As per usual I'm not the most TV-focussed person! Should probably have tried to watch a bit of Saturday Night Takeaway though, particularly if it'll be the last one for a while.

Thanks for the comments Harry and Pete! :heart:

TV: Competition Shows

 

 

1 Big Brother [uS] | Season 26

2 The Traitors [uK] | Series 2

3 Big Brother Canada | Season 12

4 The Traitors [uS] | Season 2

5 Survivor | Season 47

6 I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! | Series 24

7 The Fortune Hotel | Series 1

8 The Apprentice | Series 18

9 Squid Game: The Challenge | Season 1

10 Race Across the World / Celebrity Race Across the World | Series 4 / Series 2

11 Strictly Come Dancing | Series 22

12 RuPaul's Drag Race UK / UK vs the World | Series 6

13 Big Brother [uK] / Celebrity | Series 21 / Series 23

14 The Masked Singer | Series 5

15 RuPaul's Drag Race / All Stars | Season 16 / Season 9

16 Britain's Got Talent | Series 17

17 The Amazing Race | Season 36

18 The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer | Series 7

 

The biggest category goes to competition shows once again, even with spin-off seasons combined with their parent shows...! For the second year running, Big Brother reigns supreme, but with last year's #1 (the UK version) falling to #13, it's Big Brother US that takes over at the top. Over the years, I've gravitated more towards getting involved with the live feed-viewing community on Twitter to keep on top of all house-happenings in real time, but this year, it took over my life a bit during the summer, thanks in no small part to the investment I'd put into houseguest Quinn Martin, but more on him later! The cast was full of big characters who were largely unproblematic, making for a very messy game with constant twists and turns that came from the players themselves rather than external forces, and the result was one of the best seasons of BBUS that I've ever watched. I'd happily see these 16 people play again next year because I think they'd bring the entertainment once again! :lol:

 

Big Brother Canada delivered a strong season this year and places third on what's sadly confirmed to be its final season for the time being. With returning players Victoria and Anthony shaking the game up, it was great to see newbie Bayleigh rise through the ranks, particularly after being near the bottom of the pile early in the season and being no stranger to calling someone out! Big Brother UK didn't quite build on its triumphant 2023 comeback, as it felt more lacklusture this year, with a less interesting cast, but it wasn't a bad outing by any means, and Ali winning felt like a great moment, particularly over the godawful runner-up. CBBUK was fun this year too, though I do worry that an extra series a year could burn the format out fast again.

 

The Traitors just loses out on a return to the top spot, with its first series topping my ranking when it aired in late 2022. Nevertheless, I loved its second outing a lot, and Claudia Winkleman continues to anchor the show with heart and humour. The Traitors US really delivered again too, with the likes of Phaedra, Kate and Parvati bringing constant drama, and Alan Cumming continuing to bring his own flavour to the hosting, giving the show a different feel to the UK one despite the same setting and tasks. On the topic of strategy games, I watched the American version of Survivor for the first time, and though the finale has yet to air, it feels like a brilliant first season to have watched, with a likeable cast who aren't afraid to make risky moves! I've enjoyed the chaos of Andy's gameplay, but I think Rachel deserves the win this coming week. New British show The Fortune Hotel brought another new strategy show to our screens and I thought it was a brilliant format, I can't wait for the second series to air.

 

I've been watching it for approaching twenty years now, but I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! continues to deliver. With no right-wing politicians in sight this year (hooray!), the campmates were a breath of fresh air, with a diverse selection of people who had interesting conversations and interactions, with hilarious trials along the way. GKBarry and Reverend Richard Coles were revelations, and I loved their dynamic together as well as what they brought individually. My favourite series in a little while! The Apprentice was on good form this year and it felt like a slightly more competent set of contestants this time round, but there was plenty to laugh (or cringe) at, particularly during the shopping channel task! Strictly Come Dancing was fun once again this year, although Sarah Hadland was very much my winner, she was awesome from the start and I feel like a very proud Miranda fan watching her dance so well. Britain's Got Talent ranks lower down but I did enjoy it again, particularly the randomness of Bobby Goldfinn tbh x

 

I wasn't sure what to expect of Squid Game: The Challenge, but it felt like a really refreshing new format, so I hope it can continue even when Squid Game itself wraps up in the near future. I'm quite new to Race Across the World too, and this was my first civilian series - it's the most wholesome show on this list and I really enjoy seeing the dynamics between each pair. I loved seeing Scott Mills do so well on the celebrity version too! A little similar in concept but with a much different execution, The Amazing Race is a show I've followed for a few seasons in a row now (after watching one or two seasons a while back), and this one didn't wow me as much as other recent ones have, particularly when one couple ran away with the win from the start basically, but I'll stick with it for the next season again.

