49. Breeders<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Breeders\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Sky\/FX<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Available on Sky and NOW<\/strong><\/p>\n
Nimbly avoiding what might be termed \u201cthe Outnumbered problem\u201d, the creative team behind Breeders<\/a> opted for a daring strategy, employing a significant time jump<\/a> that saw parents Paul (Martin Freeman) and Ally (Daisy Haggard) no longer raising very young children \u2013 as in the first series \u2013 but instead dealing with a pair of pre-pubescent offspring and so a whole new heap of problems.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been said that the worst of \u201ccomedy-drama\u201d is neither funny enough to sit in the first camp nor powerful enough to sit in the second, but after a stellar first run Breeders proved once again in 2021 that this need not be the case \u2013 nuanced writing from series co-creators Chris Addison and Simon Blackwell and their team, coupled with outstanding performances from Freeman and Haggard, both equally as adept at delivering a one-liner as they are at portraying absolute anguish, ensured that this second series hit all the right beats. \u2013 Morgan Jeffery, Executive Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
48. I Am<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""I\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Channel 4<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Available on All 4<\/strong><\/p>\n
The female-led drama series I Am has provided a superb showcase for some of our best acting talent across its two series (the first aired in 2019), with the likes of Vicky McClure, Samantha Morton and Suranne Jones signing up for these superbly-crafted one-off tales.<\/p>\n
The nature of the beast \u2013 one-off stories, improvised from a basic story outline \u2013 means that some instalments will always work better than others, but Lesley Manville was reliably magnificent in series two capper I Am Maria<\/a> as a vital, voracious woman written off as \u201cold\u201d even by her loved ones, while in this year\u2019s premiere I Am Victoria<\/a>, the series offered its finest chapter to date.<\/p>\n
Suranne Jones was simply spellbinding in a piece based on her own experiences with mental health<\/a>: the film saw\u00a0Jones\u2019 character struggle to keep up appearances as her underlying anxieties bubbled to the surface, impacting her relationships with her friends, her husband Chris (Ashley Walters) and her sister Deborah (Alice Feetham), and while it made for claustrophobic, sometimes uncomfortable viewing, it was also powerful, poignant and, in the end, hopeful. \u2013 Morgan Jeffery, Executive Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
Exclusive \u2013 Suranne Jones reveals what was cut from Channel 4\u2019s I Am Victoria<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
47. Alma\u2019s Not Normal<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Alma's\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BBC\/Expectation TV\/Matt Squire<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BBC iPlayer, Sky and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Sophie Willan\u2019s superb pilot was commissioned for a well-deserved full series last year and it\u2019s a delight to say that it did not disappoint. Inspired by the comedian\u2019s own upbringing, this bold sitcom introduces us to Alma Nuthall as she sets about pursuing a glamorous acting career across stage and screen. However, that dream proves very difficult to realise with limited job prospects and a commitment to her vulnerable mother, a recovering addict.<\/p>\n
Make no mistake, there are some truly hysterical moments throughout this first series of Alma\u2019s Not Normal, but like many of the best comedies, it also packs a weighty emotional punch when it needs to. Willan\u2019s deft navigation of sensitive themes including life in the care system, coping with addiction and the cycle of poverty is to be applauded, explored through the three generations of Nuthall woman portrayed by herself as well as co-stars Siobhan Finneran and Lorraine Ashbourne.<\/p>\n
The series is both hilarious and heartbreaking, but what stands out most about Alma\u2019s Not Normal is its sheer authenticity. \u2013 David Craig, Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
46. The Masked Singer \/ The Masked Dancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""The\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
ITV<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Available on ITV Hub and Sky<\/strong><\/p>\n
The weird and wonderful The Masked Singer<\/a> came back with a bang this year, with 12 new characters and a new judge in the form of comedian Mo Gilligan, who took over from Ken Jeong. From a singing sausage to a lyrical blob and dragon, series two didn\u2019t come to play, as the unmasking revealed huge names from the showbiz world. And just when we thought we\u2019d seen enough crazy, ITV treated fans to the The Masked Dancer<\/a>, which aired across a week in February. Just as bizarre as its sister show, TMD saw celebs dressed up in wild costumes while trying to impress a panel of judges, including Strictly\u2019s Oti Mabuse. Cue WhatsApp group chats and notepads full of celeb names as the guessing game commenced! \u2013 Grace Henry, Entertainment and Factual Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
45. The Beast Must Die<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Cush\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BritBox<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BritBox<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
As the first ever original drama commissioned by BritBox, the streaming service has set the bar very high for itself with The Beast Must Die. Cush Jumbo steals the show in this reimagining of the Nicholas Blake novel, portraying a grieving mother who infiltrates a wealthy (yet dysfunctional) family, believing the patriarch is responsible for the death of her infant son. Effortlessly shifting between the convincing facade she presents to the world and private expressions of raw emotional pain, this is certainly up there with the most engrossing performances of the year.<\/p>\n
