From the thrills of dragons and Deadites to the lows of a nuclear Armageddon played for laughs, 2015 set out the biggest buffet ever for television connoisseurs.
The best
Game of Thrones
When an avalanche of the undead swept down the cliffs into Hardhome under the icy-blue gaze of the White Walkers, you just knew that Jon Snow were in for an underworld of trouble – and viewers were in for a fantastic battle with lightning-quick wights (that could devour the lethargic walkers on Walking Dead for a snack). With the added attractions of Tyrion’s instant rapport with Daenerys to Cersei’s brutal walk of shame, the fifth season of this medieval epic ruled the TV roost.
Better Call Saul
"Slippin' Jimmy" McGill could have easily rode the coattails of Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman – the man he is destined to become – in this prequel, but Bob Odenkirk amped up the bravura acting to bare the heart and anguished soul of a man who dreams of being a respectable lawyer like his big (and, it turns out, deceitful) brother Chuck (Michael McKean). Jimmy's mind never moves in a straight line, making for some wildly comic and high-tension moments. Plus, having Jonathan Banks back as the wonderfully gruff ex-cop Mike Ehrmantraut, and finally finding out about his backstory, was pure dramatic gravy.
Mr. Robot
With an incredible 98 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, here’s a rare tech thriller that has geeks and non-geeks alike singing the praises of Rami Malek, the show’s breakout star. He plays Elliot, a young, antisocial computer whizz-kid who toils as a cybersecurity engineer by day, and is a vigilante hacker by night. He is recruited to join a group of underground hackers by Mr. Robot himself (Christian Slater), who presents him with a moral dilemma: will he help them to bring down corporate America, including the company he’s paid to protect?
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
HBO devoted six spine-tingling hours to this documentary investigation of Robert Durst, the scion of a New York billionaire real-estate family, who has been accused of three murders over the past 30 years, but never convicted. Director Andrew Jarecki brilliantly investigates Durst’s strange history against a backdrop of unimaginable wealth and privilege. Durst’s loose lips, however, and his belief that he is invulnerable to prosecution, nail him in the end. He was arrested just days before the final episode was broadcast.
Supergirl
Melissa Benoist has a hit on her hands as Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, who brings some much-needed sunshine and positivity to TV’s current lopsided love affair with male superheroes (with a tip of the hat to Netflix’s acclaimed new show, Jessica Jones). It’s no fun when you are overshadowed by your Kryptonian cousin – Superman – and so hide your true nature from the world for 12 years. But it’s a feel-good, liberating moment when Kara unabashedly embraces her powers and potential. Calista Flockhart also nails it as her catty media-mogul boss, whose hard-as-nails exterior occasionally cracks to reveal a soft centre.
The bizarre
The Walking Dead
Arguably the most popular television show on the planet went all Pulp Fiction on us this year, messing with time and space, hopping forward and backward in plot, scene and sequence in a way that would infuriate Doctor Who, and make Quentin Tarantino laugh at the clumsiness. Making us wait weeks to discover the fate of Glenn – and even to find out who blew the horn that diverted the zombie horde to Alexandria – showed contempt for viewers. For shame.
True Detective
What was weird about the second season of HBO’s crime anthology was how people either loved it or hated it. Even as their characters scraped the barrel-bottom of self-destructive behaviour, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell and Taylor Kitsch acted their faces off, chasing their tails in a zany plot that blended a land grab, blood diamonds and mob politics. In the end, they just weren’t as cool as Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson were while chasing the Yellow King in the universally acclaimed season one.
Blindspot
Bizarre doesn’t get much more high-concept – or better – than this cop drama about “Jane Doe” (Jaimie Alexander), a mystery woman whose identity and memories have been erased, but whose body has been covered head to toe in tattoos that turn out to be clues to imminent crimes and terrorist attacks – and her past. With eight million viewers, Blindspot has made a breakout star of Alexander, previously best known as supporting character Sif in Marvel’s Thor movies, and a second season has been ordered.
Blunt Talk
Patrick Stewart will always be the morally incorruptible Enterprise captain for Trekkers of a certain age – or Professor X to superhero-movie fans – so it was a shock to see him behaving so very badly as abrasive news anchorman Walter Blunt in his new Starz series. He is so good at being bad, in fact, that the 75-year-old actor, in the sixth decade of his career, now finds himself nominated for a Golden Globe. “I was taken by surprise, which is probably the best way for it to happen,” he says.
Ash vs Evil Dead
A Deadite plague, buckets of blood, soul-sucking demons, dismemberments, witty banter and Bruce Campbell back as an ageing Lothario in the role that made him famous – now that’s entertainment. It was a fanboy’s dream come true to see Ash, who has learnt nothing about maturity after 30 years battling the Evil Dead, back behind the wheel of the iconic yellow Oldsmobile with his chainsaw hand, “boomstick” and two new slick-talking buddies riding shotgun: Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo). Groovy!
The worst
The Brink
When a paranoid Pakistan army general seizes control of the nation and its nuclear arsenal, it’s a Dr Strangelove scenario that calls for the tactical savvy of Tim Robbins, as the US secretary of state, and the diplomatic skill of Jack Black, as a lowly embassy employee in Islamabad. What began as a snappy satirical spoof, soon unravelled into silliness, often at the expense of Pakistani culture. HBO, which initially ordered a second season, wised up and nuked the show.
Marco Polo
This Netflix drama drew its inspiration from Italian trader Marco Polo’s picaresque and steamy 14th-century adventures in the court of Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongolian Empire. Oh, the spectacle: fantastic, lush, city-block-sized sets; breathtaking desert vistas, palace intrigue and stunning women. If only more of the big-bucks budget could have gone into believable dialogue and better character development. Oh well, let’s cross our scimitars for an improvement next season.
Backstrom
Juggling comedy and drama is tricky enough, but this cop drama – which recast The Office star Rainn Wilson as a grumpy detective in Oregon – dared to spin even more plates in the air, including political-incorrectness and goofball behaviour. Executive producer Hart Hanson is no fool – he created the mega-hit Bones, now in its 11th season – but Backstrom felt too much like something we've seen before. Let's hope the talented Wilson makes better career choices from here on.
Stalker
Isn’t TV supposed to offer escapism? Some vicarious entertainment value? It was hard to derive pleasure from a series that dwells on the victimisation of Lt Beth Davis (Maggie Q) as she investigates voyeurism, cyber harassment and romantic fixation with fellow cop Jack Larsen (Dylan McDermott). After a hard day at work, it’s hard to unwind amid sadistic violence, drug use, offensive scenes and ugly plotting. No surprise, CBS put us out of our misery after just one season.
The Slap
Hey folks, how about a mini-series about someone who slaps somebody else’s bratty kid at a party? Once the legal drama kicks in, we can push societal hot buttons, such as spoilt kids, indulgent parents, affluenza and entitlement, to name a few. Sure, said, NBC, and rushed out to hire the likes of Peter Sarsgaard, Thandie Newton, Uma Thurman and Zachary Quinto, to name but a few. Sadly, this production – an American adaptation of the acclaimed Aussie series of the same name, based on a novel by Christos Tsiolkas – has all the subtlety of being hit on the head by a two-by-four piece of lumber.
