2012 - A Year In Review

With 2012 near over, here are some of the things that piqued my attention over the last 12 months. I should warn you, there are some different choices/opinions here ...

Best TV Show (UK): Doctor Who. I know we only got six episodes so far but Series 7 truly has been incredible.

Worst TV Show (UK): TOWIE. Because ITV2 really do need to axe that pointless pile of shite.

Best TV Show (US): Homeland. Mainly it’s first season more than it’s second though at times.

Worst TV Show (US): The Inbetweeners. Watch at least five minutes and you’ll see why the damn thing got canned after one season.

Best Villain: Jim Moriarty in Sherlock. I know Andrew Scott’s version of the character is polarising to some but I enjoyed him.

Worst Villain: Salome/The Authority in True Blood. Too much Lilith dithering and not enough kills made them a dull bunch to watch at times.

Effortless Cast Shake-Up: Being Human losing Mitchell/George/Annie/Nina and having Tom/Hal/Alex fit so naturally into the mix.

Best TV Death: Lori’s in The Walking Dead and that’s despite the unfair vitriol that character’s generated.

Worst TV Death: Russell Edgington in True Blood. Such an anticlimax for a wonderful character.

Surprising TV Moment: The audacious way that Doctor Who decided to introduce new companion Clara Oswin Oswald in it’s seventh series so far.

Unsurprising TV Moment: Emily’s mother being alive in Revenge. I think everyone saw that one coming, didn’t they?

Best Finale: Game Of Thrones second season finale certainly delivered once again.

Annoying Kids Alert: Frankie in Skins at times during it’s sixth series.

Useless Character: Quinn in Dexter. And he’s still on this show, why again?

Awesome Couple (Gay): Vastra and Jenny in Doctor Who.

Not Awesome Couple (Gay): Brittany and Santana in Glee.

Awesome Couple (Straight): Tyrion and Shae in Game Of Thrones.

Not Awesome Couple (Straight): Finn and Rachel in Glee.

Improved Show: Dexter, bouncing back wonderfully with it’s seventh series.

Least Improved Show: Glee. Now I still watch it but you know, it’s been a bit disappointing in certain areas for a while.

Best Male Characters: Hal Yorke (Being Human), 11th Doctor (Doctor Who), Nolan Ross (Revenge), John Watson (Sherlock) and Dexter Morgan (Dexter).

Worst Male Character: Adam in Girls.

Sexiest Male: Joe Manganiello in True Blood.

Best Female Characters: Clara Oswin Oswald (Doctor Who), Emily Thorne (Revenge), Carrie Mathieson (Homeland), Deb Morgan (Dexter) and Lana Winters (American Horror Story: Asylum).

Worst Female Character: Hannah in Girls.

Sexiest Female: Lara Pulver in Sherlock.

Best Duo: I’m giving it to Sherlock/Watson in Sherlock. Other candidates include Hal/Tom, Eleven/Clara and Emily/Nolan.

Worst Duo: Merlin/Arthur in Merlin. I hate to say it but I kind of went off them this year, despite the excellent acting from Colin Morgan and Bradley James.

Sad To See It Go: Merlin, because despite some dodgy writing in Series 5 at times, it is sad to see the show end.

Glad To See It Go: Gossip Girl. One less vacuous CW show off the air. Rejoice.

Missed Opportunity: I wish we had gotten more of Jason and Steve in True Blood.

Shoutout 1: The Bridge. Now there was a Danish drama I got into.

Shoutout 2: RAW. I would’ve picked Love/Hate but everyone gushes about that one, so let’s be different, eh?

2013 Hopeful: Joss Whedon’s S.H.I.E.L.D if it airs in time on ABC. The Americans also looks pretty promising.

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Saorview - Have You Switched Over?

For the last several months, RTE (mostly, thought TV3 and TG4 have also) have been doing their bit to remind people to switch over to the new way of viewing of television with the arrival of Saorview, the digital alternative, given that the auld analog was being switched off.

