đ Share this article This Floating Excrement Was Way Too Symbolic! These Are the TV Letdowns of the Year. Looking back, we reflect on the television offerings of the past year, a handful of series emerge not for their brilliance, but for their spectacular failures. Ranging from cringe-inducing spin-offs to bafflingly poor docuseries, here are the programmes that left us scratching our heads or just reaching for the remote. The 'Sex and the City' Sequel How to start with this divisive spin-off? Burdened with woeful writing, cringe-inducing arcs (we demand better for Miranda!), and a mere 71 seconds of beloved Samantha, the show fought to justify its existence. Briefly, as the final series began, it looked like it had finally found its groove. Then arrived an installment centered on Seemaâs natural deodorant. No wonder the creator declared this would be the last series. It ended on a low point; the closeup of Mirandaâs toilet flooded with poo was simply too symbolic. Yet, fans certainly had a hoot dissecting every single âwtf?â episode. And as Carrie â once again single â danced around her sprawling townhouse to Barry White, who didnât let out a little sob? The Kim Kardashian Drama âIs Kim Kardashian an actress? The answer is a resounding no.â But that was almost the smallest of this drama's problems. The recipient of a very rare zero star review, it was hard to know where to start listing the flaws. The laughably leaden dialogue? The mind-numbing veneration of wealth and consumption? The almost deliberate procession of tropes? Performances so bad they felt almost spiteful? Suffice it to say âeach and every oneâ and never speak of this series again. However, a new season has been commissioned, so weâre probably going to have to. AKA Charlie Sheen Considering the legal troubles, abuse claims and parental shortcomings, itâs fair to say Charlie Sheen has been a troubled figure. Not that youâd truly have gleaned it from this multi-part documentary which smirked its way at Sheenâs various episodes of self-destructive hedonism while struggling to tell us anything we weren't already aware of. Instead, it felt as if this loose cannon was being pandered to, so any pity this series might evoke should be saved for the people who have had to endure close contact with this charismatic but dismissive egotist. The Supercomputer Drama Naturally we understood it was ridiculous from the outset: a thriller about a AI known as Charlie Big Potatoes that could either save the world â or annihilate all of humanity. We persevered out of pure love for its leads ⌠but by the end, it felt like even they had given up trying. One barely cared when his character died, and the other ended up slicing Charlie with an axe ⌠in painfully slow-motion. Talk about giving up the ghost. The Gangster Drama Dodgy characters convening in deserted boxing gyms? The Prodigyâs Firestarter jackhammering away 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 dated now, but at least they didnât endure the ignominy of having to indulge baffling dialects. But there were plenty of other problems. Primarily that it was just profoundly dull; a dispute over narcotics territory between various cockney rogues which felt a bit basic. The Meghan Markle Series Considering the degree to which she grinds the gears of the nationâs ostentatiously enraged commentators, itâs temptingly tempting to applaud the Duchess of Sussexâs televised forays into twee homemaking as deliberate provocations. But then you watch them and are compelled to admit that actually, they might have a point. Itâs like watching a homeware magazine animated; a meme for evening drinks with ideas of grandeur; a parade of snoozing dogs, humming beehives, Hallmark platitudes and pointless crafting âtipsâ youâll not remember instantly. All supported by vast, largely undeserved wealth. Ugh. The Beckham Documentary There are clearly fascinating things to be said about both Victoria Beckham and her journey with career, self-image, self-worth. But for some reason, this three-part series opted not to explore them. Rather, the viewing was akin to reading a sales brochure. She obviously has every right to resent what she describes as her âmiserable cowâ image. But sadly, she didnât do herself any favours with this cagey non-event of a series. The Game Show It had the potential to be the next big hit â except even more extravagant, with a glamorous star playing dead and a well-known personality overseeing her inheritance. What more could you want? As players competed, there was plenty of betrayal and arguing. But the rules quickly became bewildering: itâs even now too complicated to detail what precisely was happening. Even more regrettably, we only saw brief appearances of the star via prerecorded videos. The show ended up reeking of a programme that was straining desperately to emulate something far greater than it. Too Much How does one succeed a show that defined a generation? The pressure was immense for this glitzy romantic comedy about Jessica, a rosy-eyed New Yorker who arrives in London with a broken heart. The star took her biggest role by the horns and was joyous to watch, embodying Jane Austen levels of romantic ideals. But it was all very glossy and, paradoxically, was not enough. Plus, the sheer amount of famous cameos involved felt icky. The Sketch Show Return Not even good enough to be âpatchyâ. Given the shrewd recruitment of talented younger comics, expectations were high. But unhappily, most of it didnât land. A particular sketch was a one-note joke stretched to a dry pulp but recurring in every episode. One star seemed too willing to slip into a familiar irate mode. The behind-the-scenes sketches, meanwhile, simply inspired the idea that they should probably have remained in there a bit longer. The Knox Dramatisation This dramatisation of the story of Amanda Knox was overseen by Amanda Knox and pretty much solely showcased the perspective of Amanda Knox. So, while there probably is an compelling drama to be made about the horrific 2007 murder, this isnât it. The subject matter needed to be treated sensitively. Instead, the series struggled painfully to find the right tone, lumbering from oddly jaunty, slightly stylised farce to ultimately, real-life horror. Complex? Arguably. A complete mess? Absolutely. The Maths Genius Thriller We love the lead actor ⌠but did we believe him playing the greatest maths genius since, a man so smart heâs on the verge of a breakthrough that could ruin society? Nope! This globe-trotting thriller about government agencies targeting â and killing off â academics honestly got more absurd by the second. Silliness-by-numbers. The Bonnie Blue Documentary This uncritical portrait followed the online personality renowned for sexual exploits as she undertook her most extreme feat yet. What on earth would possess her? What we wanted was way more examination of her true psychology, plus those of the men in the line. They could at least have interviewed the now-famous mum who appeared to haul her son out of the queue. What we got was disturbing shots and absolutely no interrogation of her notoriety whatsoever. It's staggering to consider, the filmmaker has a teenage daughter too.