Finish The Fosters you COW

It's very low down on my list at the moment :kink:

 

Really excited for your lists Calum!

I haven't watched any TV shows so far this year, but maybe in 2020, I will have time to maybe make my own TV show year-end list.

Thanks Sergej!! :D

 

Look forward to a TV shows list from you if you do manage to watch more TV this year! ^_^ Thanks for commenting!

36-40:

 

 

36 Pretty Little Liars Seasons 1-7

37 Peep Show Series 1-9

38 Still Game Series 7-9

39 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Parts 1 & 2

40 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Seasons 1-4

 

I'm back from holiday now, so we dive straight into the top 40 with two big Netflix shows that have dominated the last couple of years (certainly in terms of the small number of shows that they're actually willing to promote and lend more seasons to). Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt didn't seem like the type of show I'd enjoy at first, but then I gave the first episode a shot and fell in love with it from there. All of the characters are well fleshed out and the storyline is coherent and manages to weave its way throughout all four seasons interestingly enough to keep your attention and wanting to find out what Kimmy gets up to next! There are a number of characters besides Kimmy that make the show as amazing as it is - for example both Lillian and Jacqueline are absolutely hilarious in their own ways, while Titus provides the fabulous camp, queer qualities that gives the show that extra bit of sparkle! Overall, it's one of the better comedies I've found on Netflix in recent years!

 

Just ahead at #39 we have Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - a more horror-orientated adaptation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and written by the very same people over at Riverdale! The show immediately caught my attention when it was announced, and it's been such a thrill to watch so far! While I wait in anticipation for Part 3 to begin this year, reflecting on the first two parts the show is definitely a lot stronger than its counterpart Riverdale. The horror elements are spot on when they need to be, and the dynamic between all of the cast is brilliant. Ross Lynch is fantastic as troubled teen Harvey, and Gavin Leatherwood gives us the eye candy we all want with Nicholas Scratch. Obviously having watched Michelle Gomez in her role as the Master in Doctor Who, it's brilliant to see her in another role where she's just as twisted, evil and menacing. She really nails the role of Lilith (spoilers if you haven't gotten as far as that yet x). The show is yet to excel beyond its episode based solely in the Spellman household where the whole family were haunted by a demon on the loose in their dreams, but I'm confident as more episodes are released we'll get there in the end!

 

Still Game has been a massive part of my life since I was a child. Despite its crude language, behaviour and sometimes stereotypical portrayal of Glasgow, it's THE finest comedy to have come out of Scotland, I reckon. I started watching it at a very young age with my grandparents, and now I could recite almost every line from every episode while watching, and still find it as hilarious now as it was to me then. It's a show I'll always have an undying love for, and one that will stay with me forever. Its first six seasons are comedy done in exactly the way it should - however after six solid series the show came to an end after the show's main stars Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill had a fall-out. Years later, we were treated to a seventh series. Although it didn't have the same wit and spark about it that it did before, it was still a thoroughly entertaining watch and had me in stitches at parts. After that, they clearly heard the demand from the fans and we were treated to an eighth and ninth series - the latter being the final ever series. Although not all of the episodes were great, and by the time we reached series 9 you were definitely left feeling that the show had run its course, the ending did not fail to bring a tear to my eye - it was such a beautiful ending for two old pensioners I'd followed throughout my childhood to where I am now! Even if you're not from Scotland, this is a comedy that's 100% worth watching (admittedly you might not understand the majority of the jokes given the accent and the regional relevance)!

 

I didn't watch all of Peep Show until late in 2019, despite it having been around for what's seemed like an eternity! I'd watched the odd episode here and there with my brother when he was a fan of it, but I'd never went off and watched the whole thing of my own accord. It's a brilliant watch, and while not always laugh out loud funny, it's very witty and clever. The characters of Mark and Jeremy are so well fleshed out throughout all nine series, and with the brilliance of Olivia Coleman added into the mix, it makes it all the more amazing! It's an easy watch when you've got nothing else to watch, and it's maybe not something I'll find myself going back to often, but it definitely wormed its way into my affections with each series I watched. By the time I'd reached the final series, I felt I'd been on a proper journey with these characters. At points Mark could be the most frustrating and infuriating characters I've ever witnessed in television, but he can go from that to completely endearing in one scene; while Jeremy is just completely relatable in so many ways, and is the one you'd laugh out loud at more-so.

 

Finally in this section we have Pretty Little Liars. Where to start with this one? It's probably one of the most infuriating (not in a bad way) TV shows that I've watched this past decade. Its first two seasons set things up perfectly for a massive reveal in the finale of the second, but then you realise that we're heading straight into another season so where do we go from here? We have another 'A'. So, we spend the next three or four seasons trying to piece together the puzzle of who the second mysterious 'A' character could be that's been haunting Spencer, Allison, Emily, Aria and Hanna for however many years. But wait, we get to season 6, find out who 'A' is - and then we still have another season and a half to go! There's an uber-'A'; one that turns out to be even deadlier than the 'A's that have come before - and it's not until the final season that we find out who this is, and that everything we thought we knew was a lie. Spencer's twin sister turned out to be the villain of the whole show that everything had been leading to, and while to me it was an impressive reveal and one that I didn't see coming (certainly not until I spoiled it for myself on Twitter before watching the episode), most fans didn't seem that enamoured by it. Aside from all of the 'A' nonsense, this is such a TV highlight of the decade. With romances like Hanna and Caleb, characters like Spencer, actresses like Torrey DeVitto and plenty hot men to stare at on your screen - it really was a feast for fans of this type of typical teen trope.

 

 

Next: 31-35 (TV Shows of the Decade)

31-35:

 

 

31 BoJack Horseman Seasons 1-6

32 Sex Education Season 1

33 Class Series 1

34 The Flash Seasons 1-4

35 Miranda Series 1-3 & Finale

 

It's fair to say that when Miranda very first aired on our screens on the BBC, I wasn't the biggest fan. I don't think I actually watched the first series when it went out; it wasn't until the second series that I started to pay it any attention. With each series, it managed to get funnier and funnier. Series 1 is still brilliant, but series 2 stepped it up a gear, but by the time the third series came around Miranda Hart really was in her element. Her social commentary and her comedy genius paired together are really a work of art. From comments about youths wearing their trousers halfway down their legs, to more subtle life annoyances she always found a way to make me giggle and laugh out loud. One of the funniest episodes of the entire show comes in the form of 'Just Act Normal' - an episode starring only Miranda herself, her mother Penny and a guest cast you can count on one hand. With the whole episode based in a therapist's office, Miranda found a way to make an episode confined to one small room one of the most entertaining pieces of comedy of the decade! By the time the finale came around, I was itching for more from Miranda, and was so emotional when things were coming to an end. The scene with the entire cast galloping through a field has to be one of the most iconic things. I'd hope for more Miranda one day, but with three series and specials that you can rewatch any time and still find as hilarious as the first time you watched, I don't think there's any need really.

