🔗 Share this article That Drifting Excrement Was Way Too Meaningful! These Are the TV Disappointments of the Year. Looking back, we reflect on the television landscape of the recent year, a handful of shows emerge not for their excellence, but for their spectacular shortcomings. From awkward sequels to bafflingly bad docuseries, here are the programmes that left us utterly bewildered or simply reaching for the remote. The 'Sex and the City' Sequel Where to begin with this love/hate spin-off? Burdened with dreadful writing, painful character development (we demand better for Miranda!), and a paltry 71 seconds of beloved Samantha, the series struggled to justify its existence. Briefly, as the final series started, it looked like it had finally found its groove. Then came an episode centered on Seema’s natural deodorant. Little surprise the showrunner declared this would be the last series. It concluded on a low point; the closeup of Miranda’s loo flooded with poo was just way too on-the-nose. Still, viewers certainly had a hoot picking apart every single “what on earth?” moment. And as Carrie – once again single – danced around her sprawling townhouse to Barry White, who couldn't let out a little sob? The Kim Kardashian Drama ‘Is Kim Kardashian an actress? The answer is a resounding no.’ But that was almost the smallest of this show's issues. The recipient of a very rare no-star assessment, it was difficult to know where to start enumerating the problems. The hilariously leaden dialogue? The tedious glorification of affluence and consumption? The almost deliberate procession of cliches? Performances so poor they felt almost malicious? Suffice it to say “each and every one” and never speak of this show again. Except, a second season has been ordered, so we’re likely going to have to. The Charlie Sheen Documentary Considering the restraining orders, domestic violence allegations and fatherly failures, it’s fair to say Charlie Sheen has been a bad boy. Not you’d truly have gleaned it from this three-part documentary which smirked its way at Sheen’s various episodes of self-destructive hedonism while failing to tell us a single thing we weren't already aware of. Rather, it felt as if this volatile personality was being pandered to, so any sympathy this show might evoke should be reserved for the people who have had to suffer proximity with this charming but flippant narcissist. The Iris Affair Naturally we understood it was preposterous from the outset: a drama about a AI known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either solve global crises – or annihilate all of humanity. We stuck with it out of pure admiration for its stars … but by the end, it felt like even they had given up trying. One scarcely reacted when his character died, and the other ended up hacking Charlie with an axe … in painfully slow-motion. That's what you call admitting defeat. The Gangster Drama Shady characters meeting in deserted boxing gyms? A certain band's Firestarter blaring in club scenes? The late 90s called and demands its gangland drama back. In truth, that is harsh on the gangland dramas of the late 90s. Many look a bit dated now, but at least they didn’t endure the embarrassment of having to indulge baffling accents. But there were plenty of other problems. Mainly that it was just profoundly boring; a conflict over drug-selling territory between various London rogues which seemed a bit basic. With Love, Meghan Considering the degree to which she provokes the ire of the nation’s performatively angry commentators, it’s temptingly easy to admire the Duchess of Sussex’s various ventures into quaint homemaking as intentional statements. But then you watch them and are compelled to admit that actually, they might have a point. It’s like watching a homeware catalogue animated; a meme for evening drinks with delusions of grandeur; a procession of sleeping dogs, humming beehives, sentimental platitudes and forgettable crafting “tips” you’ll forget instantly. All supported by immense, largely unearned wealth. Ugh. The Beckham Documentary 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 explore them. Rather, the experience was like reading a sales brochure. She obviously has good reason to resent what she describes as her “stern” image. But unfortunately, she failed to do herself any favours with this guarded non-event of a series. The Inheritance It had the potential to be the next big hit – except even camper, with a glamorous star as a deceased benefactor and a sharp-tongued personality managing her inheritance. What more could you ask for? As contestants battled it out, there was plenty of betrayal and squabbling. But the rules quickly became bewildering: it’s even now too complicated to detail what precisely was happening. Even more disappointingly, we only saw brief appearances of the star via prerecorded videos. The show ended up smelling of a production that was trying way too hard to emulate something way beyond it. The Lena Dunham Romcom How does one succeed a show that captured a generation? The pressure was enormous for this starry romcom about Jessica, a hopeful New Yorker who arrives 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 ideals. But it was all very slick and, ironically, was insufficient. Plus, the sheer amount of famous cameos involved felt uncomfortable. The Sketch Show Return Not even good enough to be ‘uneven’. Given the smart recruitment of talented younger comics, hopes were high. But unhappily, most of it didn’t land. A particular sketch was a one-note joke milked to a dry pulp but recurring in every episode. One star seemed too willing to slip into a familiar irate mode. The behind-the-scenes sketches, meanwhile, simply inspired the idea that they should probably have stayed in there a while longer. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox This dramatisation of the story of Amanda Knox was executive produced by Amanda Knox and pretty much solely presented the viewpoint of Amanda Knox. So, while there undoubtedly is an interesting drama to be made about the horrific 2007 murder, this was not it. The subject matter needed to be treated sensitively. Rather, the series struggled painfully to find the right tone, lumbering from oddly breezy, slightly stylised farce to inevitably, real-life horror. Complex? Perhaps. A total mess? Absolutely. Prime Target We admire the star … but did we believe him playing the most brilliant maths genius in history, a man so intelligent he’s on the verge of a discovery that could destabilise society? No! This international thriller about government agencies spying on – and killing off – academics frankly got more absurd by the second. Formulaic nonsense. 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story This uncritical portrait followed the online personality renowned for explicit escapades as she undertook her most extreme feat yet. What on earth would possess her? What we wanted was far greater examination of her true psychology, plus those of the men in the queue. They could at least have spoken to the legendary mum who appeared to haul her son out of the queue. What we got was disturbing shots and zero interrogation of her notoriety whatsoever. And to think, the documentary-maker has a young daughter too.