was such a perfect fit. I'd watched it in less than 48 hours frankly. And I don't think anyone can possibly watch it without trying to work out in their head how long they would last in their very own Squid Game.

4 Only Murders in the Building (Disney+) 

The biggest surprise of the year by a mile was 'Only Murders...', maybe due to lower expectations - podcasts and Steve Martin definitely are some people's favourite things, but not really mine. However, every aspect of the show was so well crafted and high quality down to the score, title sequence (complete with unique clues for each episode), the beautiful art-deco NYC hotel setting - and, reader, Selena Gomez was an absolute revelation as the unimpressed, dour Mabel stealing scenes left, right and centre from Martin and co-star Martin Short but the trio were also marvellous together on screen. The central mystery was expertly drawn out over the season and, somewhat rarely these days, paid off in spades at the end. They even had the guts to do a word-less episode part way through which was not only a highlight of the series but possibly one of the best half hours of tv you'll have seen in 2021. Thrilled that it's been renewed for another season, considering the in-demand star power and 'done in one' nature of the premise could have easily seen it end here.

3 Succession (Sky Atlantic) 

No surprises here, given I'm not one to hide my outright love for this show - not least for Roman and Shiv and their many caustic put downs. So many memes! Starting at a film-level premiere as part of the London Film Festival no less, this season marked the time for Succession to really go global and for people to catch up on what we've known for the last couple of years. While sometimes this season spun its wheels a bit - focusing almost too much on the central battle between Kendall and Logan, the journeys of the siblings in particular to get to where they needed to be in the final episode (one short of the usual ten - boo to you HBO!) were well-earned. It was also great fun to watch US fans in particular come to the realisation of what a fine actor Matthew Mcfadyen is - with his pivotal, and often fleeting, role this season being central to what's no doubt coming next year.

2 It's A Sin (Channel 4) 

Starting what seems now to be an annual start-of-the-year tradition of making The Gays cry (see Four Lives on BBC1 for 2022's example), It's a Sin was an amazingly powerful examination of the '80's AIDS crisis and how the disease itself and society's reaction to it ripped apart not only the lives of victims but their friends and families too. It also held that unique position for a show where you want to binge it given the story and acting were so compelling but you also had to temper how many episodes you watched in a row based on how much you were crying or just plain devastated by what you'd just seen. Proving once again how good Russell T Davies is at effortlessly mixing laugh out loud funny with utter tragedy It's a Sin more than lived up to its criminal place of being the first mainstream drama about its subject matter ever. Here's hoping any stories that follow come close to matching its quality.

1 For All Mankind (Apple+ TV) 

I tried hard not to give away the premise of For All Mankind last year, but think it's probably safe to at least give a little bit away from its opening scene from the first episode given it was almost two years ago now. Basically this is the story of what would have happened if Russia had landed on the moon first, not the USA, and the space race had just...continued on. There's even greater branches from our reality in this season as you might imagine and one of the show's best features is the time jump and opening at the start to rocket (ahem) the plot along. The show ends this season on an even bigger time jump and mind-blowing scene setter for season three, But fundamentally what makes For All Mankind my favourite show of the year is how damn expertly it manages to pace all of its main three plot lines throughout the season and bring them to a head in its brilliant finale. Where so many shows are plain bad at spinning wheels for several episodes because they don't really have enough plot to justify the episode count (hello Netflix in particular) For All Mankind absolutely nails it.

Trotter's Top Twenty TV of 2021 - (11-20)

 Not entirely sure how fondly we'll all look back on 2021 really. But in the interests of proving at least some good things came out of the last 12 months, here's the first part of the Top Twenty TV Programmes that entertained, thrilled, amused and kept me diverted from the general bin fire of the year.  How many have you seen/agree with?

20 - Yellowjackets (Sky Atlantic) 

Bit of a risk putting this in the list when it hasn't ended yet, but what's aired so far certainly deserves a spot. US girls' soccer team crashes in the wilderness and the fun never stops (actually, far from fun, as you'd imagine). Coupled with flash forwards to the present day and star turns from Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci, the whole cast is very strong in both eras. Topped off with some strong 90's female-fronted tuneage to really set the mood.

19 - Flight Attendant (Sky Atlantic)

Not the obvious thing to expect Kaley Cuoco to choose as her star vehicle after the end of The Big Bang Theory, but all the better for it. Stretching her acting abilities to cover drama, action, the odd violent murder and touches of the more familiar comedy Kaley more than holds her own, even against the formidable Michelle Gomez. Bonus points for the Mad Men-esque title sequence.