 

The Flash wouldn't normally be my type of thing, but a few years ago now I found myself caught up in the superhero world of television, watching most of the shows in its universe (admittedly I'm yet to watch a single episode of Arrow oops). I guess I'll be shallow and admit that the reason I started watching The Flash is because Grant Gustin is so hot, and I enjoyed him when he briefly appeared in Glee. After becoming attached to its characters in the first season though, I've grown to love this show so much and it always has such entertaining, gripping and thrilling storylines to keep you hooked; despite sometimes feeling like there's too much filler going around with its 22-23 episodes per season. The dynamic between the cast, and the relationship between main character Barry and his love interest Iris is brilliant to watch, even if the show falls into the same trap as Supergirl, where you're left wondering how an entire cast can be so silly not to realise who the Flash really is. I really ought to get caught up and watch season 4 before I fall seasons behind and end up never watching again!

 

When Steven Moffat announced that there'd be a brand new Doctor Who spin-off show, I was so excited. Based at Coal Hill Academy, a revamped version of the school that appeared in Doctor Who way back in in 1963 when the show first aired, the show would see alien threats descend on the school. Miss Quill, an alien played by Katherine Kelly, with the help of students Charlie, Ram, April, Tanya and Matteusz, would fight these foes and stick together to defend the Earth. The premise of the show was exciting, and while the main threat of the Shadow Kin were somewhat disappointing by the time they'd popped up for the third or fourth time, this show definitely didn't disappoint me. With characters like Ram - it was always going to win me over! Ram's storyline of being the football star, losing his leg, coming to terms with that and building himself back up over the course of the series - as well as falling in love with April - were so endearing to watch. While the show wasn't warmly received by many people and it was cancelled after just the one series, I really wish it had been given the chance to prove itself, given the arc it set up at the end of the series could have made for a stellar follow-up! With that out the window though, we'll always have such brilliant storytelling in the form of the likes of Detained and The Metaphysical Engine, Or What Quill Did - two of the series' highlights.

 

Finally in this section, we have two more Netflix shows that are more recent than some. Sex Education's first series premiered at the beginning of 2019, and immediately became a favourite of mine! I'd watched the trailer a few times thinking it might not be for me before actually giving it a go and I am SO glad I did in the end. So much more than your typical teen drama about sex and drugs, this show really utilised all of its cast in a series of storylines that either wrapped up nicely at the end of the series, or set themselves up for more development in the second. Maeve is the true star of the series though, stealing almost every scene she appeared in. The story of the out and proud student at school forming a relationship with the typical bad-boy who tried to hide how he felt for so long, before they ended up having passionate sex in the music room was so endearing to watch too, even if Adam's the type of character you're supposed to hate. When we finally get the scene we'd all been waiting for though, Adam ends up shipped off to boarding school and it seems like the relationship is doomed and we'll never see if anything could have progressed there. I'm beyond excited to watch the second series, and as I type this I've just got an e-mail saying it's now on Netflix!!

 

This seems to be a recurring theme, but BoJack Horseman was another show on Netflix I definitely didn't think I'd be a fan of. When I started watching it, I almost immediately started laughing. Although there are parts of the show where I definitely found myself not enjoying it, for the most part it's a hilarious romp that you just have to finish, and now I'm eagerly waiting for the second part of the sixth season to be released so I can see how one horse's journey ends! Although I feel the show relies too heavily on BoJack's previous endeavour - Horsin' Around - to move the plot along further, it's still enjoyable to see how the dynamics between himself and Sarah-Lynn and the gang have changed between then and now; and heartbreaking where certain events occur in the present day! I think my only major gripe with the show is Diane... I find myself disliking the character more and more with each season, and I really wish she and Mr Peanut Butter could just find their happiness together and head off into the sunset so we can focus on more interesting characters like Princess Carolyn and Wanda - both of whom I absolutely adore (or adored in Wanda's case). The show is so clever though, and weaves through its scripts so many pop culture references (or digs), as well as social commentary that is so on point. The writers definitely hit the nail on the head with a lot of their Hollywood commentaries through the eyes of these characters. It'll be sad when the show ends, but at the same time bring it on!

 

 

Next: 26-30 (TV Shows of the Decade)

26-30:

 

 

26 Atypical Seasons 1-3

27 13 Reasons Why Seasons 1-3

28 One Day at a Time Seasons 1-3

29 Grace & Frankie Seasons 1-5

30 Plebs Series 1-5

 

Next up, and into the top 30 now, we have ITV comedy Plebs. I only started watching this because I fell completely in love with Johnny from Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner, played by Tom Rosenthal. As one of the main characters, Marcus, in this I checked it out and instantly fell in love too. It's not one of the most laugh-out-loud comedies, but it's scattered with brilliance and its pop culture and modern-day references in its Rome setting adds to the whole dynamic. With a revolving cast that all get their time to shine over the course of five series, it really is one of the best things that ITV have done - normally I'm not a fan of their comedies, dramas, etc at all. Tom is easily the best thing about the show, but they do manage to add in worthwhile cameos from celebrities such as Maureen Lipman and Danny Dyer that add to the calamity. There was a cast change-over in series 4 too as Stylax died and new boy Jason arrived. I instantly preferred Jason - he's good looking, charming, goofy and funny and he made the dynamic in the group ten times better, and the comedy is always on point in the later two series of the show! Definitely a show worth checking out if you haven't already!

 

Grace & Frankie is such a gem. When Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin come together, it creates something beautiful. Although I find that the show tends to focus too much on their husbands - Sol and Robert - for my liking, that's always balanced out by the perfect humour and wit of the goings-ons the two titular characters get up to both together and apart. With five seasons under its belt now, we've had genuinely hilarious moments; let's not forget the two of them went on a business venture and made a best-selling DILDO together for the older woman. But we've also had really hard-hitting emotional moments throughout, whether that be Grace and Frankie drifting from one another, disagreeing, or life events happening that threaten the future of the show. With season 6 out now on Netflix, I'll need to get that watched as soon as possible because watching two elderly women get up to all-sorts is just irresistible.

 

I didn't think I'd like One Day at a Time all that much, but then I gave season 1 a chance, and I absolutely loved it! Although it's presented as a sitcom-type show, there are certainly so many aspects of the show that can educate as well as entertain. When the show focuses on social issues such as LGBTQ+, drugs, etc it hits the nail on the head and gives scenes that you rarely see in other TV shows nowadays - the thought-provoking issues don't come across so on the nose that it makes you feel you're being lectured, but it still manages to put the point across eloquently. Besides the heavy-hitting material that the show weaves through itself so well, there's so much to enjoy with lighter storylines both about the core family and their extended friends and family. My personal favourite character in the show was the son, Alex, who is hilarious and the mischief that he and Lydia get up to together is brilliant! It's a shame that this fell victim to Netflix's culling of fan-favourite TV shows, but after waiting for a long time wondering if it'd be picked up by another network, it appears we're in luck so I can't wait to see what a fourth season holds!

