December 27, 20195 yr Author Decade: Top 30 TV Shows 14 Atypical | Seasons 1-3 Of course, I forgot one, and it's the most recent show I finished :lol: I've slotted Atypical into fourteenth place, pushing Travelers down to fifteenth and so on, making this countdown an irritating top 31 :lol: Atypical follows the life of Sam Gardner, an autistic teenager, and his family. It's a brilliant, heartfelt look into the life of someone with ASD, and the effect on the family, both positive and negative. Really hoping a fourth season renewal is imminent...! 6 The Fosters | Seasons 1-6 7 The 100 | Seasons 1-6 8 The Good Place | Seasons 1-4 9 Grimm | Seasons 1-6 10 Being Human | Series 2-5 A show I've rewatched several times over now, Being Human aired most of its run in this decade, with only series 1 coming behind. The tale of a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost sharing a house together sounds like the start of a joke, or a terrible low-budget comedy. Being Human is neither, showing an in-depth look at human life through metaphors, most notably for addiction. It's also thrilling and unpredictable, and the original cast notably is exceptionally strong. The cast evaporating by the end makes the show change its feel, but as you get into series 5, you realise it's still well-worth watching and the stakes (no pun intended) remain high. I watched Grimm for the first time at the end of last year, binging all six seasons in a matter of weeks. It tells the story of cop Nick Burchardt, a human who can see others shifting into strange animal-like creatures, which he later learns are called wesen. The show sees a new "vesen of the week" plot every episode, with an ongoing arc not just through each season, but the entire show, and every cast member brings something to the show. Definitely something I need to rewatch in the future! The main reason I started watching The Good Place was to see the iconic Jameela actual Jamil acting. I wasn't sure how she'd be, but not only did she impress me in her role as Tahani, but the entire concept and cast really impressed me too, and it became well worth watching on its own merits. A fantasy/comedy show, The Good Place follows Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, who has just died and found herself in the titular Good Place, only she doesn't believe she's meant to be there. What follows is a series of twists and turns, but never once is the comedy and feel-good vibe of the show lost. Gutted it's ending but it looks to be going out on a high, let's hope the quality of the fourth and final season remains high when it returns next month! The 100 was another show I binged a few years ago, and the wait for each new season since has felt long and painful...! The first season of The 100 sees a human colony living on a space station after the Earth became uninhabitable, but almost 100 years after the nuclear explosion, they send 100 juvenile delinquents down to test the waters. The 100, as a title, quickly becomes redundant as the show never shies away from killing even its main cast members off, each season featuring a little cast shake-up so far. The plotlines vary each season with new characters and environments each time, and I love how easy it is for The 100 to reinvent itself. I'm attending the first ever edition of OneHundredCon in September 2020 (with our own Calum), where I'll be meeting some of the cast!! The most heartwarming show of the decade has to be The Fosters, a drama series following the titular Adams-Foster family. Teri Polo and Sherri Saum star as mums Stef and Lena respectively, who lead from the front with their five adoptive children, including Stef's biological son Brandon, twins Mariana and Jesus, and siblings Callie and Jude. Each character has a series of plotlines as they grow up, but what I always loved about The Fosters was how open it was to exploring difficult plotlines. It touched on sexuality, discrimination, human trafficking and the juvenile detention system, and it discussed them all with sensitivity. I really miss The Fosters and I would love to give it a rewatch soon, but at least Callie and Mariana are still on our screens in Good Trouble, and the other family members pop up occasionally too!
