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A fond farewell: 'Top Of The Pops

A fond farewell
Losing one epochal drama series in a year is unfortunate, but three is devastating. At least ‘The West Wing’ bowed out with characteristic grace while still, just about, at the top. The final season’s presidential election was thrillingly unpredictable, while the death of actor John Spencer (who played Leo McGarry) added almost unbearable poignancy. ‘Prime Suspect’, on the other hand, outstayed its welcome by a couple of series, with the final, mawkish farewell to Jane/Helen (the lines were genuinely blurred) a horrible misjudgment. Watch the first few and remember it that way instead. Feature continues

The third was ‘Bad Girls’, consigned to the slammer this Christmas (see Wed 20), but unmatched for absurdly watchable silliness throughout the run. Grade – you know what to do. Scabrously funny cult hospital drama ‘Bodies’ flatlines this December, as does the ever-divisive ‘Green Wing’, but will the latter close with another literal cliffhanger? Many more will mourn the demise of tradsitcom ‘The Vicar Of Dibley’ than that of the very tired ‘Will And Grace’ and although the axe was overdue for ‘Top Of The Pops’, that doesn’t make its messy, ill-handled execution any less grisly to contemplate. It deserved better.

Guilty pleasure: 'Celebrity Big Brother'

Guilty pleasures
Obviously there were many good reasons why E4’s ‘Beauty And The Geek’ was all wrong, but during its run it became funny and sweet enough to render them all irrelevant. After two thrilling series of ‘Doctor Who’ we were gasping to know what Russell T Davies would do with post watershed spin-off ‘Torchwood’. Not enough, as it happened, but we still found ourselves watching this loveable piece of camp. We’re still not sure whether we liked ITV1’s ‘Jane Hall’ because it appeared during the channel’s almost uniquely dismal summer or simply because it was a charming, nicely performed and oddly touching comedy drama. As for the ultimate guilty pleasure of all, how amazing was C4’s ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ this year? The antics of Galloway, Burns, Barrymore et al will take some beating, but we’re looking forward to seeing someone try.

Do you agree? Tell us about your TV and radio hits and misses of 2006?