 

13 Reasons Why doesn't have the best reputation, both with its fans and those that just want everybody on social media to shut up about it. Part of me really does understand the criticism the show receives, but the other part of me at the same time thinks this has been one of the most important shows of our generation. Despite sometimes showing material that could definitely be a trigger for people that have experienced the issues highlighted or presented in the show, I think for the most part they handle certain issues sensitively, and always ensure that what they are including in the show is a true representation of the real world. I think, to me, the show could serve more as an educational resource for parents, guardians, carers, etc who maybe don't quite understand just how difficult, or traumatising life can be growing up in the world we live in today. With issues such as teen suicide, abortion, rape, the show can definitely serve to inform anybody just how brutal and harsh our world is. Although I've not quite finished season 3 yet - I keep getting caught up with other things and just not finding the urge to finish an episode - the first two seasons were thoroughly entertaining. Although not as good as season 1, season 2 had its moments. Its final scene is... not for the faint-hearted, and was definitely one step too far for the show I think, but Timothy Granaderos, the actor responsible for playing the villainous Monty, is one of the show's biggest revelations! As well as being completely and utterly stunning, he's one of the greatest actors that the show has to offer. I'm interested to see how his story continues (or ends) in the third season.

 

Finally, just missing out on the top 20 TV shows of the decade, we have one of the biggest Netflix revelations of the past few years - Atypical. Focusing on the life of an autistic teenager Sam and his struggles navigating daily life, work and school, this put the spotlight on something that isn't talked about nearly enough in the mainstream. I can't talk from experience, but I think the show does an incredible job of highlighting just how difficult things that people take for granted every day can be for people on the spectrum; and it serves as a very important lesson for those of us that aren't how to be more considerate and compassionate. As well as this, the show also manages to tackle issues such as marriage, separation, LGBTQ+ and teen relationships. My personal favourite character, Casey (Sam's sister), has some really gritty storylines - from her struggles to moving from comprehensive school to private school to focus on her running career, as well as experimenting with her sexuality, and it's a real joy to watch her journey. While the show benefits from its other characters, namely Zahid, providing comedy relief at just the right moments, I find that my one problem with the show is the ongoing lack of trust and the breakdown in relationship between Doug and Elsa. While Doug is an all-round likeable character (if not a fool at times), Elsa is presented as some demonic woman who never does any right. The story of their relationship is sometimes really difficult to want to follow, and you're left yelling at both of them to grow up and move on out of frustration. I do find myself feeling sorry for Elsa at times, so I'm not sure if that's a problem with the storyline, or that Jennifer Jason Leigh portrays Elsa in a more endearing way than she should. Overall, this is one show that I really hope can avoid being cancelled by Netflix any time soon because there is SO much scope for future storylines, and we need to see how Sam copes on his ventures beyond home and college.

 

 

Next: 21-25 (TV Shows of the Decade)

21-25:

 

 

21 Gossip Girl Seasons 1-6

22 The Job Lot Series 1-3

23 Santa Clarita Diet Seasons 1-3

24 The Apprentice Series 9-15

25 Riverdale Seasons 1-4

 

Riverdale is next up, and probably a lot further down than some may have predicted. Despite during its first and second seasons being one of my favourite new TV shows of the decade, the quality dipped majorly in its third season, hence why it's not landed itself in the top 20 here. Had the quality been consistent throughout, it probably would have been in the higher end of the top 20. On the actual show though - it started out with a really solid first season, establishing all of its cast well and a storyline that was gripping, leaving you wanting to find out more about this mysterious town and the people that lived in it. The mystery of Jason Blossom was thoroughly entertaining, even if I thought the climax was... underwhelming. We get to seasons 2 and 3 and we have two VERY long, drawn-out mysteries about the Black Hood killer and the Gargoyle King - one story about revenge from a man's broken childhood; the other about the power of a cult, drugs, and any other supernatural elements that could be thrown into the mix. I lost interest a fair bit, although the one thing that kept me watching was the constant shirtless scenes of Archie (KJ Apa) that the writers felt absolutely necessary to include in almost every episode. Season 4 feels like we are back on good form with the show though, starting a mystery of what's happened to Jughead, flipping between the past, leading up to the time we're shown in flash-forward scenes. I'm excited to see where it goes, and if it really is the end for Jughead, or if it's all a red herring seeing as the show's been renewed for a fifth season! Here's to more shirtless Archie x

 

One of the only reality TV shows to appear here, The Apprentice has been a source of light relief, entertainment, hilarity and amazement for most of the decade. Despite not having watched the show in full until more recently (series 9), each series has never failed to give us endearing, likeable characters as well as those that you just love to hate! In recent series, it's felt like Lord Sugar has deliberately kept bad candidates in the running because he knows they're good for entertainment value, but sometimes I'm left wondering if I'm the only person that doesn't really get that value from said people. The most recent series, where Lottie and Thomas were clearly kept for their stirring and wind-up ways, just didn't fill me with much hope considering genuinely good candidates were sent home before both, denying them their chance to shine in future tasks that could have been better to showcase their skillset. That aside though, some of my favourite contestants to come from the show include Jackie of 2018 fame, James White, James Hill, Natalie Penayi from a few series ago, as well as most of the recent winners, most of which have been thoroughly deserved! We'll never forgive Lord Sugar for that double-win back in 2017 though, where neither contestant had a brilliant or inventive business plan, but I fully expected James would be the more investable candidate of the two. I don't expect Sarah Lynn is still selling boxes of sweets by the million...

 

Santa Clarita Diet is one of the best things to come out of Netflix in the past few years. Despite having been recently cancelled after just three seasons, and leaving us with so many unanswered questions about the future of the Hammond family, the three seasons that we did get were pure gold. Following the lives of Sheila, an undead, and her husband Joel, the series saw them come to terms with the fact that Sheila needed to feed on humans to survive. By the end of the third season, we were left with the unanswered question of what on EARTH happens with Joel becoming an undead? The whole moral debate around whether or not he would do it to be with Sheila forever felt really undermined with the cancellation of the show - not allowing the writers the time to play things out with a fourth season. That aside, it has to be one of the kookiest, funniest, craziest and most inventive shows that we've seen from the streaming giant. Drew Barrymore and Timothy Oliphant have excellent on-screen chemistry and the dynamic between the rest of the cast makes for one hell of an entertaining watch.

 

I didn't actually watch ITV comedy series The Job Lot when it aired on television. Instead, I watched it on Netflix - all three series are available now, and what a three series they are! Like Miranda, this is a comedy that I can happily rewatch until the cows come home! I've probably watched it about seven or eight times over since my first viewing. Starring Sarah Hadland of Miranda fame, as Brownall Job Centre's Customer Service Operations Manager Trish, the show manages to make light of the unemployed and what goes on in a job centre, while never being offensive and always focusing on the dynamic between the staff and what they get up to both in and out of work. Sarah Hadland is a comedy genius and her delivery in every episode is central to just how much I love this show. Another brilliant actress in the show is Jo Enright who plays moody jobsworth Angela. Without her, the show probably wouldn't be the same, and the constant power struggle between her and Trish is hilarious to watch! If you haven't watched any of this, or did at the time but can't remember much about it now, it really is worth watching again. With other cast members Russell Tovey and Laura Aikman, this is a classic that I'll probably still be watching in 20 years' time!