 

Drag Race UK was on good form this year and only slips down the rankings because of how strong everything else has been! Plus, whilst I liked it, UK vs the World is diluting the format slightly, and there's already a LOT of Drag Race to watch. Drag Race US wasn't my total favourite this year, with a few less-than-likeable characters, but Nymphia Wind was a phenomenal winner. Finally, The Great Celebrity Bake Off comes in last, not because I disliked it, but it became background viewing for me this year and I chose not to watch the regular Bake Off series as a result. I might gravitate back to it at some point!

TV: Returning Drama

 

 

1 Doctor Who | Season 1

2 Heartstopper | Season 3

3 Sweet Tooth | Season 3

4 Outer Banks | Season 4

5 Young Royals | Season 3

6 Heartbreak High | Season 2

7 Alex Rider | Season 3

8 Good Trouble | Season 5

9 Wreck | Series 2

10 Superman & Lois | Season 4

11 Tokyo Vice | Season 2

12 The Dumping Ground | Series 11-12

13 La Brea | Season 3

14 Waterloo Road | Series 13

 

Though this is often one of the most competitive categories, it's perhaps no surprise to see Doctor Who reigning supreme for the second year in a row within the returning drama category. That said, it probably is a bit weird for "season 1" of a show to be in this category! Of course, Doctor Who is far from new, and the resetting of its season count is just to mark the beginning of a new era, including a partnership with Disney+ as well as Ncuti Gatwa's first series in the titular role. Ncuti hits the ground running as the Fifteenth Doctor and won me over very quickly, and I adored Millie Gibson's companion Ruby Sunday too, as well as their fantastic chemistry! The episodes felt diverse, though I found it a shame we had so few - only 8 wasn't enough! Whilst not a perfect series, any qualms I had are simply nitpicks and it's so good to have Doctor Who in safe hands for the first time in a while.

 

Heartstopper's third outing was another seriously great watch, albeit less light and fluffy than the show had been before. Charlie's eating disorder took centre stage, allowing his relationship with Nick to be explored in its nuances, providing an exceptional example of how a couple can support each other, rather than taking the easy storyline route of affairs, substance abuse and an eventual break-up. I really need a season 4 renewal because this show absolutely *has* to get its proper ending! Outer Banks has its final season confirmed, and I enjoyed penultimate outing season 4 a lot more than the third season. Lots of great scenes involving the core group of characters ("pogues"), who are all extremely compelling, though the shocking twist at the end of the season guarantees season 5 will be quite different in tone. Australian coming-of-age drama/comedy show Heartbreak High also has one final outing confirmed, and despite a light, unserious tone at times, it's a really raw portrayal of teenage life and I love how the different characters have developed in the second season.

 

A number of shows in here aired their final seasons this year, intentionally or otherwise. The best of this bunch is Sweet Tooth, a show that won my heart very fast when I discovered it last year. Gus and Big Man's story wrapped up beautifully, with a high-octane finale but most importantly, it was full of heart, and prioritised character just as it had done from the start. The final season of Young Royals was stellar too, with Edvin Ryding and Omar Rudberg on top form as Crown Prince Wilhelm of Sweden and his boyfriend Simon. The finale was perfect - such a euphoric final scene! I loved Alex Rider's final season and would happily have watched many more outings for the young spy, and Good Trouble could easily have continued for years to come and I'd never have complained - can't believe the universe The Fosters created is officially over. Superman & Lois could've continued for a while longer too and it felt like it had planned to, with a few storyline strands slightly rushed, but a strong final outing regardless.

 

Wreck's second series definitely wasn't meant to be its last but it now appears to have been cancelled by the BBC, which I find a shame! Series 2 was high energy, full of thrills and jumpscares, and it falls apart slightly if you think about it too much but I was gripped when I made my way through it over the Easter holidays. Tokyo Vice was also cancelled after season 2, though it felt like a more natural end at least, even if there was potential for it to continue. I think I enjoyed it even more than season 1 after a slightly slow start, and Ansel Elgort was compelling in the lead role.