December 29, 20195 yr Author Decade: Top 30 TV Shows 1 Teen Wolf | Seasons 1-6 2 Doctor Who | Series 5-11, various specials 3 Miranda | Series 2-3, Specials 4 One Day at a Time | Season 1-3 5 Looking for Alaska | Season 1 Starting off the top 5 is the most recent show in this section of the list. Looking for Alaska is an eight-episode limited series based on the book of the same title by John Green. Starring Charlie Plummer as Miles "Pudge" Halter and Kristine Froseth as Alaska Young, Looking for Alaska is a coming-of-age story focused around Miles as he starts afresh at the Culver Creek Academy, in search of his "great perhaps." What follows in the show is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, in equal measures, and everything in the show focuses strongly on Miles. Charlie Plummer plays the role with so much emotion that it's hard NOT to root for Miles through everything, even with his naivety. Episode 7 achieved the incredibly rare feat of making me cry, too - so few TV shows have managed this! A couple of comedies feature in my top 5, the first of which is One Day at a Time, following the Cuban-American Alvarez family, comprising mum Penelope, her kids Elena and Alex, and her mum Lydia. The show is effortlessly hilarious, being one of a small selection of shows to make me genuinely laugh out loud. Rita Moreno plays a blinder as the fabulous Lydia, a strong Cuban woman who masks her vulnerabilities with make-up and her own dignity. Her scenes with Stephen Tobolowsky as Dr Berkowitz are among the best, they have a brilliant camaraderie! Shout out to Todd Grinnell who is absolutely hilarious as the family's privileged landlord Schneider, too. The show also has a softer side, though. It's not afraid to portray serious, real-life issues in a sensible and dignified manner. This includes Penelope's PTSD after serving in Afghanistan, Elena realising she's a lesbian, her partner Syd's non-binary gender, racism, religion and so much more. It's a truly special show, and I am SO happy Pop TV have picked it up for a fourth season after Netflix pulled the plug - this is too special to be let go of. Also high up the laugh-out-loud scale, Miranda is a show I know pretty much off by heart. Miranda Hart plays, well, herself in this comedy based on an exaggerated version of her life and experiences. Also starring are Sarah Hadland (Stevie, Miranda's workaholic best friend and the manager of Miranda's joke shop), Patricia Hodge (Penny, Miranda's pushy, politically incorrect mother), Tom Ellis (Gary, Miranda's love interest), Sally Phillips (Tilly, a "friend" of Miranda's from boarding school) and James Holmes (Clive, owner of the restaurant next door), and honestly, there's not a weak link in the cast. With the show's numerous catchphrases, including "such fun", "bear with" and of course, inserting Heather Small's Proud into real-life situations, many "what I call" Mirandaisms have made it into my own speech, especially with my sister where we can quote even the most obscure lines to each other...! It's always my go-to show for some light relief, with every episode being hilarious. I'm so excited for Miranda's celebratory party on New Year's Day celebrating 10 years of this wonderful show, maybe one day it can return for a special or two? :heart: I spent some time umming and ahhing over the order of my top 2 and I'm still not sure I'm totally on board with it, but I've decided there's one show out of the remaining two that has quite simply had an effect like no other this decade. More on Teen Wolf in just a second, though. Doctor Who is, of course, my absolute favourite show ever. It has been for a long time and I don't think that will ever change. However, what would swing it ahead in an all-time list would be series 1-4, easily the golden era of the show in my eyes, but it aired last decade! Doctor Who in the 10s has been more of a mixed bag, but I still get excited to watch it like no other show. We saw David Tennant regenerate on the very first day of the decade; saying goodbye to my favourite Doctor was difficult and sad, especially as he was also my first Doctor, but Matt Smith quickly proved himself a worthy successor. Series 5 is my favourite series of the decade, and it's a shame that series 