 

Like The Job Lot, I didn't actually watch Gossip Girl when it was on TV, and instead binged the whole lot on Netflix many years after it had actually finished airing. With six seasons, it took a fair bit of time to get through it all, but it was really worth it. Centred around the elite circle of the Upper East Side in New York, the show focused on the mystery of who Gossip Girl was, with a whole host of other storylines woven through the show to keep us entertained when that mystery wasn't front and centre! The one thing about this show is that, to me, it never felt like there was any genuine drama besides teen angst, daily struggles, etc. They didn't go out of their way to make shocking storylines such as characters dying, terrible tragedies happening, etc until the very end of the show. Part of me is glad of that because it's rare to see characters' lives just play out as they would in real life, but part of me really wishes there was that extra oomph of drama. Characters like Blair and Sabrina are truly what made this show. Blair is the typical mean girl at school, but when all that is flushed out of her system, we get to see a vulnerable, really beautiful young woman growing up and coming into her own, sometimes deceitful, but most of the time wearing her heart on her sleeve and lowering her guard to let others in... only to be hurt in the end. Despite Dan being one of the worst television characters I've had to endure six seasons of, everybody in the show got their happy ending. Chuck and Blair ending up together and being happy after everything they'd been through was so heartwarming. But yeah, Penn Badgley... it's pretty obvious I'm not going to like any character he's typecast as (You is a pretty decent continuation of Dan).

 

 

Next: 16-20 (TV Shows of the Decade)

Miranda and One Day at a Time :wub: :wub: two stellar examples of how to do a sitcom in this day and age!!

 

Lots of love for Atypical too *.*

Miranda and One Day at a Time :wub: :wub: two stellar examples of how to do a sitcom in this day and age!!

 

Lots of love for Atypical too *.*

Thanks Joseph! :heart:

16-20:

 

 

16 Friday Night Dinner Series 1-5

17 Schitt's Creek Seasons 1-5

18 Black Mirror Series 1-5

19 How to Get Away With Murder Seasons 1-3

20 Absolutely Fabulous Series 1-5 & Specials

 

Almost down to the nitty gritty now, and kicking off the top 20 is British comedy Absolutely Fabulous - a show that only aired a handful of episodes this decade, but one that I started watching on Netflix in 2019 and fell in love with. I didn't find it to be laugh out loud hilarious all the time, but it has its moments where you just burst out laughing; mostly because of Joanna Lumley's incredible comedy timing and genius. The character of Patsy is one of the finest creations in comedy, and she never failed to make me laugh when it mattered. One thing I didn't like about the show was the constant ill-treatment of Edina's daughter Saffron, and while it was all in jest and there was true love hidden underneath, sometimes it wasn't as funny as it should have been, or could have been. There really are only two words to describe the show overall though - and those are 'absolutely fabulous'! I watched the movie for the first time too, and while it was not to the standard of the series at all, I found it enjoyable overall and both Jennifer and Joanna slotted back into their alter-egos perfectly. The strangest thing for me was seeing Saffron looking almost identical to how she did in the series, despite being almost double the age she was back then.

 

How to Get Away With Murder was always going to get my attention, given it came from the same producers as Grey's Anatomy. Shonda Rhimes created yet another world of intrigue, mystery and drama with her new series based on a group of law students and their professor, Annelise Keating, a top lawyer who helped them progress in their studies by letting them into her home and investigating true crime. Things... didn't go to plan though, as the storylines for each season transpire. The mystery and the horror of the first season really blew me away, and proved why Shonda Rhimes and all the writers she works with to create these worlds can keep doing what they do for so long. I haven't actually watched any further than the end of the third season, but given the twist we were treated to in that season, I'll need to get caught up at some point (and before the show finishes too!). Although there's a large ensemble cast to love here, my favourites from the show are definitely Michaela and Connor - both given their own individual journeys that get more explosive as each season passes by.

 

Black Mirror managed to grab my interest when I watched it on a whim when the series still aired on Channel 4 before making the move to Netflix. White Bear was the first instalment I ever watched, and since then I went on to love it. White Bear really is one of the best offerings the show has produced, with its extremely dark tone and clever twists that leave you questioning everything that's happened in the episode right until the last moment. The show can then go on to produce other episodes that leave you questioning certain aspects of life, and even more-so the heavy involvement of technology in our lives and what it could be capable of, including Be Right Back, Arkangel and Nosedive. The show can then veer off from the more typical technology aspect and give us more chilling or endearing episodes in the vein of Men Against Fire and San Junipero. The show also treated us to a Netflix-first this decade with an interactive episode, Bandersnatch, that allowed the viewer to choose the path that the episode followed. It was a bold move, and probably the only show that could pioneer something of its kind. Although not perfect, it was enjoyable to explore the different avenues that one single storyline could go down. Overall, Black Mirror has been a thrilling, sometimes very eerie and scary, and fantastic addition to TV this decade, and with its upscaling to the Netflix platform, here's hoping they continue to give us bigger storylines while remaining true to the very British, very unique format the show followed on Channel 4.

 

Schitt's Creek is yet another one that I didn't think I'd like, but a few episodes in and I was completely hooked. I think I managed to make my way through all five seasons in just a couple of weeks, which is a massive achievement for me lmao. I don't think I've ever witnessed a character in a television series quite as iconic as Moira. She is the essence and epitome of everything you'd want your mother to be in life - from her one-liners to her reactions, to just about everything else she does that makes her so fabulous and flawless. The comedy in this show is so perfectly balanced with some hard-hitting storylines. The way the show deals with its LGBTQ+ characters is beautiful, and it's great to know that as we head into its sixth and final season we'll have a queer couple that aren't killed off or misrepresented just for the sake of it. It'll be a shame to say goodbye to this show so soon after I've discovered it, but it's been a great journey and it's produced some fine characters in the likes of Stevie, Moira, Alexis and Jocelyn - all of whom give the show the sparkle that it hasn't lost in any of its five seasons.

 

It's quite difficult to describe just how amazing Friday Night Dinner is. Despite starring Simon Bird (somebody I really am not a fan of at all) as one of its main characters, Will, the show is one of the funniest and warmest to have ever come out of Channel 4, British television, and comedy in general. Based around the concept of a Jewish family having Friday night dinner, with regular guest appearances and plenty of interruptions from their neighbour Jim, played by the brilliant Mark Heap, the show always finds a way to keep things fresh and introduce new situations for the family to find themselves in. The biggest revelation of the show for me though is Johnny, played by Tom Rosenthal. Since discovering him on the show, I've gone on to become a massive fan of his work, hence earlier in the countdown the appearance of Plebs. Johnny is by far the most entertaining character in the show for me, alongside Jim. The dynamic between all of the cast makes for such easy viewing, and it's a comedy you can laugh out loud at so many times within just 30 minutes. With iconic scenes and meme-able moments in almost every episode, it's not difficult to see why it's become such a staple with the British public, and I'm chomping at the bit waiting for series 6 to arrive later this year. Shalom!

 

 

Next: 11-15 (TV Shows of the Decade)

Here's the shows I've watched that you've talked about so far

 

The IT Crowd is ok but nowhere near the best sitcoms of the decade for me. Plus the creator of it is transphobic so that puts me off. Peep Show & Friday Night Dinner are much more successful sitcoms for me so I'm glad to see them higher. Peep Show was consistently great and I've just finished watching Friday Night Dinner as something we could watch together when I saw my Mum and she was obsessed with it. I think its good but I felt they frequently didn't know how to end an episode so they just finished a bit too abruptly.