 

The Dumping Ground's most recent series has felt full of heart and it's been an enjoyable watch as I try to keep up with the Tracy Beaker franchise still. Series 11 initially felt jarring with a big cast shake-up but as this has settled down, I've grown to appreciate many of the newbies. Cancelled and renewed only for a truncated final season with half of the cast missing for much of the run, La Brea's closing episodes were damp squibs on the whole unfortunately. Lead character Eve, as played by Natalie Zea, barely featured in the final run and therefore it lacked some of the gravitas the first two seasons had (as daft as they sometimes were). I've actually stopped watching Waterloo Road after how much I disliked series 13 - I expect to suspend my disbelief when watching shows like this, but I found myself sighing throughout this entire series at just how ridiculous each character was made out to be. I haven't bothered with series 14 and I haven't missed the show at all so I'll probably be staying away.

good to see Doctor Who #1 here as expected. for me it'll never be quite as great as the classic Tennant era but certainly showed promise over some of those Whittaker episodes for it to get back on track.

me parents picked up La Brea as something to watch this year and I did quite enjoy how unrealistic and convoluted it all was haha. I'm glad it at least got a proper ending and wasn't just canned after S2.

I've also been getting into Heartstopper / Heartbreak High, although yet to complete the latest series of either. mostly picked up them up out of intrigue for certain side characters I'd read about but both shows as a whole (so far) turned out to be quite fun (and a bit emosh) to watch.

good to see Doctor Who #1 here as expected. for me it'll never be quite as great as the classic Tennant era but certainly showed promise over some of those Whittaker episodes for it to get back on track.

me parents picked up La Brea as something to watch this year and I did quite enjoy how unrealistic and convoluted it all was haha. I'm glad it at least got a proper ending and wasn't just canned after S2.

I've also been getting into Heartstopper / Heartbreak High, although yet to complete the latest series of either. mostly picked up them up out of intrigue for certain side characters I'd read about but both shows as a whole (so far) turned out to be quite fun (and a bit emosh) to watch.

I think I've happily accepted that Tennant's (original) era is untouchable with the nostalgia I'll always have for it, but if it stays at this level of quality I'll be happy for sure!

 

La Brea was certainly gripping, season 1 and 2 were much more enjoyable if very stupid :lol: and I do agree that it's good that it got a proper ending, season 2's cliffhanger would've been horrible to end on!

 

I'm glad you've found Heartstopper and Heartbreak High enjoyable thus far!! The ensemble casts of both are really strong and both have a brilliantly diverse set of storylines and characters, hope you enjoy the latest seasons when you get round to them!

 

Thanks Dan! :D

TV: Star of 2024

 

 

1 Quinn Martin

2 Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson

3 Eden Taylor-Draper

4 Joe Locke and Kit Connor

5 Sarah Hadland

6 Christian Convery and Nonso Anozie

7 Angela Murray

8 Rudy Pankow

9 Channique Sterling-Brown

10 Lee Mack

 

A quick look at some of my favourite people in television this year, or duos in the case of some where I found them equally and inseparably fantastic!

 

Anyone who followed Big Brother US this year or tolerated conversations with me throughout the season will know that I grew very attached to houseguest Quinn Martin. On the face of it, Quinn looks like typical Joseph fodder, a long haired nerdy guy, but the more I saw and heard from Quinn, the more I loved him. Quinn was open about a lot of things while on Big Brother - being an outcast, being an ally particularly to the LGBTQ+ community, and hoping that he could be a role model to even one guy with long hair out there, knowing full well that you don't see many guys looking like him on TV (at least, that aren't homeless and/or drug addicts). Quinn's attitude was consistently positive even as his game slightly spiralled, and his habit of falling upwards was stressful but repeatedly rewarding, particularly when outlasting his rival Tucker. Though not everyone in the house was always kind to him, Quinn's heart spoke volumes, and has continued to do so since the game ended - I've received a Cameo from Quinn (see below), been followed by him on Twitter and Bluesky, and had plenty of positive interactions and notices with him. Having a guy who's unapologetically himself, who's neurodivergent, and importantly for me, who loves wearing his hair long, is something I related to a lot and it went further than just being a game show contestant.

 

Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson were so watchable in this year's Doctor Who and made for a fantastic pairing with their great camaraderie both on and off screen. I can't wait to see more of them in next year's season, and I hope Varada Sethu's new companion slots into the mix well! Joe Locke and Kit Connor were once again equally significant to the storyline of Heartstopper season 3, with Joe really playing a blinder with Charlie's eating disorder, and Kit stepped up to play Nick as the supportive boyfriend with ease. I've also thrown Christian Convery and Nonso Anozie together, also known as Gus and Tommy "Big Man" Jepperd from Sweet Tooth. Their unlikely relationship was a central part of the series from the start, and their chemistry played right into the final episode, with a touching ending.

