20. Jane The Virgin – E4
You can’t take it seriously, it’s completely bonkers but it’s hilarious. It’s like a bowl of popcorn camp drama that makes your day seem that little bit better. Annoyingly I keep flitting between #TeamMichael and #TeamRafael, Rafael might just be inching ahead though.
19. First Dates – Channel 4
In a world of dating apps, it’s nice to see the age old awkward first date as opposed to swipe left/right. It’s nice to see the ones that work out, but let’s be honest, we’re glad we’re not the ones having to sit through an awkward date making idle chit chat on TV.
18. Homeland – Channel 4
Five seasons in and Homeland is still going strong (it’s recently been renewed for a sixth season). With Carrie under threat, Quinn injured and her relationship with father figure Saul on the rocks, Carrie has a lot on her plate.
17. Gotham – Channel 5
The villains get better (I’m looking at you Edward Nygma), Bruce gets less annoying but most of all, it’s a fun watch with characters we’ve come to know with a modern twist.
16. Peter Kay’s Car Share – BBC iPlayer
In the same way, explaining Gogglebox to people who’ve never seen the series, Peter Kay’s Car Share on paper sounds terribly boring. Who wants to listen to two supermarket coworkers chatting as they drive home? But in reality, the series was fun, warm and incredibly funny. And if you love a good singalong then, it’s got some classic tunes.
Series 2 begins filming in June.
15. Ripper Street Amazon Prime/BBC1
It took a year from its Amazon airing to find its way back to BBC One, but it was worth the wait. I’m not totally on board with Long Susan switching sides, but if you’ve watched the season 4 trailer you can see where the writers are going.
14. Doctor Foster – BBC1
The surprise water cooler hit of the year that saw everybody on the edge of their seats waiting for Doctor Foster‘s vengeance on her cheating husband. The final confrontation at dinner didn’t disappoint.
13. The Flash – Sky 1
The fastest man alive (despite the likes of Zoom disputing that point!), faces new threats from metahumans from Earth 2. Meanwhile, Barry finally stops pining for Iris and gets himself a new girlfriend. I love most superhero shows (as you can probably guess from this list) but Barry’s dad heartlessly taking off after his prison release after Barry’s years of hard work to prove his innocence – totally out of character.
12. Orphan Black – BBC3
Orphan Black isn’t a show you can pick up at any point, but that’s partly what I like about the sci-fi series. It’s clever mythology is fast paced. You miss an episode you’ve likely missed something integral to the plot. I had reservations about bringing in Castor but it worked well.
11. An Inspector Calls – BBC1
An Inspector Calls takes us back to a time of one-off plays as David Thewlis stars as the dogged Inspector, in an intimate well-paced drama with a hint of the supernatural.