6 and 7 are my least favourites of modern Who - a little too convoluted clunky for my own enjoyment, but still above most other shows. I'm probably harsher on Doctor Who because I know just how GOOD it can be! Peter Capaldi's era was a mixed bag, with some outstanding episodes (World Enough and Time, Heaven Sent) and some real clunkers too, but in the end I really enjoyed the series 10 characterisation of the Twelfth Doctor, and Bill is undoubtedly my favourite companion of the 10s. Finally, there's Jodie Whittaker's debut series - some great moments and promise, but didn't quite deliver on the hype. That said, I still love Jodie, and I'm extremely excited for what series 12 will bring. The 20s are kicking off in the same way as the 10s did - with brand new Doctor Who! :D So... how has Teen Wolf managed to beat my favourite TV show EVER? It's interesting, because I binged Teen Wolf from start to finish in 2 weeks near the start of 2017. Instantly, I fell in love with the amazing characterisation that the show presented. Tyler Posey excels at making main protagonist Scott McCall easy to root for and very likeable, while Dylan O'Brien is the star of the show as loveable dork Stiles Stilinski. As the show goes on, the plots become more complex and the teen lovey-doveyness of season 1 drops away, though is never truly lost of course. Season 2 is my personal favourite, with the kanima plot being gripping from start to finish, though the show really finds its stride in season 3, with part 3B notably being very dark for a teen show, allowing Dylan O'Brien quite notably to prove his acting chops. Teen Wolf has basically defined my life ever since that initial binge, even though only 10 brand new episodes aired afterwards, in late 2017, due to the show ending with season 6. In 2018, I went to my first ever convention - WereWolfCon in Brussels, where I met actors Holland Roden (Lydia), Shelley Hennig (Malia), Dylan Sprayberry (Liam), Froy Gutierrez (Nolan), Ian Bohen (Peter) and Ryan Kelley (Parrish), then again in 2019, where I met Ryan Kelley again, Melissa Ponzio (Melissa), Victoria Moroles (Hayden), Andrew Matarazzo (Gabe) and Max and Charlie Carver (Aiden and Ethan). I've also written my own Teen Wolf stories, and created my own Teen Wolf spin-off with my own characters - I've basically lived and breathed Teen Wolf over the past 3 years. It truly had to be Teen Wolf for my #1, and although it's no longer on air, I know it's a show that will be in my heart forever.
December 29, 20195 yr Author Decade: Top 30 TV Shows 1 Teen Wolf 2 Doctor Who 3 Miranda 4 One Day at a Time 5 Looking for Alaska 6 The Fosters 7 The 100 8 The Good Place 9 Grimm 10 Being Human 11 Scandal 12 Stranger Things 13 The Sarah Jane Adventures 14 Atypical 15 Travelers 16 Years and Years 17 Good Trouble 18 Primeval 19 The Order 20 The Society 21 Daybreak 22 Torchwood 23 Survivors 24 Greenhouse Academy 25 Cold Feet 26 The I-Land 27 Another Life 28 Class 29 Mrs Brown's Boys 30 Waterloo Road 31 Riverdale
December 29, 20195 yr Author 14 Atypical | Seasons 1-3 Of course, I forgot one, and it's the most recent show I finished :lol: I've slotted Atypical into fourteenth place, pushing Travelers down to fifteenth and so on, making this countdown an irritating top 31 :lol: Atypical follows the life of Sam Gardner, an autistic teenager, and his family. It's a brilliant, heartfelt look into the life of someone with ASD, and the effect on the family, both positive and negative. Really hoping a fourth season renewal is imminent...! Your top 30 has 31 shows, what is this nonsense Just up the page my love xx
December 29, 20195 yr Been a mixed bag indeed for Doctor Who this decade. I think looking back Series 9 is my favourite as it had the wonderful Heaven Sent and some good two parters, Series 5 was a good one too and Season 6/7 both had their moments but just way too much confusing stuff alongside it. The other four I probably wouldn't watch again which is a shame, here's hoping things get better this time! Fantastic to see Years & Years here, that's a really well done with excellent attention to detail with world building. The Good Place I really enjoy as well, but I'm quite glad it's ending now as the concept has definitely been stretched far enough.