 

I really enjoy The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and cannot wait for the new season in a week's time. Riverdale, on the other hand, has completely lost me. I loved the first season but found 2-3 a slog and have now just gave up on it. Pretty Little Liars was my guilty pleasure though. That's the perfect teen show even if it did drag out for slightly too long.

 

Bojack Horseman has been one of my favourite new shows of the decade. I thought the first season was rubbish but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. They seemed to move away from the comedy and focus on the dramatic elements more which I think is perfect because I never found it's humour very funny but I would honestly put it up there as some of the best drama currently on telly. Escpeially the 'Free Churro' episode. I can't believe the shows ending forever later this month :(

 

Black Mirror was some outstanding episodes and is frequently innovate. It's a shame the last couple of seasons haven't quite been able to match up with the show's peak.

 

The Apprentice is probably my favourite reality TV show to be fair. It can be so cringy to watch but it's still so hilarious at the same time.

 

It's a shame that you're not much of a fan of 'It's Only Sunny' as I would probably rank in as my 2nd or 3rd favourite show of all-time. I think in 13 seasons, they've only produced 2 bad episodes and they were both in the last season with the 'Charlie's Home Alone/The Gang Wins The Big Game' 2 parter which is remarkable for a sitcom. I think it handles important issues very well and you're 100% meant to leave the show thinking the characters are despicable people.

Gossip Girl and Schitts Creek :wub:

 

Probably two of my favourite shows ever.

11-15:

 

 

11 Queer Eye Seasons 1-4

12 Shameless Series 8-11

13 Waterloo Road Series 6-10

14 The Good Wife Seasons 1-7

15 The Good Place Seasons 1-4

 

When The Good Place first landed on Netflix, sometimes while watching an episode of the first season I was left wondering what kind of crazy show I'd started - but ignoring some of the more fantastical elements of the show, the entire message of the show - dealing with the afterlife, what led people to end up in either the good or bad place, etc - is what drives the show forward and really makes you put your moral and philosophical cap on while watching. Although, largely, the show doesn't require a lot of thinking, it really makes you take a step back and look at the right and wrong that we do in the world. If you're religious, it could probably make you take a further step back and consider where you might end up as a consequence of your actions in today's world. With a cast including the wonderful Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, as well as Jameela actual Jamil (I'm always so surprised by how great an actress she is), the show really pops off. They all have such wonderful chemistry together as a small group of people working together to improve the points-based system that decides where people go when they die. Although the show's now airing its final ever episodes as part of the fourth season, I'm really looking forward to seeing how it ends; particularly given the cast have said the final episode is an emotional rollercoaster!

 

I started watching The Good Wife just a short while after the third season finished, and got the DVDs of all three seasons. I binged them all and immediately fell in love with the show, so waited eagerly for seasons 4-7 to air every year! Centred around the titular character Alicia 'the good wife' portrayed by Julianna Margulies, the show follows her journey standing by her husband's side as scandals hit him left, right and centre, until she finally breaks free and carves her own future through the law firm she works at. Although sometimes the episodes can feel like a bit of a drag when they're not connected to the main plot of the season, or if there's recurring characters popping up again for another visit (because they just can't keep themselves out of trouble and away from the law!), overall the stories in each episode are really intriguing and you're always left wondering what's going to happen right until the moment a verdict is delivered in the courtroom. Undeniably though, one of the biggest stars of the show is Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski). With her fire, wit and humour littered all throughout the show, it's unsurprising her character was given her own spin-off show in The Good Fight, but the tension between both Alicia and Diane when Alicia and Cary decide to leave the law firm and start their own is one of the finest stories the show produced! It's a shame it's all over now, and I don't think the writers will ever be forgiven for just how subtle and tame the closing scene of the show was lol, but for seven seasons it gave us everything we wanted from a law show and more!

 

Waterloo Road will forever be one of my all-time favourite TV shows. I started watching this with my dad right back at the beginning with series 1, and by the time we'd reached the series 2 finale and we saw Izzy reaching her untimely fate in the school playground at the hands of a knifeman, I was in shock. The show never failed to deliver twists, turns, surprises and shocks throughout its first five series. With storylines such as the school fire in the series 3 finale, the gun violence 90-minute special for the first episode of the fourth series, as well as a whole lot more - it really brought the drama to what, for almost everybody, is such a normal setting. My favourite character of the entire show though is Rachel Mason, played by Eva Pope, the headteacher of the school from series 3 through until the end of series 5. That's when the show started to go... slightly downhill. When the show introduced new headteacher Karen Fisher in series 6, I was skeptical, and by the end of her time I feel like I had every right to be. The show had lost the spark it once had, and even when we were introduced to another new headteacher Michael Byrne in series 7... it still just wasn't what it used to be. We did end up with gems of characters such as Christine (the wonderful Laurie Brett) and Sian Diamond (Jaye Jacobs), but the storylines weren't as powerful as they once were, and there were no shock stunts or grand finales. By the time we'd reached the tenth series with yet another new headteacher Vaughan Fitzgerald, I was a bit tired out. Although the show will always hold such a special place in my heart, even with its controversial move to Scotland, it did run out of steam towards the end and that's probably why it hasn't landed any higher in this countdown.

 

In terms of what actually aired this decade, Shameless is very similar to Waterloo Road in terms of quality. I feel series 8 is when the quality started to dip a little here, and that's probably because the focus shifted so much more than it had in the past onto the Maguire family and away from the Gallaghers. Although, like the aforementioned, this show will always be one of my all-time favourites and will be so close to my heart, it didn't exactly have many fine moments in its final four series. One of the saving graces of a decline in quality towards the end was that until he departed, a lot of the storylines started to focus more on Carl (Elliott Tittensor) and his relationships with the people in Chatsworth, as well as his ambitions for the future - eventually going on to become a police officer. One of the most memorable scenes was undoubtedly the police chase where he and Sita got out of the car and ran, then ended up in a locked room and had sex. Their relationship was very fractured before that, and even after it, but that one moment of passion was basically all the fans had wanted since it was teased for so long. And of course (I'm sure Bal will agree if he ever reads any of this), who could ever forget the completely ICONIC car wash scene of Carl's? Topless Elliott Tittensor for a solid minute on our screens, getting wet with a hose, damn. This is a show that, despite its inclusion of sex, drugs, guns, prostitution, violence, and basically anything else 18+, had so much heart and warmth. Not only that, it had an ensemble cast that were so loveable in every way. Although some characters veered off in questionable directions once they'd grown up or moved on, they were still the same people you loved from the show's first series. I highly doubt any show either now or in the future will come close to matching the comedy brilliance of the likes of Kev, Veronica, Fiona, Monica, Sheila, Frank, Karen, Jamie, Mimi, Debbie, Carl, Lip, Ian, and anybody else who stepped foot on the Chatsworth Estate. Now I really want to go back and rewatch it all from the beginning.

