đ Share this article This Drifting Poo Was Far Too Symbolic! It's the TV Letdowns of the Year. Looking back, we consider the television landscape of the recent year, a handful of series stand out not for their excellence, but for their notable shortcomings. From cringe-inducing sequels to bafflingly poor docuseries, here are the programmes that left us utterly bewildered or just reaching for the remote. And Just Like That How to start with this love/hate follow-up? Plagued with woeful writing, cringe-inducing character development (justice for Miranda!), and a paltry 71 seconds of fan-favourite Samantha, the show fought to find its footing. For a moment, as the final series started, it looked like it had at last found its groove. Then came an installment centered on Seemaâs natural deodorant. Little surprise the showrunner declared this would be the last series. It ended on a bum note; the lingering shot of Mirandaâs loo full of poo was just way too symbolic. Yet, viewers certainly found joy dissecting every single âwtf?â episode. And as Carrie â a single woman once more â twirled around her sprawling townhouse to Barry White, who couldn't release a little sob? The Kim Kardashian Drama âCan Kim Kardashian act? The answer is a resounding no.â But that was almost the smallest of this drama's issues. The subject of a very rare no-star assessment, it was difficult to know where to begin enumerating the flaws. The hilariously wooden dialogue? The mind-numbing veneration of affluence and consumption? The seemingly wilful procession of tropes? Acting so poor they felt almost malicious? Suffice it to say âall of the aboveâ and never speak of this show again. Except, a second season has been ordered, so weâre likely going to have to. The Charlie Sheen Documentary Considering the restraining orders, abuse claims and fatherly shortcomings, itâs reasonable to say Charlie Sheen has been a troubled figure. Not youâd really have gleaned it from this three-part docuseries which chuckled along at Sheenâs various episodes of self-destructive excess while failing to tell us anything we didnât already know. Instead, it felt as if this loose cannon was being pandered to, so any sympathy this show might induce should be reserved for the people who have had to suffer proximity with this charming but flippant narcissist. The Iris Affair Of course we knew it was ridiculous from the get-go: a drama about a AI known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either save the world â or destroy all of humanity. We stuck with it out of pure love for its stars ⊠but by the end, it felt like even they had given up trying. One scarcely cared when his character died, and the other ended up hacking Charlie with an axe ⊠in super slow-motion. Talk about admitting defeat. The Gangster Drama Shady figures convening in empty boxing gyms? The Prodigyâs Firestarter blaring in club scenes? The late 90s called and wants its crime drama back. In truth, that is unfair on the gangland dramas of the late 90s. Many seem a little old-fashioned now, but at least they didnât suffer the ignominy of having to accommodate baffling accents. But there were plenty of other problems. Mainly that it was just profoundly boring; a conflict over narcotics territory between various cockney picaresques which felt rather simplistic. The Meghan Markle Series Considering the extent to which she grinds the gears of certain performatively enraged commentators, itâs temptingly easy to admire the Duchess of Sussexâs televised forays into quaint lifestyle as intentional provocations. But then you watch them and are forced to concede that in this case, they might have a point. Itâs like watching a lifestyle magazine come to life; a meme for wine oâclock with ideas of grandeur; a parade of sleeping dogs, humming beehives, Hallmark platitudes and forgettable crafting âhacksâ youâll forget instantly. All supported by immense, mostly unearned wealth. Ugh. Victoria Beckham There are obviously interesting things to be said about regarding Victoria Beckham and her journey with vocation, self-image, self-worth. But for whatever reason, this documentary series chose not to say them. Instead, the viewing was like consuming a sales catalogue. She clearly has good reason to bridle at what she describes as her âsternâ image. But unfortunately, she didnât do herself any favours with this cagey letdown of a series. The Inheritance It had the potential to be the next cultural phenomenon â except even camper, with a glamorous star as a deceased benefactor and a well-known personality overseeing her estate. What more could you want? As contestants competed, there was plenty of backstabbing and arguing. But the rules quickly became bewildering: itâs even now too complicated to detail what exactly was happening. Even more regrettably, we only saw brief appearances of the star via prerecorded videos. The show ended up smelling of a programme that was trying way too hard to live up to something far greater than it. Too Much How does one follow a show that defined a generation? The expectation was immense for this glitzy romcom about Jessica, a rosy-eyed New Yorker who lands in London with a broken heart. The star seized the opportunity by the horns and was joyous to watch, reveling in Jane Austen levels of romantic notions. But it was all very glossy and, ironically, was insufficient. Plus, the sheer amount of famous friends involved felt uncomfortable. Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping Not good enough to be âunevenâ. Given the shrewd inclusion of talented emerging comics, hopes were high. But sadly, most of it didnât land. A particular sketch was a one-note joke milked to a husk but recurring in every episode. One star seemed too ready to slip into a familiar irate mode. The behind-the-scenes sketches, meanwhile, simply provoked the idea that they should probably have remained in there a while longer. The Knox Dramatisation This dramatisation of the story of Amanda Knox was overseen by Amanda Knox and pretty much exclusively presented the viewpoint of Amanda Knox. So, while there undoubtedly is an compelling drama to be made about the tragic 2007 murder, this was not it. The material needed to be handled sensitively. Instead, the series struggled painfully to find the right tone, lurching from oddly jaunty, slightly stylised farce to inevitably, real-life horror. Complex? Perhaps. A total mess? Very much so. The Maths Genius Thriller We admire the star ⊠but did we buy him playing the greatest maths genius in history, a man so smart heâs on the verge of a discovery that could destabilise society? Nope! This international thriller about government agencies spying on â and eliminating â intellectuals honestly got more farcical by the second. Formulaic nonsense. 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story This hagiography followed the online personality renowned for explicit escapades as she undertook her biggest challenge yet. What on earth would possess her? What we wanted was way more interrogation of her actual psyche, plus those of the men in the line. They could at least have interviewed the now-famous mum who showed up to haul her son away from the queue. What we got was horrific imagery and zero interrogation of her infamy whatsoever. And to think, the documentary-maker has a teenage daughter too.