 

Soap stars feature twice here, with Emmerdale's Eden Taylor-Draper making my top three for her incredible role as Belle Dingle, who experienced domestic abuse and coercive control from her husband Tom throughout this year, with the conclusion playing out on screen this week. Eden's been part of Emmerdale for a long time and has always delivered when given the chance, and I think this will be seen as one of her defining storylines, in no small part thanks to Eden's superb and sensitive portrayal. Corrie's Channique Sterling-Brown also deserves a nod for how fantastic she's been as Dee Dee Bailey this year! Effortlessly slotting into a number of storylines and becoming a character that's easy to root for and sympathise with.

 

My highlight of Strictly every week was Miranda star Sarah Hadland, who provided one of the best TV moments of the year by dancing to Heather Small's Proud! Another Big Brother houseguest, Angela Murray, has to get a nod for how iconic she was in the Big Brother house this year, although I think I'd find her insufferable to live with if she was calling someone "CRAZY EYES" within a week!! Rudy Pankow has always been fantastic as JJ Maybank in Outer Banks but served his best performances to date in this year's fourth season. Finally, comedian Lee Mack has to be included for how good he is hosting The 1% Club - quick-witted, funny and a competent host too, he's a vital part of what's already a great concept.

 

@1847707598851916048

TV

 

 

Returning Drama: Doctor Who

New Drama: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Comedy (Sitcoms / Panel): Big Boys

Discovery: Lost Ollie

Soap: Emmerdale

Quiz Show: The 1% Club

Entertainment: Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience

Competition Show: Big Brother [uS]

 

 

TV Star of 2024: Quinn Martin

Movies

 

 

Dune: Part Two

I Am: Celine Dion

Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About a Kid Named LAROI

National Anthem

Wonka

 

Super quickly, a quick look at the movies I've watched this year - all five of them...! I've never been much of a movie viewer (it's an attention span thing okay x) so this isn't an unusual number! I think Wonka is my favourite of the lot. Arriving at the end of 2023, I saw it at the cinema in early January and it was a thrilling watch, with Timothée Chalamet excelling as the iconic titular character. I also watched Timothée in Dune: Part Two, which I enjoyed a lot too, perhaps more than part one.

 

The Kid LAROI and Céline Dion released docufilms, the former about his rise to fame and journey to his debut studio album THE FIRST TIME, and the latter about her battle with stiff person syndrome. Both were emotional in different ways - Céline's didn't hold back in showing the lowest lows she's faced with her illness, while Laroi's dealt with the grief he felt when friend and mentor Juice WRLD passed away.

 

Finally, I recently watched a film called National Anthem, starring Charlie Plummer. I've enjoyed many films of Charlie's now and I keep an eye on anything he stars in, but this surprised me in a great way. It's a coming-of-age story of a rural American young adult who finds his chosen family, among an LGBTQ+ inclusive space. A diverse range of people are portrayed with the most love, and it's such a touching watch!

 

Starting tomorrow, the return of the Hit 300 Awards! A select few categories (smaller than previous years) to recognise a few specific moments of music that don't quite get represented in my songs or albums countdowns.

 

Artist of the Year

Group of the Year

Live Artist of the Year

Breakthrough Artist

Best Era

Best Music Video

Discovery of the Year

 

 

Best Era: Benson Boone - Fireworks & Rollerblades

 

This award recognises the best all-round era that took place over 2024. It doesn't necessarily have to be the best album of the year, but a great album alongside its visuals, tour and promotion. This year, Benson Boone finally released his debut studio album. Whilst he only really made a commercial breakthrough this year, for us early days fans it was a wait of two and a half years, and two EPs, for Benson's first full-length project. Containing global #1 hit Beautiful Things, Fireworks & Rollerblades dropped in April, and the step-up in artistry was clear. The songs displayed a stronger level of confidence, with Benson playing around with the structure of his songs, not afraid to shake them up part-way through, or trick us into thinking we had a heartfelt ballad before the beat kicks in out of nowhere! The title comes from the gorgeous Hello Love - "I could try to blame you, but my mind ain't safe, like two fireworks tied to a rollerblade" - and it was made complete by the album artwork, literally featuring Benson roller-skating with fireworks coming out of the skates. The only downside of this era was the lack of post-album singles, with only previously unreleased track Pretty Slowly coming after the album's release (and being tagged onto the album on streaming), but that's more a sign of the times than a specific issue with the rollout of this album. It's a brilliant debut era which displays Benson's versatility and potential expertly, from 2021 debut single Ghost Town, to the album's closing track, What Do You Want, written in response to feedback about the rest of the album apparently not containing a single hit...!!!