 

Despite only hitting our Netflix screens two years ago, the revival of Queer Eye already has four seasons under its belt, as well as a Japanese version. Following the Fab 5 - Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Tan France and Bobby Berk - on a road trip around the US ready to give those nominated the ultimate makeover, this is a show with so much depth, spirit and heart to it. Although on the surface it could come across as a show a bit like Gok Wan's 10 Years Younger or similar, it's so much more than that. We're always introduced to somebody at the beginning of an episode who has been nominated by a friend or family member. They have a story, and the show never fails to reel me in and have me crying either 5, 10 or 20 minutes in. It makes you realise how lucky you are when you witness some of the situations people find themselves in, either as a result of stopping caring for themselves, or not being able to love themselves, or be who they truly want to be in life. There are so many inspirational moments throughout each episode with the Fab 5 digging to the roots of each issue and utilising every inch of their wisdom to help these beautiful strangers be the best versions of themselves they possibly can be. Although the recent season hasn't been as good as the three that came before it, I think we still have a long way to go with the Fab 5, and this is a show that can easily go on for unlimited seasons. Not only that, the franchise can definitely be expanded beyond the US and Japan. I'm already frothing at the mouth for more Antoni, and another season!

 

 

Next: 6-10 (TV Shows of the Decade)

Here's the shows I've watched that you've talked about so far

 

The IT Crowd is ok but nowhere near the best sitcoms of the decade for me. Plus the creator of it is transphobic so that puts me off. Peep Show & Friday Night Dinner are much more successful sitcoms for me so I'm glad to see them higher. Peep Show was consistently great and I've just finished watching Friday Night Dinner as something we could watch together when I saw my Mum and she was obsessed with it. I think its good but I felt they frequently didn't know how to end an episode so they just finished a bit too abruptly.

 

I really enjoy The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and cannot wait for the new season in a week's time. Riverdale, on the other hand, has completely lost me. I loved the first season but found 2-3 a slog and have now just gave up on it. Pretty Little Liars was my guilty pleasure though. That's the perfect teen show even if it did drag out for slightly too long.

 

Bojack Horseman has been one of my favourite new shows of the decade. I thought the first season was rubbish but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. They seemed to move away from the comedy and focus on the dramatic elements more which I think is perfect because I never found it's humour very funny but I would honestly put it up there as some of the best drama currently on telly. Escpeially the 'Free Churro' episode. I can't believe the shows ending forever later this month :(

 

Black Mirror was some outstanding episodes and is frequently innovate. It's a shame the last couple of seasons haven't quite been able to match up with the show's peak.

 

The Apprentice is probably my favourite reality TV show to be fair. It can be so cringy to watch but it's still so hilarious at the same time.

 

It's a shame that you're not much of a fan of 'It's Only Sunny' as I would probably rank in as my 2nd or 3rd favourite show of all-time. I think in 13 seasons, they've only produced 2 bad episodes and they were both in the last season with the 'Charlie's Home Alone/The Gang Wins The Big Game' 2 parter which is remarkable for a sitcom. I think it handles important issues very well and you're 100% meant to leave the show thinking the characters are despicable people.

Oh, I didn't know that about the creator of The IT Crowd. :o I'm surprised you dislike the Charlie's Home Alone episode of It's Always Sunny - for me that was one of the highlights of that season. Also a shame that you're not keen to watch The IT Crowd because of its transphobic roots, but It's Always Sunny is one of your favourite shows. There may be trans representation in that, but I don't think they do a good job at all of representing it appropriately, or in a positive light that counters whatever the writers or characters may think.

 

I agree re. Friday Night Dinner - sometimes the episodes can end a bit too abruptly and you're left like 'oh... wasn't expecting it to end so soon' :lol: Glad you're enjoying Chilling Adventures of Sabrina too! :wub: I'd say if you liked Riverdale to begin with, definitely give season 4 a shot because it's kinda returned to form, but yeah completely agree re. seasons 2 and 3.

 

Thanks for commenting Lewis! :D

 

Gossip Girl and Schitts Creek :wub:

 

Probably two of my favourite shows ever.

Indeed :heart: Thanks for commenting Jack!!

6-10:

 

 

06 Orphan Black Seasons 1-5

07 RuPaul's Drag Race Seasons 1-11, All-Stars & UK Series 1

08 Grey's Anatomy Seasons 1-14

09 The Vampire Diaries Seasons 1-8

10 The 100 Seasons 1-6

 

I'm not going to do commentaries as long as 11-50 for the top 10, because I'll be here forever writing long paragraphs about each since they've all come to mean so much to me over the years. Instead, I'll just give a short summary for each, and we'll kick that right off with The 100. I started watching The 100 at the recommendation of Joseph, and since then I've loved every season! Each season has its own confined arc, and while some are more interesting than others (the Mount Weather and A.L.I.E storylines are undeniably the best the show has done), the characters are what make The 100 as great as it is. While main character Clarke isn't always likeable, Bellamy is one of the best TV characters of the decade for me. Not only is he hot, he's always a voice of reason and has had so much development through the show's six seasons. I've yet to finish season 6, but I'm looking forward to attending 100 Con with Joseph later this year and meeting some of the cast from the show!

 

The Vampire Diaries went on for eight seasons before the story ended, and it was a rollercoaster of a ride. I didn't like it to begin with, but it's definitely one that takes a few episodes (or maybe a season) to totally get into. There's so much to enjoy, and it sometimes deviates from the standard vampire trope that people would expect from it. Some of the show's finest moments come in the later seasons - the relationship between Damon and Bonnie in season 6 gives some beautiful, emotional scenes. The death of Enzo in the show's final season is the most emotional for me though, because it sets Bonnie off on her destiny, and we see just how cruel Paul Wesley's character Stefan can be (as well as being serious eye candy at the same time). Another show that takes some serious investment of time and devotion is Grey's Anatomy. About to head into its seventeenth season later this year, I've only managed to make it up to the fourteenth having spent almost a year going through seasons 1 to 11, where I was fully caught up at the time. There are so many hospital-based TV shows out there, but Grey's Anatomy is simply the finest. It has a mix of hospital-based drama as well as a LOT to get excited about outside of that. As the show goes on, you become invested in the ensemble cast and we get storylines that go well beyond Seattle Grace. The one thing Shonda Rhimes is excellent at is pulling at our heartstrings and giving us a truly emotional 42 minutes of television.

 

RuPaul's Drag Race is something I put off watching for a very long time. It wasn't until about April 2019 that I started making my way through the seasons, and girl I can put my hands up and say why did I wait so long?! It's so entertaining, so bitchy, so amazing and all the representation you want of both drag and queer culture in this day. With so many queens to throw your weight behind in the US version, they can also come back for redemption in the All-Stars version of the show, but quite possibly one of the show's biggest achievements came at the very end of the decade with the first UK series of the show - one that was a massive success for the franchise and the BBC! It kept true to the show's format while also staying true to the UK drag scene and UK culture in general. Shantay, this show definitely stays and I can't wait for it to slay me in 2020! Finally, Orphan Black never failed to shock me or throw a twist in there when you absolutely needed one to keep you watching! Based around main character Sarah Manning and all the different clones that look identical to her, but each with their own separate personalities and styles, the show above all else tells you just how brilliant an actress Tatiana Maslany is. Much like The 100, Orphan Black had a confined arc for each season, and each one reeled you in and had you intrigued up until the final episode of each. It had characters you really wanted to root for, and characters you loved to hate too. It's a shame that there was only enough story for five seasons because it's something that could have gone on for a long time, but I'm glad the writers stayed true to their vision and gave us fifty completely mind-blowing episodes! I'll need to rewatch it all soon because writing this has made me realise how much I miss it and want to relive it all again.