Well, it happened three days ago and to be honest, all Saorview offers are the basic Irish channels and a few not very good digital and radio ones too but as an Irish person who rarely actually watches the Irish channels at times (though I do like shows like The Republic Of Telly, Love/Hate, etc), I don't really think Saorview is worth that much to be honest.

Sure, a few months ago, my Dad got it for the sitting room but in the kitchen, we have the combi box, which actually has all the stuff Saorview offers, along with some of the UK digital channels, making the latter a more tempting proposition and of course, it means we're not looking at a fuzzy screen as many who haven't made the switch probably are.

So yes, my family and I have switched over (long before October 24th) but after inspecting both options, perhaps Saorview is something that offers too little but costs too much, especially for the more cash strapped of people.

What do you think of the switch over, Irish viewers?

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BBC1 - Autumn Drama Trailer

Well, BBC2 released one the other day and now it's BBC1's turn to unveil six dramas that they will be airing in the next few weeks/months ...

Melissa George (last seen in BBC4 drama, The Slap) is going all spy girl on the run as Sam Hunter in Hunted while Suranne Jones will be starring in Joe Ahearne's adaption of The Secret Of Crickley Hall along with Tom Ellis, David Warner and Iain deCaestecker. Warren Brown meanwhile, will be appearing in the four part series, Good Cop as an officer whose morality is challenged following the death of a friend.

The biggest of these dramas however could be the eight parter, Ripper Street, which was shot in Dublin earlier this year and features Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn and Myanna Buring to name a few. The series follows the aftermath with the police officers investigating the infamous Whitechapel murders. The other two dramas highlighted in the trailer include the second series of Accused, featuring the likes of Robert Sheehan, Sean Bean, Sheridan Smith, Olivia Colman and Anne-Marie Duff as well as two part drama, Shetland, a murder mystery set on the Scottish isles of the same name. Overall, a pretty impressive line up in the next few months. I wonder how ITV and Channel 4 will counter now?

BBC1 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXDq_a0l4Zc&feature=player_embedded

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BBC Dramas Autumn 2012

Another day and a trailer for some of the upcoming BBC dramas to expect over the next few months have been released too.

Benedict Cumberbatch continues to be the man of the moment and while he isn't playing famous sleuths and villains in Star Trek movies, he's also appearing in the upcoming Parade's End, playing a soldier while imminent companion Jenna-Louise Coleman is Dancing On The Edge with Anthony Head and Angel Coulby in a five part drama. That looks a lot more fun that seeing Sienna Miller's Tippi Hedrin being terrorised by birds and Toby Jones's version of Hitchcock in The Girl. No, that one I really do want to see.

Elsewhere, The Hour is gearing for a tense second series with Hector (Dominic West) being in a peculiar spot of bother as Bel (Romala Garai) and Freddie wonder if they really know their colleague after all. Other highlights from the trailer also see Gillian Anderson (The X Files) and Karen Hassan (Hollyoaks) in crime drama, The Fall and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) in the rather creepy looking, Top Of The Lake. Well, it beats the likes of Strictly Come Dancing but I'm kind of disappointed we didn't get some footage from two shows that are also returning around the same time as many of these will be airing.

BBC Drama Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zIyLWcZcNhE

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How To Promote A Hit TV Series

Or any TV series well to be honest. Yes, you can bung a few clips together for a 30-90 second promo and give the show a good day, timeslot and lead in show and hope for the best.

Then there's also the use of a concept trailer, which means getting the cast together to film a promo that hints at the themes of the upcoming season/series of a show (with a bit of misdirection here and there too). Personally, I've noticed many shows do concept trailers, if not for every season then definitely for a good amount of their seasons. Shows like Doctor Who, True Blood, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, Skins are amongst the plethora of shows that have often used concept trailers as well as regular trailers to promote their shows and often, it's a lot more creative and interesting a marketing tool.