Jumbo is given some strong screen partners in the form of Jared Harris, her conceited target, and Billy Howle, a traumatised detective leading a parallel investigation. The five-part series keeps you guessing throughout, perfectly paced by writer Gaby Chiappe and eerily scored by composer Matthew Herbert. In a television landscape frankly overpopulated by detective dramas, The Beast Must Die stands out as head and shoulders above its peers. \u2013 David Craig, Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
44. Doctor Who<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Doctor\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Available on BBC iPlayer, Sky and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Jodie Whittaker\u2019s final full Doctor Who<\/a> series also proved to be her best, providing the Thirteenth Doctor with a pacy, action-packed adventure full of great cliffhangers, big twists and an all-time great episode in Chris Chibnall and Maxine Alderton\u2019s Village of the Angels<\/a>.<\/p>\n
As the Doctor tracked down the Division, battled Swarm and Azure and tried to hold back the Flux over the course of six interlinked episodes, fans were on the edge of their seats and trying to solve every mystery.<\/p>\n
Who were the Mouri? What were Vinder and Bel\u2019s backstories? How did UNIT change, and what did any of it have to do with the absent Time Lords? There was so much going on, it was a surprise they managed to wrap everything up as neatly as they did in the finale.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t a perfect series \u2013 there were a lot of underdeveloped characters, bizarre plot moves and some strange storytelling decisions \u2013 but in the face of COVID disaster, the Who team pulled off a miracle by creating the pandemic-proof Doctor Who: Flux. Frankly, it\u2019s a rescue the Doctor would\u2019ve been proud of herself. \u2013 Huw Fullerton, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Editor<\/b><\/p>\n
43. Ghosts<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Ghosts\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BBC iPlayer, Sky and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Ghosts<\/a> isn\u2019t always full of belly laughs \u2013 it\u2019s more gentle amusement than raucous comedy \u2013 but it\u2019s still become one of the best shows on TV.<\/p>\n
Perfectly conceived, performed and plotted in every episode, series three was a particular triumph from the creators (so-called \u2018Six Idiots\u2019 Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, Mathew Baynton and Ben Willbond), delving into stormier emotional waters as second-sighted human Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) discovered an unknown family connection.<\/p>\n
The ghosts themselves also had their own spiritual journeys (sorry), as yet more details were tantalisingly teased out about their former lives, deaths and the deep sadness many of them carry behind their ridiculous, exaggerated personas.<\/p>\n
Really, it\u2019s a show that could go on for years to come \u2013 and with season four already on the cards, we\u2019re a long way off exorcising Button House any time soon. \u2013 Huw Fullerton, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Editor<\/b><\/p>\n
42. Starstruck<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Rose\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BBC<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAvailable on BBC iPlayer and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
A few years ago, I squeezed into a small, hot room at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to watch some stand-up from a comedian I wasn\u2019t familiar with. My boyfriend, who had booked the tickets, assured me that he\u2019d heard good things, and those things turned out to be true.<\/p>\n
Rose Matafeo had me from the word go and I\u2019ve remained invested in her career (and enviable hair) ever since, so it was a given that I\u2019d inhale Starstruck in a single sitting and fall wildly in love with it.<\/p>\n
Matafeo, who teamed up with\u00a0Alice Snedden to write the series, also stars as Jessie, a woman who winds up having a one-night stand with a big-time movie star (Nikesh Patel). But she doesn\u2019t clock who he is until\u00a0after<\/i>\u00a0their dalliance when she stumbles across a giant poster of his face. It doesn\u2019t take long for their unexpected encounter to morph into something more and before long, they\u2019re all up in one another\u2019s\u00a0~ feelings ~.<\/p>\n
Not only is Starstruck funny and effortlessly watchable, you firmly believe in the romance at the heart of the narrative.\u00a0Matafeo and Patel have wonderful on-screen chemistry and you root for them every step of the way,\u00a0cursing anything that threatens to derail their blossoming romance. That\u2019s a hard trick to pull off, but they make it easy look easy. \u2013 Abby Robinson, Drama Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
41. The Pursuit of Love<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\""Pursuit\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Available on BBC iPlayer and to buy on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Lily James took a starring role in an adaptation of Nancy Mitford\u2019s The Pursuit of Love, the glorious BBC series that followed the stories of two cousins who were seeking different outcomes in life.<\/p>\n
James played Linda Radlett, a free and wild teenager who longed for love and passion, that could only be found in a man. Emily Beecham plays the young and naive Fanny Logan, who is at once in awe and slightly terrified of her cousin\u2019s whimsy, with Andrew Scott as Lord Merlin, the flamboyant neighbour who teaches Linda to dream bigger than expectations for a woman in the 1940s.<\/p>\n
While the drama was criticised by some for being too slow, and a little predictable, this BBC series offered a fun and honest retelling of Mitford\u2019s novel. James was a particular highlight, playing Linda on the edge of naivety and borderline annoyance, but with enough heart that you simply warmed to this young woman with a big dream.<\/p>\n
The Pursuit of Love was whimsical and yet fierce, reminding us all to aim for the sky. \u2013 Helen Daly, Associate Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n
Find something to watch now with our TV Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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