 

 

Next: 1-5 (TV Shows of the Decade)

1-5:

 

 

01 Doctor Who Series 5-11 & Specials

02 One Tree Hill Seasons 1-9

03 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Seasons 1-5

04 Parks & Recreation Seasons 1-7

05 Desperate Housewives Seasons 7-8

 

The time has come - we have the top 5 TV shows of the decade! First up at #5 is Desperate Housewives. This is one of my all-time favourite TV shows, and with two of its finest seasons - the final two - airing in this decade, it simply couldn't miss out. While season 7 was a lot different in tone to a lot of the other seasons, it still provided the drama, the shocks and high-stakes action that we were used to from the show, as well as the regular comedy to keep the episodes light-hearted when they sometimes got very heavy and gritty. The show's final season, however, is quite possibly some of the finest drama I've watched in my lifetime. Wrapping up such an iconic and fantastic show was never going to be an easy task, but the writers managed to pull it off and deliver one of the best final episodes for a TV show. Seeing how everything played out in the end, and watching everybody's time at Wisteria Lane come to an end was so satisfying. The final scene of the show proved too that Wisteria Lane will always be home to people with dark secrets.

 

I was very late to the party with Parks & Recreation, only making my way through all of the seasons by the time the final season had rolled around and wrapped up. It's quite possibly one of the finest, wittiest and warmest American comedies ever though. It's very clever, and manages to make light of politics and government in such a hilarious way. With a lead character like Leslie Knope, it's so easy to like the show. With her dorky personality and love for her job and iconic scenes such as the Lil Sebastian concert, Leslie trying to make her way across an ice rink without slipping, and RON SWANSON existing... the show is everything you could ever want and more from comedy. Speaking of Ron Swanson, he's quite possibly one of the best comedy characters, with his perfectly sharp one-liners and commentary on government and people in general. It's so sad that the show's over because it oozed brilliance from start to finish.

 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a police comedy set in the 99th precinct of the New York Police Department. It's so easy to love this show with its lead character Jake Peralta who is goofy yet at the same time so clever and maybe unexpectedly fantastic at his job (when he wants to be). The relationship between all of the characters in the show is probably one of the best things about it, alongside the writers' impeccable one-liners from the likes of Gina, the mannerisms of Hitchcock and Skully, and the audience's continual yearning for Jake and Amy to just finally get together after a will-they-won't-they that lasted at least a few seasons before it FINALLY happened. They are quite possibly one of my favourite TV pairings. Long may this show last, because it would have been such a travesty had it ended when it was originally cancelled by Fox.

 

Just missing out on first place is One Tree Hill - a teen drama that starts off about novice basketball player Lucas and his half-brother Nathan. In the beginning, both are at war with one another, sharing the same father, but living completely different lives having been brought up completely differently with separate mothers. In the end though, everything works out fine and they become as close as can be. Nathan ends up being one of my favourite ever TV characters of all-time, and his relationship with his future wife Haley makes for one of the most perfect TV couplings ever. The show was never without drama, ending each season with a massive stunt that left you hungry for more, and as I made my way through the show this decade a long time after it first aired on TV, I was hooked from start to finish. Like other shows in this countdown though, One Tree Hill's quality definitely declined towards the end when most of the original cast had left, or when they'd maybe started to run out of ideas. But the very last episode was satisfying.

 

It'll come as no surprise to almost everybody that my #1 TV show of the decade is, of course, none other than Doctor Who. Having been such a massive part of my life since 2005, Doctor Who has consistently remained my favourite ever TV show. After becoming obsessed with the show when it returned to our screens under the helm of Russell T Davies with the 9th Doctor Christopher Eccleston, we stepped into this decade with a new showrunner, a new Doctor, new companion(s); new everything basically. Steven Moffat's time as showrunner has dominated this decade, while the last couple of years of the decade saw yet another switch in showrunner to Chris Chibnall, and a historical and landmark moment for the show when Jodie Whittaker was cast as the first female Doctor! Although the show definitely has its dud moments, every episode has a special place in my heart, and it's so re-watchable. I think I've probably seen every episode of New Who (up to the 12th Doctor) at least 10 times over, and I still feel the magic each time I hear the theme tune play before each adventure in time and space. Every actor that has played the Doctor has managed to encapsulate the very being and personality of the character perfectly, whether that's Christopher Eccleston's darker, more serious vibe (with a bit of fun added on), David Tennant's sense of hope and adventure, Matt Smith's mystique, Peter Capaldi's eyebrows, journey to discovering if he's a good man, and his perfect sense of humour. We also celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the show this decade, with an absolutely mind-blowing, fantastic special The Day of the Doctor. I still remember watching this in the cinema in complete awe - all of Doctor Who's rich history was alluded to, captured beautifully and respected in a feature-length episode that gave the fans everything they wanted and more. Not only that, it introduced a brand new incarnation of the Doctor, brought back familiar monsters, introduced new characters that the fans would grow to love in future episodes, and even hinted at what future regenerations of the Doctor might look like! Now, as we move forward into a new decade, I'm beyond excited to see where Jodie Whittaker's era takes us next and what's in store for the next fifty years of Doctor Who, a show that's been with us for over half a century!

 

And that brings the Top 50 TV Shows of the Decade to an end! Now we get down to the music part of my EOY - and next up we're taking a look at my top 10 EPs of 2019! :cheer:

 

 

Next: Complete Top 50 TV Shows of the Decade

1 Doctor Who
2 One Tree Hill
3 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
4 Parks & Recreation
5 Desperate Housewives
6 Orphan Black
7 RuPaul's Drag Race
8 Grey's Anatomy
9 The Vampire Diaries
10 The 100

11 Queer Eye
12 Shameless
13 Waterloo Road
14 The Good Wife
15 The Good Place
16 Friday Night Dinner
17 Schitt's Creek
18 Black Mirror
19 How to Get Away With Murder
20 Absolutely Fabulous

21 Gossip Girl
22 The Job Lot
23 Santa Clarita Diet
24 The Apprentice
25 Riverdale
26 Atypical
27 13 Reasons Why
28 One Day at a Time
29 Grace & Frankie
30 Plebs

31 BoJack Horseman
32 Sex Education
33 Class
34 The Flash
35 Miranda
36 Pretty Little Liars
37 Peep Show
38 Still Game
39 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
40 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

41 Once Upon a Time
42 The IT Crowd
43 Hunted
44 Russian Doll
45 The Fosters
46 Glee
47 Supergirl
48 Bates Motel
49 American Horror Story
50 Great News


