🔗 Share this article This Drifting Poo Was Far Too Symbolic! These Are the TV Disappointments of the Year. Looking back, we consider the TV landscape of the past year, a selection of shows stand out not for their brilliance, but for their spectacular shortcomings. From cringe-inducing sequels to bafflingly bad documentaries, here are the productions that left us utterly bewildered or just reaching for the remote. The 'Sex and the City' Sequel How to start with this love/hate spin-off? Plagued with woeful scripts, painful arcs (justice for Miranda!), and a mere 71 seconds of fan-favourite Samantha, the series fought to justify its existence. Briefly, as the third series began, it looked like it had at last hit its stride. Then came an episode centered on Seema’s natural deodorant. Little surprise the creator announced this would be the final series. It ended on a low point; the lingering shot of Miranda’s loo full of poo was simply too symbolic. Still, fans certainly found joy dissecting every single “what on earth?” episode. And as Carrie – once again single – twirled around her palatial townhouse to Barry White, who couldn't let out a small sob? All’s Fair ‘Is Kim Kardashian an actress? Of course she can’t.’ But that was almost the smallest of this show's issues. The subject of a exceedingly uncommon zero star assessment, it was difficult to know where to start listing the problems. The laughably leaden writing? The mind-numbing veneration of wealth and consumption? The seemingly deliberate parade of cliches? Performances so bad they felt almost spiteful? Suffice it to say “each and every one” and forget about this series again. Except, a second season has been ordered, so we’re likely going to have to. AKA Charlie Sheen Considering the restraining orders, abuse allegations and fatherly failures, it’s reasonable to say Charlie Sheen has been a troubled figure. Not that you’d truly have known it from this multi-part docuseries which chuckled along at Sheen’s various episodes of reckless hedonism while struggling to tell us a single thing we weren't already aware of. Instead, it felt as if this volatile personality was being indulged, so any pity this series might induce should be reserved for the people who have had to suffer close contact with this charismatic but dismissive narcissist. The Iris Affair Of course we understood it was preposterous from the get-go: a drama about a supercomputer known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either save the world – or annihilate all of humanity. We persevered out of sheer admiration for its leads … but by the end, it felt like even they had stopped bothering. One scarcely cared when his character died, and the other ultimately slicing Charlie with an axe … in painfully slow-motion. That's what you call admitting defeat. The Gangster Drama Shady characters meeting in empty boxing gyms? A certain band's Firestarter blaring in club scenes? The late 90s called and demands its crime drama back. In truth, that is unfair on the crime shows of the late 90s. Many seem a bit old-fashioned now, but at least they didn’t endure the embarrassment of having to indulge unconvincing dialects. But there were many other problems. Primarily that it was just profoundly boring; a conflict over narcotics territory between various cockney rogues which felt a bit basic. With Love, Meghan Given the degree to which she grinds the gears of the nation’s ostentatiously enraged commentators, it’s almost easy to admire the Duchess of Sussex’s various ventures into twee homemaking as intentional provocations. But then you watch them and are forced to concede that actually, they might have a point. It’s like watching a lifestyle magazine animated; a meme for evening drinks with delusions of grandeur; a parade of snoozing dogs, buzzing beehives, Hallmark platitudes and pointless crafting “hacks” you’ll not remember instantly. All supported by vast, largely unearned wealth. Ugh. The Beckham Documentary There are clearly fascinating things to be said about both Victoria Beckham and her journey with career, self-image, self-acceptance. But for some reason, this documentary series opted not to explore them. Rather, the viewing was akin to consuming a sales catalogue. She clearly has good reason to resent what she describes as her “miserable cow” image. But unfortunately, she didn’t do herself any helps with this cagey non-event of a series. The Inheritance It should have been the next cultural phenomenon – except even more extravagant, with a glamorous star playing dead and a well-known personality managing her inheritance. What more could you ask for? As contestants battled it out, there was plenty of betrayal and arguing. But the rules quickly became incomprehensible: it’s still too confusing to detail what exactly was happening. Even more disappointingly, we only saw brief appearances of the star via filmed videos. The series ended up reeking of a production that was straining desperately to emulate something far greater than it. Too Much How do you succeed a show that defined a generation? The pressure was immense for this starry romcom about Jessica, a rosy-eyed New Yorker who lands in London with a shattered romance. The star took her biggest role by the horns and was joyous to watch, embodying Jane Austen levels of romantic notions. But it was all very slick and, ironically, was insufficient. Plus, the abundance of famous friends involved felt icky. The Sketch Show Return Not even good enough to be ‘uneven’. Given the shrewd inclusion of talented emerging comics, hopes were high. But unhappily, most of it didn’t land. A recurring sketch was a single joke stretched to a husk but recurring in every episode. One star seemed too willing to slip into a well-known irate mode. The behind-the-scenes sketches, meanwhile, simply inspired the idea that they should probably have remained in there a bit longer. The Knox Dramatisation This retelling of the story of Amanda Knox was overseen by Amanda Knox and pretty much solely showcased the perspective of Amanda Knox. So, while there undoubtedly is an compelling drama to be made about the horrific 2007 murder, this isn’t it. The subject matter needed to be handled sensitively. Rather, the series struggled painfully to find the right tone, lurching from oddly breezy, slightly mannered farce to ultimately, real-life horror. Twisted? Perhaps. A complete mess? Absolutely. Prime Target We love the star … but did we buy him playing the greatest maths genius in history, a man so intelligent he’s on the verge of a breakthrough that could ruin society? Nope! This globe-trotting thriller about government agencies targeting – and killing off – intellectuals frankly got more farcical by the second. Formulaic nonsense. The Bonnie Blue Documentary This hagiography followed the content creator renowned for explicit exploits as she prepared for her biggest challenge yet. What on earth would motivate her? What we wanted was far greater interrogation of her true psychology, plus those of the men in the queue. They could at least have interviewed the legendary mum who showed up to drag her son out of the queue. What we got was horrific imagery and zero critical analysis of her notoriety whatsoever. It's staggering to consider, the filmmaker has a teenage daughter too.