🔗 Share this article That Floating Excrement Was Far Too Symbolic! It's the TV Disappointments of the Past Year. Looking back, we reflect on the television offerings of the past year, a handful of shows stand out not for their excellence, but for their notable failures. Ranging from awkward sequels to bafflingly bad docuseries, here are the productions that left us scratching our heads or simply reaching for the remote. The 'Sex and the City' Sequel Where to begin with this love/hate spin-off? Plagued with woeful writing, painful arcs (we demand better for Miranda!), and a mere 71 seconds of beloved Samantha, the show fought to justify its existence. For a moment, as the final series started, it seemed as if it had at last found its groove. Then came an installment all about Seema’s natural deodorant. No wonder the creator announced this would be the last series. It concluded on a bum note; the lingering shot of Miranda’s toilet flooded with poo was just way too symbolic. Yet, fans certainly had a hoot picking apart every single “what on earth?” moment. And as Carrie – a single woman once more – twirled around her sprawling townhouse to Barry White, who couldn't let out a small sob? The Kim Kardashian Drama ‘Is Kim Kardashian an actress? The answer is a resounding no.’ But that was practically the smallest of this drama's problems. The subject of a very rare no-star assessment, it was difficult to know where to begin listing the flaws. The hilariously leaden writing? The mind-numbing glorification of affluence and materialism? The seemingly wilful procession of cliches? Acting so bad they felt borderline malicious? Suffice it to say “all of the above” and forget about this show again. However, a second season has been commissioned, so we’re probably going to have to. The Charlie Sheen Documentary Considering the legal troubles, domestic violence allegations and parental shortcomings, it’s fair to say Charlie Sheen has been a bad boy. Not that you’d truly have gleaned it from this three-part documentary which smirked its way at Sheen’s various bouts of self-destructive excess while struggling 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 pity this show might evoke should be reserved for the people who have had to suffer proximity with this charismatic but dismissive egotist. The Supercomputer Drama Naturally we understood it was preposterous from the get-go: a thriller about a AI known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either solve global crises – or destroy all of humanity. We stuck with it out of pure admiration for its leads … 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 slicing Charlie with an axe … in super slow-motion. Talk about giving up the ghost. MobLand Dodgy characters meeting in empty boxing gyms? A certain band's 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 look a little dated now, but at least they didn’t endure the ignominy of having to accommodate baffling dialects. But there were plenty of other issues. Mainly that it was just really boring; a dispute over narcotics territory between various cockney rogues which seemed a bit basic. The Meghan Markle Series Given the extent to which she provokes the ire of the nation’s performatively angry commentators, it’s temptingly easy to applaud the Duchess of Sussex’s various forays into twee homemaking as deliberate provocations. But then you watch them and are compelled to concede that actually, they may have a point. It’s like watching a homeware magazine animated; a meme for evening drinks with ideas of grandeur; a parade of sleeping dogs, buzzing beehives, sentimental sayings and pointless crafting “tips” you’ll forget instantly. All underpinned by vast, mostly undeserved wealth. Ugh. Victoria Beckham There are obviously interesting things to be discussed about regarding Victoria Beckham and her journey with career, identity, self-acceptance. But for whatever reason, this three-part series opted not to explore them. Rather, the experience was akin to consuming a sales brochure. She obviously has every right to resent what she describes as her “miserable cow” image. But sadly, she didn’t do herself any favours with this guarded non-event of a series. The Game Show It had the potential to be the next big hit – except even more extravagant, with a glamorous star playing dead and a well-known personality overseeing her estate. What more could you want? As players competed, there was plenty of backstabbing and squabbling. But the rules quickly became incomprehensible: it’s still too confusing to explain what exactly was happening. Even more disappointingly, we only saw glimpses of the star via prerecorded videos. The series ended up reeking of a programme that was trying way too hard to emulate something far greater than it. The Lena Dunham Romcom How do you succeed a show that defined a generation? The pressure was enormous for this glitzy romantic comedy about Jessica, a rosy-eyed New Yorker who lands in London with a shattered romance. 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 slick and, ironically, was insufficient. Plus, the sheer amount of famous friends involved felt uncomfortable. The Sketch Show Return Not even good enough to be ‘uneven’. Given the smart recruitment of gifted emerging comics, expectations were high. But sadly, most of it didn’t land. A recurring sketch was a single joke milked to a dry pulp but recurring in every episode. One star seemed too ready to slip into a familiar ranting mode. The behind-the-scenes sketches, meanwhile, simply provoked the thought 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 material needed to be handled with care. Instead, the series struggled painfully to find the right voice, lumbering from strangely breezy, slightly stylised farce to ultimately, real-life horror. Complex? Perhaps. A total mess? Absolutely. Prime Target We love the star … but did we believe him playing the most brilliant maths genius since, a man so smart he’s on the brink of a breakthrough that could ruin society? Nope! This international thriller about secret services targeting – and eliminating – academics honestly got more absurd by the second. Formulaic nonsense. 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story This uncritical portrait followed the content creator renowned for sexual exploits as she prepared for her most extreme feat yet. What on earth would motivate her? What we wanted was far greater interrogation of her true psyche, plus those of the men in the queue. They could at least have spoken to the now-famous mum who appeared to haul her son out of the queue. What we got was disturbing imagery and absolutely no critical analysis of her notoriety whatsoever. It's staggering to consider, the documentary-maker has a teenage daughter too.