Let's take a look back at the last decade before the rise of streaming and where you really did have a chance to actually work through your list of good TV recommendations rather than it piling up in this new age of peak TV.

 

I'm going to share some of my random picks but this also a chance to share some of your favourite TV shows of the decade!

GOLDEN BALLS (2007-2009)

 

Golden Balls was a UK daytime game show presented by Jasper Carrott. Four contestants were randomly given a number of golden balls that had different cash amounts in them, ranging from £10-£75,000. There was also a number of Killer balls which would reduce the cash total in the final round. Each contestant would reveal two of their balls and then either lie or tell the truth about the values inside their remaining balls. The contestants then vote to eliminate one player - the aim of the game is to get the most cash in play for the final round and to avoid taking through the killer balls! Once two players are left, the balls in play get mixed up and each contestant must choose to eliminate a ball or keep a ball in play. Then, and this is the juicy part!!, once they have their final total, each contestant chooses to either split or steal the final amount. If both split, they each receive a share of the jackpot. If one chooses steal, and the other split, the person steals the jackpot. If both choose steal, both loose the money.

 

This show was incredible for a daytime show. Rather than friendly cooperation between the contestants that you see on shows like Pointless, this was all about DECEIT and how a player with two killer balls could get through to the next round. It was all about the final round though as the best and worst of humanity revealed itself. The most memorable moment of the show was when two returning players, who had previously had the jackpot stolen from them, were playing for a jackpot over £100,000. It is truly shocking and devasting TV:

 

I remember watching Golden Balls-such a fun show! Trying to work out who was a scumbag and going to steal it all!

Lmao I saw videos of these on so many compilationvideos I watch. It's so funny to see them try to screw each other over.

Really shows what those people are really like

BIG BROTHER: CHANNEL 4 (2000-2010)

 

Big Brother was adapted from the Dutch version of the show and become a huge hit over here during its lifespan on Channel 4. It's often looked at when people cry out against people being famous for being famous as it really was the King of reality shows, with everyone only following in its shadow. The basis of the show is that regular members of the public are sent into a house, cut off from the outside world whilst they are filmed 24/7 with a daily highlights package being shown. One selling point of the show was the interactive nature, something groundbreaking back then but something the public don't look twice at nowadays and in fact more shows are moving away from this! Viewers at home decided who would be evicted from the house and who would stay in. Eviction nights were largely every Friday and became a huge talking point with a mob crowd awaiting outside to scream or boo as the evicted housemate left the house. The show was narrated by Geordie Marcus Bentley and eviction nights were hosted by Davina McCall. Following a Comic Relief special, a Celebrity version of the show also aired every winter. Unfortunately, it was the Celebrity version that likely killed the show as, the most famous housemate to come from Big Brother, Jade Goody returned to the house with her family but was embroiled in a race row, alongside S Club's Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd. This made national headlines, caused the Prime Minister to even comment and led to a high number of axe calls. The show returned for its regular civilian series as normal later that year but it started a series of declining ratings after some of the highs it had experienced just the year before. The final series aired in 2010 with an Ultimate version as memorable housemates returned. It would soon return on Channel 5 for about 392 more series but it never achieved the same highs and talking points experienced on Channel 4.

 

Memorable moments/housemates:

 

Nasty Nick being confronted after writing messages or something?? It was so tame back in the day

Vanessa Feltz's meltdown

Jade Goody

Fight Night (resulted from the first use of the fake eviction/other house!)

Chantelle faking it till she made it

Makosi thinking she was pregnant

Nikki's meltdowns

you better know yourself if you're talking about me little girl

DON'T TAKE MY FRIENDS AWAY

 

 

 

LOST (2004-2010)

 

Lost was an absolute phenomenon and helped to change the landscape of TV. It followed a huge ensemble cast who were survivors of an airplane crash on a mysterious island. We are first introduced to the cast in the immediate aftermath of the crash in the most expensive pilot at that time (the cost caused someone to be sacked I think??). The cast have to work together to survive but they know nothing of each other's past. The viewer is instead allowed a glimpse into their pasts through flashbacks, each character having their own set of flashbacks in each episode. This wasn't the only selling point of the show as there is a whole mythology around it, rarely seen on network TV before. Viewers examined every tiny bit as to clues as to what the island was and the secrets behind it. Mysteries included the Smoke Monster, random polar bears, 4 8 15 16 23 42, a mysterious hatch in the ground and another group called The Others. In Season 2, the group have opened up the hatch which requires a programme to be activated every 108 minutes. The reason is said to be to prevent a catastrophic event from occurring. Over the remaining seasons, we discover more about the Others and the end of Season 3 suffers an absolute game-changing twist (one of the best in any TV series!). From there on in, it's relentless and continues to open up the world and the possibilities wider than ever until we reach a controversial final episode. However, it's not about the endgame (contrary to what people may think) but the journey of the characters and the way that the series drew you in with all its mysteries. Many shows tried to replicate the success afterwards but nothing has never really had the same cultural impact!

