🔗 Share this article That Drifting Poo Was Far Too Symbolic! It's the Television Disappointments of the Year. As we reflect on the television offerings of the past year, a selection of shows emerge not for their excellence, but for their notable failures. From awkward spin-offs to bafflingly poor docuseries, here are the productions that left us utterly bewildered or simply reaching for the remote. The 'Sex and the City' Sequel Where to begin with this love/hate follow-up? Burdened with woeful writing, cringe-inducing arcs (we demand better for Miranda!), and a mere 71 seconds of fan-favourite Samantha, the show fought to find its footing. For a moment, as the final season began, it looked like it had finally found its groove. Then came an episode all about Seema’s natural deodorant. Little surprise the creator announced this would be the final season. It ended on a bum note; the closeup of Miranda’s toilet flooded with poo was just way too on-the-nose. Still, fans undeniably had a hoot picking apart every single “wtf?” moment. And as Carrie – once again single – danced around her palatial townhouse to Barry White, who didn’t release a little sob? The Kim Kardashian Drama ‘Can Kim Kardashian act? Of course she can’t.’ But that was almost the least of this show's issues. The subject of a exceedingly uncommon zero star assessment, it was difficult to know where to begin enumerating the problems. The hilariously wooden dialogue? The tedious glorification of wealth and consumption? The almost wilful parade of tropes? Acting so bad they felt almost spiteful? Suffice it to say “all of the above” and forget about this series again. Except, a new season has been ordered, so we’re likely going to have to. The Charlie Sheen Documentary Considering the legal troubles, domestic violence claims and parental shortcomings, it’s fair to say Charlie Sheen has been a troubled figure. Not that you’d really have gleaned it from this three-part docuseries which smirked its way at Sheen’s various bouts of self-destructive hedonism while struggling to tell us anything we didn’t already know. Rather, it felt as if this loose cannon was being indulged, so any pity this series might induce should be saved for the people who have had to suffer proximity with this charismatic but flippant narcissist. The Iris Affair Of course we knew it was ridiculous 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 persevered out of pure love for its stars … but by the end, it felt like even they had stopped bothering. One scarcely cared when his character died, and the other ultimately slicing Charlie with an axe … in super slow-motion. That's what you call giving up the ghost. MobLand Shady characters convening in empty boxing gyms? A certain band's Firestarter jackhammering away in club scenes? The late 90s called and demands its crime drama back. In truth, that is unfair on the crime shows of the late 90s. Many look a little dated now, but at least they didn’t suffer the ignominy of having to indulge unconvincing dialects. But there were plenty of other issues. Mainly that it was just profoundly boring; a conflict over drug-selling territory between various London picaresques which seemed rather simplistic. The Meghan Markle Series Considering the degree to which she provokes the ire of certain ostentatiously angry commentators, it’s almost tempting to applaud the Duchess of Sussex’s various ventures into quaint homemaking as intentional statements. But then you watch them and are compelled to admit that in this case, they might have a point. It’s like watching a homeware magazine animated; a meme for wine o’clock with ideas of grandeur; a parade of snoozing dogs, buzzing beehives, sentimental sayings and pointless crafting “tips” you’ll not remember instantly. All supported by vast, largely undeserved wealth. Ugh. Victoria Beckham There are clearly interesting things to be said about regarding Victoria Beckham and her journey with vocation, self-image, self-worth. But for some reason, this documentary series opted not to explore them. Rather, the viewing was like consuming a marketing catalogue. She obviously has good reason to resent what she describes as her “miserable cow” image. But sadly, she failed to do herself any helps with this guarded non-event of a series. The Inheritance It should have been the next cultural phenomenon – except even camper, with a glamorous star as a deceased benefactor and a sharp-tongued personality managing her inheritance. What more could you ask for? As contestants competed, there was plenty of betrayal and arguing. But the rules quickly became incomprehensible: it’s even now too complicated to detail what precisely was happening. Even more regrettably, we only saw glimpses of the star via prerecorded videos. The series ended up reeking of a production that was straining desperately to live up to something way beyond it. Too Much How do you follow a show that defined a generation? The expectation was immense for this glitzy romcom about Jessica, a rosy-eyed New Yorker who lands in London with a broken heart. The lead actress seized the opportunity by the horns and was joyous to watch, reveling in Jane Austen levels of romantic notions. But it was all very glossy and, paradoxically, was insufficient. Plus, the abundance of celebrity friends involved felt icky. Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping Not good enough to be ‘patchy’. Given the shrewd recruitment of talented younger comics, expectations were high. But unhappily, most of it didn’t land. A particular sketch was a one-note joke stretched to a dry pulp but repeated in every episode. One star seemed too ready to slip into a well-known irate mode. The behind-the-scenes sketches, meanwhile, simply provoked the thought that they should probably have stayed in there a bit longer. The Knox Dramatisation This retelling of the story of Amanda Knox was overseen by Amanda Knox and pretty much exclusively showcased the viewpoint of Amanda Knox. So, while there undoubtedly is an interesting drama to be made about the horrific 2007 murder, this isn’t it. The subject matter needed to be handled with care. Rather, the series laboured awkwardly to find the right tone, lumbering from strangely jaunty, slightly mannered farce to inevitably, real-life horror. Complex? Arguably. A total mess? Very much so. Prime Target We love the star … but did we believe him playing the greatest maths genius in history, a man so smart he’s on the verge of a breakthrough that could destabilise society? No! This international thriller about government agencies spying on – and eliminating – academics frankly got more farcical by the second. Formulaic nonsense. The Bonnie Blue Documentary This hagiography followed the online personality renowned for explicit escapades as she undertook her biggest feat yet. What on earth would motivate her? What we craved was far greater examination of her true psyche, plus those of the men in the line. They could at least have spoken to the now-famous mum who showed up to haul her son away from the queue. What we got was disturbing imagery and zero critical analysis of her notoriety whatsoever. It's staggering to consider, the filmmaker has a teenage daughter too.