18 - Slasher (Shudder on Dsiney+) 

The fourth season of the even-more-horror-than-American Horror Story, Canadian ensemble piece which gives us a new gory tale every year. Unlike the hit-or-miss approach of AHS, Slasher stuck to a more simple premise this time round as much mystery whodunit as slasher-flick - focusing on a wealthy family forced to battle it out to 'win' the inheritance of their sadistic patriarch. Think Succession meets Squid Game via Saw. Not for everyone, but as not so much of a horror/slasher fan myself, this remains a high quality example of the genre.

17 - Y The Last Man (Disney+) 

Anyone following the torturous journey of this comic from page to screen over the last decade would have been both as excited and worried as I was to see the quality of the final product. The result...well it sort of showed on screen, to be honest. A really strong first episode, outlining the impact of (almost) all the planet's men dropping down dead, then a bit of a muddled middle third before ending strong as it decided what sort of show it was going to be. Interesting premise, with a surprising take for those expecting the female-led world to not make the same mistakes as the men did. You could argue for years as why that would/wouldn't be the case. Or to summarise - a thought provoking update on The Two Ronnies' Worm That Turned.

16 - Stargirl (Amazon Prime) 

Another strong year for Stargirl, showing that the previous season wasn't a fluke that would run out of steam once the titular hero earned her stripes (or S.T.R.I.P.E.S. as fans may say). Superhero adaptations of course aren't for everyone, but this show circumvents the stereotypical pitfalls that many fall into - both avoiding CGI-heavy fights when you would expect one and having real consequences when they do occur. The show is slowly living up to its early Buffy comparisons and developing a strong supporting cast that is both comic-faithful and complex.

15 - Hawkeye (Disney+) 

Another comic adaptation, this time from the Marvel side of the tracks. They've been busy throughout 2021 with no less than five live action shows. Possibly one of the most 'but...why?' decisions was a Hawkeye show - after all other Avengers have had big budget movies made of them. The show poked fun of itself in that regard and, cleverly, fully-embraced the Christmas theme. The buddy chemistry between Jeremy Renner and relative-newcomer Hailee Steinfled was a joy as was the (spoiler-free) inclusion of guest stars. Above all, the six episodes were a bit of a rarity in modern TV, just a lot of fun: the Die Hard of the Marvel Universe.

14 - All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5) 

What an unbridled (ahem) joy All Creatures is. Trying not to repeat myself from last year, but the same holds true (un)fortunately. It's easy to see how this programme hit a chord with global audiences, eager for a slice of cosy nostalgia to escape from reality for a bit. But the stellar cast and storylines go far beyond lowest-common-denominator Heartbeat-feelgoodness. I mean Dame Diana Rigg was in it before her death for God's sake. Callum Woodhouse in particular plays a blinder as Tristan, slowly developing the character from bratish tearaway to someone with the biggest heart on the show - and that's saying a lot in this one!

13 - Invincible (Amazon Prime) 

Possibly the furthest away from All Creatures, a comic adaptation so violent and globe-spanning that it could only be afforded as a cartoon. Invincible (with a faithful-to-the-source-material twist) went further than other shows have gone but where it absolutely still made sense to the story. I mean, would an alien invasion pass off without mass carnage? Spoilers, no it would not. Also - hot cartoon dad.

12 - Ted Lasso (Disney+) 

There was no way that Ted Lasso could have topped it's impactful premier season where the world sat up and took notice of a show about footy that wasn't about footy. If they'd repeated the 'everyone should just get along and then you'll be happier' approach then that wouldn't have worked. But instead, they went down a far more difficult path, digging deeper into the surface-level 'everything's okay' approach of Ted and proving there aren't any easy answers to people's problems. That may not have gone down as well with the pandemic-stricken audience but it proves there's a long shelf-life in the Ted Lasso show - not least to see where they go with Nate in particular.

11 - Mare of Easttown (Sky Atlantic) 

Kate Winslet proving why she gets so many Oscars by transferring her considerable star talent to television. She easily adopted the US accent and mannerisms of the titular Mare (she's a policewoman, not a mayor - as I soon realised when watching - d'oh). The subject matter wasn't easy going by any means - a young woman murdered, Mare dealing with the death of her child, but the story was so gripping and the cast so top-notch that it was a surprisingly bingeable watch). This was primarily down to the mystery at the show's heart, the twists and shocks along the way and how at the conclusion it made perfect sense and was acted out superbly.