 

 

Golden Balls and Big Brother :cheeseblock:

I used to love Golden Balls. I think the one flaw in the format though is the fact that choosing the "steal" ball at the end seems the only logical thing to do. If you choose to split, you run the risk of allowing your opponent to steal the jackpot but if you steal, you either bag the entire jackpot or at least prevent your opponent from stealing it all. :lol:

 

I actually miss old-school BB on Channel 4. The launch nights used to be an event! :wub: I reckon in 10 years the show will be revived for younger generations.

I actually really liked Golden Balls, but there was a way around it. One would just say that they were going to steal, but promise that they would split it after the show. With a verbal contract on tv, they would then split it afterwards.

 

I just watched that clip and it is DEVASTATING. No wonder it got axed!

 

Also, I hope to see Dinner Ladies in this countdown x

Lost is actually something I’ve never watched!

 

Big Brother has many memories, 2006 probably being my favourite. I have actually met both Glyn Wise and Nikki Grahame from that series!

Also, I hope to see Dinner Ladies in this countdown x

Don’t bet on it when only three episodes actually aired in the decade :frankie:

Don’t bet on it when only three episodes actually aired in the decade :frankie:

 

Three of the best episodes of British comedy ever though :frankie:

Big Brother is I think the ultimate TV show of the 00s in that it defines what made the decade what it was. Everything from the rise of the cult of celebrity and "15 minutes of fame" culture, the explosion of reality TV, the growth in CCTV and State Surveillance, Tabloid gutter press scandals, the advancement of visibility of LGBT+ people and ultimately in its demise, the intersection of race and class. Which is why I think any kind of attempted revival in a few years time is only ever going to go the way of the later Channel 5 runs because ultimately the media era that made Big Brother such groundbreaking and iconic television is gone so it'd be more respectful to the legacy of Big Brother as a show if it's finally just laid to rest.

 

Also Television wise it was the first big TV show to have a "side" show with BBLB so you've got Big Brother to thank for the likes of Xtra Factor and Strictly: It Take Two.

 

 

The Jade Goody documentary that aired last year was a fascinating insight into the whole 2000s celebrity culture. Even though we have the likes of the Daily Mail online these days, you forget how influential celebrity magazines such as Heat were and they were all clambering to get their exclusives, propelling the housemates into their 15 minutes of fame. It was a whole different kind of ceebrity culture to now, where everything is a lot more instant due to social media.

 

I didn’t realise it was the first to have a spin-off! It does feel the most natural though in comparison to the talent shows. Feels odd that there’s only Strictly that still has a side show now! I remember probably around the middle-latter half 2000s literally every single reality show would have a spin-off on ITV2/BBC 3/E4.

Lost is actually something I’ve never watched!

I've seen a lot of articles recently looking back at some iconic TV shows and they all seem to mention Lost basically making it all up as they went along, so it probably isn't worth it. :lol:

THE OFFICE (2001-2003)

EXTRAS (2005-2007)

 

Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant wrote two of the biggest comedies of the decade. The Office in particular is regarded as one of the UK's best comedies of all time. It is in the style of a mockumentary, taking a new look at the workplace sitcom. It is based at a paper company in Slough, following David Brent and his team. The comedy excelled in a cringe-type comedy as David Brent made numerous gaffes, one of the most famous being his awkward dancing! Another highlight of the series was the will they/won't they relationship of Tim & Dawn. It's success was largely helped by how normal the setting was and how relatable some of the characters were. It inspired a hugely successful American adaptation (which is AMAZING) and ran for 201 episodes compared to the UK's THIRTEEN!! It also led to a David Brent movie released a few years ago.

 

Extras followed Andy Millman, an aspiring actor but gets mostly work as an extra until the second series where he stars in his own sitcom. It leads to a really good finale where he stars in Doctor Who and then Celebrity Big Brother! A notable feature of the series was that it had huge A-list guest stars in each episode including Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Samuel L Jackson, David Bowie and Sir Ian McKellen.

 

 

I loved both. Kate Winslet’s thirst for an Oscar was real and I can’t believe she finally got one in real life for playing a nun!

YOU AIN'T MY MUVVA

 

YES I AAAAAAAAMMMM!

 

DUN DUN DUN DUN.

 

A CLASSIC.

 

The theme tune. The SAVAGERY. The questions. The TACTICAL VOTING. Non stop drama on the best mildly trashy quiz show to ever exist.

 

Had a phase of watching it more of less every day after school at one point. Peak 5pm weekday.

 

First one to break the banking chain is WEAK. Banking too early in the nice easy early rounds is WEAKER, shows you have no confidence in your ability to answer questions. IT MULTIPLIES, much better to wait for a bigger bank. Not getting £1000 in the first round is a massive failure. :o

 

But being too arrogant to bank for safety in the more difficult later rounds is even worse. :o :o :o

The Weakest Link was such a good concept that I completely took for granted. I want those kind of tactics back in my daytime TV shows rather than which slot should I put my coin in after answering that the Queen lives in Buckingham Palace.