 

I can't say I've listened to much of Benson's album but Beautiful Things was definitely the best song to top the official charts this year!

I wanted to see "Dune Part Two" and "Wonka" in cinemas, but I was more busy and distracted by the whole job searching thing that I went through. Hopefully next year will be better for me, but I am very skeptical about it!

 

Benson's album was fine for what it is, I still remember the singles "Beautiful Things" and "Slow It Down" more, which will be remembered for me of his discography from this year.

Thanks for the comments guys! :D

 

 

Group of the Year: dearALICE

 

There's not really any competition for my favourite group of 2024, but I don't give these awards out by default, so a lot of credit has to be given to dearALICE for earning this award in a relatively short space of time. I first heard of dearALICE when Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience launched in August on BBC1. Made in Korea told the story of a new British boyband being trained as performers by SM Entertainment, one of the leading companies in the K-Pop industry. I quickly warmed to Blaise, Dexter, James, Olly and Reese as personalities, and I enjoyed watching their performance skills improve each week too! I immediately loved the songs they performed, too. Each of the six episodes of the series introduced a new song that the boys learned choreography for, so it was easy to get a sense of what they were going to be like as a band from these tracks. The first song, Vibes, remains my favourite - effortlessly catchy and so much fun! dearALICE have filled a void in the world of pop groups for me already, and I'm really hoping some luck comes their way next year and they can have a commercial breakthrough. Even if they don't, I'm excited to hear the music that'll come from their first studio album!

 

 

 

Discovery of the Year: Take That

 

A new award for 2024, I thought it was only right to recognise an artist whose past material I spent a lot of time getting to know in 2024. I've been warming to Take That a lot in recent years, but only been super familiar with their big hits and one or two others, but after seeing them at the Jingle Bell Ball last year, I couldn't resist them any longer. Alongside a few others from the site, I listened to all of Take That's albums this year, and became familiar enough with each of their singles to host my own countdown in the Take That forum from my least favourite to most! Their discography is so much more varied than I realised, and I particularly enjoyed the Progress album - I only really knew The Flood from this era beforehand, so I've made some great discoveries. Mark is definitely my favourite member, he leads many of my favourite Take That songs (including my top 2 of Hold Up a Light and Shine), and I've spent time with his solo material in 2024 too, shout out to Four Minute Warning and Stars x

 

Yes for DR Who, BBUS and Quinn smashing the Joseph year end! As to be expected tbh!

 

Benson's era is perfect from the strong tracklist and sound to the album cover which is another whole other kind of perfection :wub:

 

Edit: Take That and DearALICE getting a spotlight, the former I love even more because of us listening to the albums this year which was honestly one of my favourite things I did this year, I made a proper discovery with Take That! :wub:

Benson has had quite the year. Been a fan of all his singles ('Cry' the only one that didn't quite click but will likely re listen to at some point).

Thank you both!! :wub:

 

 

Breakthrough Artist: Artemas

 

A lot of breakthrough / newcomer nominations in award shows nowadays seem to go to artists who broke through in previous years, making me wonder what the point of the award actually is in an era where it's harder to break through (and sustain that position) than ever. Whilst Artemas has been making and releasing music since 2020, I hadn't scrobbled him at all until 2024, when I checked out rising viral hit if u think i'm pretty. I really liked how different it sounded for a chart hit, the production was exquisite and the light and shade added by the pitched vocals were a great touch. Of course, Artemas (full name Artemas Diamandis, from Oxfordshire) really blew up with UK top 3 hit i like the way you kiss me, one of the defining hits of the year and one of the few really huge hits by British artists, but he's not charted again since that, despite a really strong mixtape titled yustyna containing a number of brilliant songs. The persona Artemas plays throughout yustyna is horny, sex-obsessed in perhaps a problematic way, but the dark atmosphere he creates with the production and vocals comes together to make incredible art, and a project that's among my favourite of the year. I saw Artemas live last month too, where he played much of the album as well as older tracks too, and I thoroughly enjoyed his set. It's appropriate that I'm revealing this today too as he's just dropped two new songs, fancy and xvideos, and the former in particular is looking to be the first big hit of my 2025 tracking period...