Channel 4<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Channel 4<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Another strong year for Taskmaster<\/a>, 2023 brought us not one but two seasons of the absurd Channel 4 entertainment show. Pitch-perfect casting is key when it comes to distinguishing the great Taskmaster from the average, and season 15 took the crown this year, featuring an almost entirely brilliant line-up. Highlights included Ivo Graham constantly trying to impress father figure Frankie Boyle, Ivo Graham\u2019s delectably earnest approach to every task and Ivo Graham\u2019s multiple on-camera breakdowns throughout the season.<\/span><\/p>\n
Kiell Smith-Bynoe\u2019s dramatic facial expressions and original ditty \u2018On the Bargepole, For Me\u2019 were worth tuning in for alone, but the task that had contestants attempting to strike the most drum skins and cymbals with a single bounce of a bouncy ball was what gave us the best Taskmaster moment of the year, eliciting a moment of pure joy from the often cranky Frankie in the form of a giggle that will go down in the show\u2019s history books. \u2013 Minnie Wright<\/a>, News Editor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
29. Top Boy<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\"Sully$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Netflix<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Netflix<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Across its five seasons, Top Boy has earned its spot in TV history, chronicling the cyclical yet endearing relationship between drug dealers Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson). Landing on Channel 4 in 2011, nobody could have predicted that Top Boy would be revived years later by Netflix, only further cementing it as part of the canon of must-watch British drama.<\/span><\/p>\n
The final season was a return to gloriously tense form. While Dushane\u2019s decisions were increasingly head-scratching, the pace and tone of this final act underlined the painfully high stakes that were at play in Summerhouse \u2013 and they always have been in this estate-based drama, underlined by subplots about deportation, gentrification and domestic abuse. <\/span><\/p>\n
Lest we forget Barry Keoghan and Brian Gleeson\u2019s excellent (but brief) guest appearances in the final season, which will be remembered for a closing scene that will go down as one of the most shocking series endings. Top Boy will be sorely missed, leaving a legacy of spearheading rising Black talent like Jasmine Jobson and forging an acting path for music stars like Kano and Little Simz, while also demonstrating the kind of captivating tension that so many TV thrillers could only hope to achieve. \u2013\u00a0Morgan Cormack<\/a>, Drama Writer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
28. Gen V<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\"Patrick$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Brooke Palmer\/Prime Video<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on Prime Video<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
It was risky business giving The Boys<\/a> a spin-off. The Prime Video show, penned by Eric Kripke, has such a particular tone, and such a specific appeal that it was hard to see how it was going to work outside the characters we know so well \u2013 but it absolutely does.<\/span><\/p>\n
From episode 1, Gen V continues everything we love about the original show while introducing intriguing new characters, exploring dark and gripping new stories, and purposefully moving the story on in a way that The Boys season 4 can now embrace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Of course, we had a few cameos \u2013 particularly in that explosive finale \u2013 but they certainly didn\u2019t take away from the brilliant new characters we met in Gen V \u2013 the likes of Jaz Sinclair\u2019s Marie Moreau and Jordan Li, brilliantly brought to life by London Thor and Derek Luh. It\u2019s no surprise that the series was so quickly renewed for season 2. \u2013\u00a0Louise Griffin<\/a>, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
[squirrel-affiliate-playlist squirrel_playlist_id=\u201d609\u2033 \/]<\/p>\n
27. The Traitors: Australia<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\"The$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
BBC\/Nigel Wright\/Endemol Australia & All3Media International<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BBC iPlayer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
The Traitors<\/a> took the UK by storm when it premiered on BBC One in November 2022. Like many others, I couldn\u2019t get enough of the suspenseful game, which sees 22 contestants moving into a castle and competing in a series of challenges to win up to \u00a3120,000. The catch, however, is that among the loyal players there are some traitors who have the power to take out contestants one by one\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n
I was so hooked that I just needed more, and thankfully BBC iPlayer acquired the Australian series in July 2023, following its 2022 launch down under. From Married at First Sight Australia to Love Island Australia, when it comes to reality TV, the Aussies just know how to do it! And they didn\u2019t disappoint with their first season of The Traitors. <\/span><\/p>\n
Hosted by actor Rodger Corser, the show followed the exact same format as UK version, with three traitors being selected at the beginning and getting to \u201cmurder\u201d players in the night. With a diverse line-up including some very funny characters, lots of twists along the way and the intense banishments, The Traitors: Australia gave everything it needed to give. And once again, the game proved not to judge a book by its cover, with the least expected players managing to pull the wool over the eyes of their competitors and sail through to the end. If you love The Traitors, give this one a go! \u2013 Grace Henry<\/a>, Entertainment & Factual Editor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
26. Ahsoka<\/strong><\/h2>