đ Share this article That Floating Excrement Was Far Too Meaningful! These Are the Television Letdowns of the Past Year. As we reflect on the TV landscape of the past year, a handful of shows stand out not for their brilliance, but for their notable failures. From awkward sequels to confusingly bad documentaries, here are the productions that left us scratching our heads or just reaching for the remote. The 'Sex and the City' Sequel Where to begin with this love/hate follow-up? Burdened with dreadful writing, cringe-inducing arcs (justice for Miranda!), and a paltry 71 seconds of fan-favourite Samantha, the show struggled to justify its existence. For a moment, as the third series began, it seemed as if it had at last found its groove. Then came an installment all about Seemaâs natural deodorant. No wonder the creator announced this would be the final season. It ended on a low point; the lingering shot of Mirandaâs toilet flooded with poo was just way too symbolic. Yet, viewers certainly had a hoot picking apart every single âwtf?â episode. And as Carrie â once again single â twirled around her sprawling townhouse to Barry White, who didnât release a small sob? Allâs Fair âCan Kim Kardashian act? The answer is a resounding no.â But that was practically the smallest of this show's problems. The recipient of a exceedingly uncommon no-star assessment, it was hard to know where to begin enumerating the problems. The laughably wooden writing? The mind-numbing veneration of affluence and consumption? The almost deliberate parade of cliches? Performances so bad they felt borderline malicious? Letâs just say âeach and every oneâ and never speak of this series again. Except, a second season has been commissioned, so weâre likely going to have to. The Charlie Sheen Documentary Given the restraining orders, abuse claims and parental shortcomings, itâs fair to say Charlie Sheen has been a troubled figure. Not youâd truly have gleaned it from this multi-part docuseries which chuckled along at Sheenâs various episodes of reckless excess while failing to tell us a single thing we didnât already know. Rather, it felt as if this loose cannon was being pandered to, so any sympathy this series might evoke should be saved for the people who have had to suffer close contact with this charming but flippant egotist. The Iris Affair Of course we understood it was ridiculous from the get-go: a drama about a AI known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either save the world â 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 barely reacted when his character died, and the other ultimately slicing Charlie with an axe ⊠in painfully slow-motion. That's what you call giving up the ghost. The Gangster Drama Dodgy figures meeting in deserted 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 harsh on the crime shows of the late 90s. Many seem a little old-fashioned now, but at least they didnât suffer the ignominy of having to accommodate baffling accents. But there were plenty of other issues. Mainly that it was just really dull; a conflict over narcotics territory between various cockney rogues which seemed a bit basic. The Meghan Markle Series Considering the degree to which she grinds the gears of certain performatively enraged commentators, itâs temptingly easy to admire the Duchess of Sussexâs televised ventures into twee homemaking as intentional statements. But then you watch them and are forced to admit that actually, they might have a point. Itâs like watching a homeware magazine animated; a poster for evening drinks with ideas of grandeur; a parade of snoozing dogs, buzzing beehives, Hallmark platitudes and pointless crafting âhacksâ youâll forget instantly. All supported by immense, mostly undeserved wealth. Ugh. The Beckham Documentary There are obviously fascinating things to be discussed about both Victoria Beckham and her journey with career, identity, self-acceptance. But for whatever reason, this documentary series opted not to say them. Instead, the viewing was like reading a sales catalogue. She obviously has every right to bridle at what she describes as her âsternâ image. But sadly, she didnât do herself any favours with this cagey non-event of a series. The Inheritance It should have been the next big hit â except even more extravagant, with a glamorous star as a deceased benefactor and a sharp-tongued personality overseeing her estate. What more could you ask for? As contestants battled it out, there was plenty of backstabbing and squabbling. But the rules quickly became incomprehensible: itâs still too complicated to detail what exactly was happening. Even more regrettably, we only saw brief appearances of the star via filmed videos. The show ended up reeking of a programme that was trying way too hard to emulate something way beyond it. Too Much How does one 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 lead actress seized the opportunity by the horns and was joyous to watch, embodying Austen levels of romantic ideals. But it was all very slick and, paradoxically, was insufficient. Plus, the sheer amount of celebrity cameos involved felt uncomfortable. The Sketch Show Return Not good enough to be âpatchyâ. Given the smart inclusion of talented emerging comics, expectations were high. But sadly, most of it didnât land. A recurring sketch was a one-note joke milked 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 inspired the idea that they should probably have stayed in there a bit 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 perspective of Amanda Knox. So, while there undoubtedly is an interesting drama to be made about the tragic 2007 murder, this isnât it. The material needed to be handled with care. Rather, the series struggled painfully to find the right tone, lurching from oddly breezy, somewhat mannered farce to ultimately, real-life horror. Complex? Arguably. A total mess? Absolutely. Prime Target We love the star ⊠but did we buy him playing the greatest maths genius since, a man so smart heâs on the verge of a breakthrough that could ruin society? Nope! This international thriller about secret services targeting â and eliminating â academics honestly got more absurd by the second. Formulaic nonsense. 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story This hagiography followed the online personality notorious for sexual exploits as she prepared for her most extreme feat yet. What on earth would possess her? What we craved was way more interrogation of her actual psychology, plus those of the men in the line. They could at least have spoken to the legendary mum who showed up to haul her son out of the queue. What we got was disturbing shots and absolutely no interrogation of her infamy whatsoever. And to think, the documentary-maker has a young daughter too.