Your favourite dramas of 2013?
davey_wavey
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As we near the end of 2013, what are your favourite dramas of the year? Here are my top 10 picks (do you agree with me?):
1. The Fall - excellent drama on BBC2. Every episode was absolutely gripping, with both lead actors putting in consistently excellent performances. The ending left some people divided, but I quite liked how it was left hanging... the whole series was enthralling and watching it was like riding a rollercoaster. I really didn't want it to end. It's my number one drama of the year.
2. Peaky Blinders - Another drama on BBC2. Gripped by every episode, excellent acting from the lead cast and it had an absolutely brilliant ending. It was very atmospheric and had excellent production values, along with strong writing throughout.
3. Death in Paradise - excellent mystery series, with a great backdrop. A perfect escape from the dark winter months.
4. Silent Witness - The 17th series is starting in January and despite being on since 1996, this series still delivers with excellent storytelling.
5. Broadchurch - One of the biggest successes for ITV this year. A strong cast, with twists and turns throughout. This was a prime example of traditional weekly drama still being alive and well within the TV landscape.
6. Spiral - The fourth series was shown earlier in the year on BBC4. This series is intelligent, doesn't patronise and is drama for grown ups. With well drawn characters and story strands intelligently woven together, this is a dramatic masterpiece.
7. Wentworth Prison - The first series was shown on Channel 5 this year. This was a gritty drama, with a talented cast and the last four episodes were so gripping, they had to be watched in a marathon viewing!
8. The Returned - a French zombie series shown on Channel 4. This series had so many layers. Like Spiral, it was atmospheric throughout, the characterisation was three dimensional and the different story strands left a lot to interpret and think about.
9. What Remains - A mystery series shown recently on BBC1, where a woman was found dead in her attic and nobody realised that she was there. There were lots of questions throughout the series, but the finale was a very satisfying hour of TV which answered plenty and was gripping throughout.
10. Black Mirror - Charlie Brooker showed us what could be a very scary reality, in this modern technology obsessed world. In particular, the episode 'White Rabbit' really affected me as it confronted the viewers with the dangerous attitudes towards mob mentality. I couldn't sleep after watching that episode as it creeped me out so much and I was left thinking about the episode for weeks afterwards. A piece of television that has stayed with me throughout the year.
1. The Fall - excellent drama on BBC2. Every episode was absolutely gripping, with both lead actors putting in consistently excellent performances. The ending left some people divided, but I quite liked how it was left hanging... the whole series was enthralling and watching it was like riding a rollercoaster. I really didn't want it to end. It's my number one drama of the year.
2. Peaky Blinders - Another drama on BBC2. Gripped by every episode, excellent acting from the lead cast and it had an absolutely brilliant ending. It was very atmospheric and had excellent production values, along with strong writing throughout.
3. Death in Paradise - excellent mystery series, with a great backdrop. A perfect escape from the dark winter months.
4. Silent Witness - The 17th series is starting in January and despite being on since 1996, this series still delivers with excellent storytelling.
5. Broadchurch - One of the biggest successes for ITV this year. A strong cast, with twists and turns throughout. This was a prime example of traditional weekly drama still being alive and well within the TV landscape.
6. Spiral - The fourth series was shown earlier in the year on BBC4. This series is intelligent, doesn't patronise and is drama for grown ups. With well drawn characters and story strands intelligently woven together, this is a dramatic masterpiece.
7. Wentworth Prison - The first series was shown on Channel 5 this year. This was a gritty drama, with a talented cast and the last four episodes were so gripping, they had to be watched in a marathon viewing!
8. The Returned - a French zombie series shown on Channel 4. This series had so many layers. Like Spiral, it was atmospheric throughout, the characterisation was three dimensional and the different story strands left a lot to interpret and think about.
9. What Remains - A mystery series shown recently on BBC1, where a woman was found dead in her attic and nobody realised that she was there. There were lots of questions throughout the series, but the finale was a very satisfying hour of TV which answered plenty and was gripping throughout.
10. Black Mirror - Charlie Brooker showed us what could be a very scary reality, in this modern technology obsessed world. In particular, the episode 'White Rabbit' really affected me as it confronted the viewers with the dangerous attitudes towards mob mentality. I couldn't sleep after watching that episode as it creeped me out so much and I was left thinking about the episode for weeks afterwards. A piece of television that has stayed with me throughout the year.
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Comments
- Doctor Who
- The Escape Artist
- Broadchurch
- Ripper Street
- By Any Means
The Returned
Spiral
Borgen
The Mill
The Fall
Spiral
Borgen
Broadchurch
The Returned
Dancing on the Edge
The Tunnel
Black Mirror
Doctor Who (the 50th anniversary episode)
The Tunnel
The Fall
Sleepy Hollow
Last Tango in Halifax
Bates Motel
The Tunnel
Ripper Street
2. Being Human
3. By Any Means
Nothing else appealed really. I just watched and forgot most of them. I particularly didn't like Peaky Blinders which was incomprehensible! And The Paradise was too sugary for me.
As "event tv" Broadchurch was brilliant, but looking back the writing, while good, wasn't exceptional so I personally wouldn't put it up there with my favourite dramas. I did really like it and the acting was top notch but there was always an element or two missing.
Enjoyed Death in Paradise, but the joy of it isn't the case work for me-its the glorious stand-offish relationship between strait laced Richard and lovely Camille. Their slow warming friendship is fascinating to watch and it wont be half the show when he leaves.
EDIT-a quick note for the final episode of What Remains-it was like watching a Hammer horror flick. Completely unexpected but fascinating non the less.
The Bridge
Borgen
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Being Human
The Blacklist
Young Montalbano
In The Flesh
The Returned
Psych
Spiral
The Returned
By Any Means
I liked what Utopia was trying to achieve, but its unique production values were always more entertaining than the story.
I'm torn about watching Black Mirror, because while I know it's pretty much dystopic dramatic perfection, the talent show episode from the first series hit me so hard that I could never find the energy to finish the series; I don't think I'd ever felt quite so emotionally drained from a TV series before.
The Fall was good too.
doctor who 50th
Mrs Biggs if that was this year I cant remember.
I love Black Mirror, White Bear in particular worried me as this could easily become reality.
I also enjoyed Broadchurch.
Also loved Sleepy Hollow - unexpectedly good fun with great chemistry between the leads.
Orphan Black - Tatiana Maslany was a revelation in this.
Don't wipe gloves without tears. A drama just recently shown on BBC 4 about how AIDS impacted on a community in Sweden. Terrific performances and completely involving. Some scenes were quite upsetting though.
Just recently discovered and watched both series of Last tango in Halifax. A real joy to watch.
Broadchurch. Great to get involved in this drama. Strong performances.
The Fall. Very interesting premise and loved Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan's performances.
Last Tango in Halifax
Dr Who
I watched lots of the others but the above are my favourites
Frankie
Lightfields
The Mill
What Remains
By Any Means
As the OP said, Broadchurch showed us that a single story played out over 8 weeks can still captivate and hold an audience. Too many shows these days try to cram everything into a couple of hours.
The Fall was an excellent portrayal of a serial killer - all too often in dramas they are played as super clever villains always one step ahead - when in reality they make many mistakes.
Homeland
Lightfields
The Fall
Field of Blood
And ... despite its many, many flaws - I still enjoyed Downton Abbey.
Others worth a mention - Howzat! Kerry Packers War, What Remains, the Returned, Ripper Street, Spiral series 4, The Bridge, Death in Paradise,
One offs - Wipers Times, Adventures in Space and Time , the Five and a half Doctors, the final BBC4 drama "Burton and Taylor"