Next: Top 10 EPs of 2019

1 Ruel - Free Time
2 The Vamps - Missing You
3 New Rules - New Rules
4 Lil Nas X - 7
5 Johnny Orlando - Teenage Fever
6 AJ Mitchell - Slow Dance
7 PRETTYMUCH - Phases
8 Spencer Barnett - Reckless
9 Jake Miller - BASED ON A TRUE STORY.
10 Julia Michaels - Inner Monologue, Pt. 1

Ruel comes out on top with the number one EP of the year. His EP, Free Time, didn't reach #1 in my chart until after I'd seen him live in Glasgow, but it's spent a decent amount of time both before and after that at other positions. Established boyband The Vamps' Missing You EP just misses out on the top spot, while emerging group New Rules follow with their debut EP including chart hits of mine 24 Hours, Happy Ever After You and Home Sweet Hotel. Lil Nas X's debut EP, 7, and Johnny Orlando's Teenage Fever complete the top 5, with the former being a massive surprise for me in 2019. I didn't expect to love any of Lil Nas X's music, but with the infectious Old Town Road and other earworms Rodeo and C7osure (You Like), it managed to spend a week at the top of my chart! Teenage Fever took me from casually checking out Johnny's every release to full stan mode - eagerly anticipating whatever he's going to bless us with next!

The lower half of the top 10 kicks off with AJ Mitchell and his Slow Dance EP. It didn't quite manage to reach the top of my chart, but with songs featured that have all been top 10 hits in my chart, the EP was sure to make an impact. Title track Slow Dance made it to #2 in my singles chart. PRETTYMUCH have released more than one EP this year, as well as a number of standalone singles, but their Phases EP was the most notable release of 2019, featuring the titular track and other songs among their best to date. Rounding off the top 10 we have debut EP Reckless by Spencer Barnett, an artist I discovered during 2019, and BASED ON A TRUE STORY., one of two EPs released by Jake Miller in 2019. Julia Michaels completes the set with Inner Monologue, Pt. 1 - while not groundbreaking the EP does feature some cute and catchy songs, and is considerably better than its counterpart released several months later.


Next: 31-40 (Top 40 Albums of 2019)

31 Mitch James - Mitch James
32 Avril Lavigne - Head Above Water
33 Ten Tonnes - Ten Tonnes
34 Bring Me the Horizon - amo
35 Alessandro Casillo - XVII
36 Matthew Bay - Santa Barbara
37 Maggie Rogers - Heard It in a Past Life
38 AUSTN - Chapter 1: In Betweenin'
39 James Blake - Assume Form
40 Jack Walton - Stolen Hearts & Stolen Cars

Down to business now, and what you all came for, with the countdown of my top 40 albums of the year! At #40 is X Factor alumni Jack Walton and his debut album Stolen Hearts & Stolen Cars. The album didn't quite manage to make as big a dent in my chart as I would've hoped - and I much prefer the earlier version of The Way Out rather than the new version included here - but nonetheless it's a solid album and I'm glad he's finally starting to build on an already really solid discography. We also see appearances from minor album chart hits Assume Form, as well as teen pop boy Austin Brown (who now goes by the stage name AUSTN) and his first extended release, Chapter 1: In Betweenin'. Maggie Rogers and Matthew Bay complete the lower half of this section. Heard It in a Past Life was a nice surprise to me as I'd never really paid attention to Maggie prior to that, and Santa Barbara was a great discovery from early in the year - lots to enjoy and I look forward to hearing more from Matthew in the future!

Alessandro Casillo was another new discovery towards the end of the year, and his album XVII was a delight! With a mix of fun tracks, it's easy listening, full of tracks that I'm drawn back to every now and again. Bring Me the Horizon's latest album amo was quite the surprise - I'm not usually into their genre or style of music, but amo struck all the right chords. Up and coming star Ten Tonnes, who supported George Ezra on tour, I found on Spotify when looking for more new artists to squeeze into my already overcrowded chart, and his album was really strong. Closing out this section we have Avril Lavigne and Mitch James. Avril's long awaited comeback didn't disappoint - the album had a nice variety of classic Avril, beautiful ballads and a new style to enjoy. Mitch James' self-titled album made quite the impression when I listened after checking out a few of his tracks, and it ended up being a #1 in my chart too. Sadly it's the first to appear in the countdown at this early stage.


Next: 21-30 (Top 40 Albums of 2019)

Nice to see "amo" and "Assure Form" on there, in case of "Assume Form" it would be in my top 3 albums of the year!

Nice to see "amo" and "Assure Form" on there, in case of "Assume Form" it would be in my top 3 albums of the year!

Thanks so much Sergej! :D

21 MARINA - LOVE + FEAR
22 Mabel - High Expectations
23 Dermot Kennedy - Without Fear
24 Tori Kelly - Inspired By True Events
25 Sam Fender - Hypersonic Missiles
26 Ariana Grande - thank u, next
27 James Arthur - YOU
28 Josh Mac - PARTY BUTTER
29 Sigrid - Sucker Punch
30 In Real Life - She Do

In Real Life sneak into the top 30 with their album She Do - not exactly bursting at the seams with groundbreaking pop songs, but it's a cohesive album that on the whole is really enjoyable. Sigrid is just ahead with her album Sucker Punch, released early on in 2019 - featuring the wonderful Don't Feel Like Crying and title track Sucker Punch. Aside from those two songs, the album's really solid and has a lot of highlights throughout. Josh Mac is another artist I discovered on Spotify, and his debut album PARTY BUTTER is full of bops. Not your conventional pop boy, and he has his own distinct style that sets him apart, but he's definitely up there with the rest of them! Big names James Arthur and Ariana Grande also released new albums this year - YOU and thank u, next. The former was a massive return to form after I didn't really take to his sophomore album Back From the Edge much, while Ariana's album didn't quite pack the punch I hoped it would in the same vein as Dangerous Woman and My Everything - there's still so much to enjoy though.

BRITs Critics' Choice winner Sam Fender makes an appearance with his debut album Hypersonic Missiles. I didn't expect to like his music as much as I do, but when his Dead Boys EP dropped a while before the album, I loved all of the tracks, and his album lived up to expectations too. Tori Kelly's second album (or third if we count the gospel interlude between this album, Inspired By True Events, and her debut Unbreakable Smile) is comfortably top 25 - reminding me why I loved her so much at the time of Nobody Love and Should've Been Us. The album delivers more fantastic tracks, while not quite being as amazing as her debut album. Dermot Kennedy's debut album Without Fear appears too, despite him also having released a self-titled mixtape earlier in the year. All of the singles from the album are great, and there are some gems scattered throughout. Finally, Mabel and MARINA complete this section; Mabel with her debut album High Expectations and MARINA with her fourth, LOVE + FEAR. Mabel's album title was quite apt considering Don't Call Me Up and Mad Love are among my favourite songs of the year and had me all kinds of excited. Unfortunately when the album dropped I wasn't overly impressed, but it's stood the test of time and I'm loving it a lot more now! MARINA on the other hand delivered a great album, comfortably her second strongest behind Electra Heart.


Next: 11-20 (Top 40 Albums of 2019)