In some ways, it's almost like a live moving version of the promotional pictures that virtually every show on the planet are required to do and if you mosey through YouTube, there are some rather delightful ones to try and find for whatever show takes your fancy. Even the majority of the soaps in the UK have done them for big storylines (Hollyoaks in particular seems to have a new one every 3-4 months). Often they are the better method of promoting a series.

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2011 - A Year In General

Best Show (UK): Game Of Thrones. Technically, it is a UK show in some ways and it became one of the most exciting things on television all year.

Worst Show (UK): This Is Jinsy. It tried to be quirky and off beat and pretty much failed.

Best Show (US): True Blood. Season 4 certainly took the series to some interesting new heights.

Worst Show (US): The Cape. No wonder this superhero was put down before he could take flight.

Best Villain: Does Constance from American Horror Story count? She feels particularly villainous to me.

Worst Villain: Travis Marshall in Dexter. Thank God Dexter took him out in the end.

Best TV Death: Viserys getting quite the crowning in Game Of Thrones stuck out for me. Mitchell in Being Human came a close second.

Worst TV Death: Tara's in True Blood, going on the assumption that was her actual demise.

Shocking TV Moment: Deb finally learning about her brother's other job in Dexter.

Least Shocking TV Moment: River being revealed as Amy/Rory's daughter and marrying the Doctor in Doctor Who. It actually makes sense in retrospect.

Sexiest Male On TV: Matthew Rhys in Brothers And Sisters. I'm keeping that one for now.

Sexiest Female On TV: Jessica Brown-Findlay in Downton Abbey. I do love Lady Sybil.

Best Finale: Game Of Thrones first season ender, Fire And Blood hit the right spot.

Yes, Kids Are Annoying: Joffrey in Game Of Thrones. Also add tyrant into the mix as well and it's a fateful combination.

Neither Use, Nor Ornament: Sue in Glee. I believe her character is tethering on the pointless now.

Best Gay Couple: Kevin Walker/Scotty Wandall in Brothers And Sisters.

Worst Gay Couple: Brittany and Santana in Glee. Show more equality, Ryan Murphy.

Best Straight Couple: Amy and Rory in Doctor Who, with George/Nina from Being Human coming a close second.

Worst Straight Couple: Sybil and Branson in Downton Abbey. The writers made a hatchet job out of them. Also Matty/Franky in Skins.

Best Guest Appearance: Frances Barber as Madame Kovarian in Doctor Who. Who said the camp was dead on this show? Mark Sheppard as Canton comes a close second.

Worst Guest Appearance: Cody Kasch pointlessly returning briefly as Zach in Desperate Housewives. Did anyone actually care?

Killed Too Soon: Claudine in True Blood. What was the point of her character?

Difficult Season: Dexter. Season 6 wasn't unwatchable but the dip in quality was hard not to notice or deny though.

Best Male Character: The Doctor in Doctor Who. Contrary to what has been said about Series 6, Smith's performances have continued to impress.

Worst Male Character: Viserys in Game Of Thrones. Let's praise Khal Drogo for ensuring this idiot never became king.

Best Female Character: Daenerys in Game Of Thrones. Talk about a bloody character journey.

Worst Female Character: Holly in Brothers And Sisters, but thankfully she left.

Most Improved Show: Being Human. It might have had a shaky second year but Series 3 was a return to form.

Least Improved Show: Dexter. Again, Season 6 had it's drawbacks.

Best TV Partnership: Eleven/Amy/Rory/River became a much tougher and more formidable in Doctor Who, so them naturally.

Worst TV Partnership: Morgana and Agravaine in Merlin. Neither were particularly on fine form, were they?

Best Use Of Music: Skins. Season 5 provided some good music, except maybe Rich's episode.

HoYay Award: The Knights in Merlin. Let's face it, the poor lads didn't do much else during Series 4.

2012 Hopeful: Sinbad. Here's hoping it's a success for Sky1.

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