December 29, 20195 yr I’m still amazed that you binged over 100 episodes of teen wolf and managed to understand (sorta) the plot :P I’m so proud of you
December 30, 20195 yr Glad to see Atypical sneak in at the last minute, it's been such a highlight of the decade :wub: Doctor Who missing out to Teen Wolf is not okay though x
December 30, 20195 yr Author 2019: Top 5 EPs 1 Ruel - Free Time | 1-1-1-1-3-3-5-4-5-5-1-1-2-4-4-... 2 The Vamps - Missing You | 4-8-10-12-15-4-12-x 3 Julia Michaels - Inner Monologue, Pt. 1 | 2-2-5-9-10-12-13-11-12-x 4 Sabrina Carpenter - Singular Act I | 4-6-11-15-x 5 Casey Lowry - Nervous | 3-8-11-14-x There's a clear runaway winner in the EP game this year, with nobody even coming close to the impact of Ruel's Free Time. It has spent 6 weeks at the top of my album chart, second only to the 12 weeks of Greyson Chance's portraits this year. Free Time also marks an impressive 2 years on the trot for Ruel as my #1 EP, with his debut release Ready also topping my 2018 EP chart, though Free Time manages it even more comfortably. It's a mature, well-rounded effort and it's solidified Ruel as one of the most exciting new artists around, at only 17 too! Elsewhere, The Vamps' only 2019 release came in the form of the Missing You EP - their weakest release so far, with only four songs, but the title track is still very powerful. Julia Michaels' Inner Monologue comprised two parts, and the first is her best release yet. The two collaborations, one with Selena Gomez and one with Niall Horan, are my favourite tracks. Sabrina Carpenter's Singular project also comprised two halves, the first once again appearing here. Finally, Casey Lowry's second EP slots in at #5 - it's not as good as Beach Blue but still worth a listen.
December 30, 20195 yr Can't say I've delved into any of those EPs before - any tracks you'd recommend in particular?
December 30, 20195 yr Author Can't say I've delved into any of those EPs before - any tracks you'd recommend in particular? I'll give you one track per EP to check out that you might like! Ruel - Painkiller The Vamps - Missing You Julia Michaels - What a Time Sabrina Carpenter - Paris Casey Lowry - Nervous Hope there's a discovery or two in there for you!
January 1, 20205 yr I'll give you one track per EP to check out that you might like! Ruel - Painkiller The Vamps - Missing You Julia Michaels - What a Time Sabrina Carpenter - Paris Casey Lowry - Nervous Hope there's a discovery or two in there for you! Giving a listen now, all very different songs but all sounding very nice! I like Paris in particular, with I had discovered that song when it was out as it is definitely one of the best I've heard form her. Nervous is sounding very fun as well - might add that one to my playlist actually!
January 1, 20205 yr Author Giving a listen now, all very different songs but all sounding very nice! I like Paris in particular, with I had discovered that song when it was out as it is definitely one of the best I've heard form her. Nervous is sounding very fun as well - might add that one to my playlist actually! Pleased you're enjoying those two notably!!! :D
January 1, 20205 yr Author 2019: Top 40 Albums 31 Sara Bareilles - Amidst the Chaos | 3-7-11-x 32 Ciara - Beauty Marks | 3-9-15-x 33 Emma Bunton - My Happy Place | 5-8-15-x 34 Ed Sheeran - No.6 Collaborations Project | 5-10-14-x 35 Dean Lewis - A Place We Knew | 4-7-14-x 36 Khalid - Free Spirit | 4-8-14-x 37 Jack & Jack - A Good Friend Is Nice | 3-8-12-14-x 38 Tove Lo - Sunshine Kitty | 5-11-x 39 Mabel - High Expectations | 5-11-x 40 Lizzo - Cuz I Love You | 5-11-x So the final number of albums I'll be counting down ended up at 40, and I'll head through #40-11 quite quickly because the top 10 is where the high quality really lies this year. There's an interesting selection of albums here, with a couple of disappointments (and three identical chart runs :lol:) at the very bottom of the top 40 - Lizzo and Mabel delivered enjoyable enough albums but both could have done way better. Tove Lo delivered a solid album, though I've not returned to it, and Jack & Jack brought out a decent pop album at the start of 2019. I never expected to listen to a Khalid album, but it was actually quite a nice listen on the whole, if a little samey. It joins Dean Lewis plus the aforementioned Mabel and Jack & Jack albums as debut releases in the top 40. Ed Sheeran's collaborative album features at #34 - his weakest release to date as not every song was to my enjoyment, but there was a lot to enjoy too. Established artists Emma Bunton, Ciara and Sara Bareilles complete this section with their latest releases.
January 1, 20205 yr Jack & Jack only #37? this countdown is over x So excited for the top 10 though :wub:
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