John Byrne reflects on the TV year. In this end-of-year retrospective he takes an overview, while naming his choices for Best Drama, Comedy, Presenter and Reality TV Show, as well as his Turkey of the Year.
Once again, TV has wiped the creative floor with movies. 2015 was another great year for the box that keeps on giving, with a variety of shows that were simply staggering in terms of scope, quality and volume.
Stream king Netflix is proving to be this decade's HBO as it continues to come up with the goods and setting the agenda for the traditional terrestrials. The future's still bright in an ever-changing landscape for the thing we call telly, however, wherever and whenever we choose to watch.
We lost a few great shows this year – Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire and Hannibal spring immediately to mind – but in came a few crackers, with UnREAL summing-up the cynicism at the heart of reality TV.
A phenomenon in the USA, Empire is a secret, guilty pleasure over here, and only available on E4. It's worth watching just for Taraji P Henson's strut as musical matriarch Cookie Lyon.
Pity about the embarrassing mess that was the second season of True Detective – no one saw that coming after a superb first run. Still, Fargo showed what a really strong sophomore season's all about.
At home, UTV Ireland came on the scene in 2015 but delivered little, RTÉ One set the bar early for the year with the political drama Charlie, but the real winner on Irish TV was TV3. Between the phenomenal success of its rugby world cup coverage and the arrival of Red Rock, it's been a defining 12 months for the channel as it sheds its ITV-lite image.
Here at RTÉ, Ray D'Arcy returned to the fold with a Saturday night chat show that hasn't been without the bi-focal stroke of controversy. Darragh Maloney, meanwhile, has emerged as the finest broadcaster on Irish TV.
Irish success stories abroad include Cillan Murphy's ongoing brilliance in the glossy and violent BBC period drama Peaky Blinders, Baz Ashmawy won an International Emmy for his quirky 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy, while Sharon Horgan came from a postal address close to nowhere with Catastrophe, Channel 4's surprise comedy hit of the year.
It's been a good year for the Paddies.
Star of the year
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Veep, Sky Atlantic)
Respect: Taraji P Henson (Empire, E4), Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders, BBC Two)
Former Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is proving to be quite the comedic force, and the only member of the celebrated US sitcom's cast to shed the so-called 'Curse of Seinfeld' and enjoy great solo TV success.
While nowhere near as biting and bitchy as The Thick of It, Armando Iannucci's American version of his savage BBC political satire is thigh-slappingly funny, with JLD in the form of her career as US VP and then POTUS Selina Meyer, who's surrounded by sycophants, schemers and insufferable idiots.
If only someone did a similar hatchet job on Irish politicians, eh?
Best Irish show
Red Rock (TV3)
Respect: Charlie (RTÉ ONE), Stetsons and Stilettos (RTÉ One), 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy (Sky 1)
A big winner at the recent IFTA TV awards, TV3's current standard bearer arrived at the start of 2015 amid a flurry of hype that has subsequently been justified.
Snappy and dramatic, it got off to a great start and maintained its momentum, winning three out of eight IFTA nominations, including Best Soap. Best of all is the cast, with the likes of Cathy Belton in top form, which often raises the show above its side-lane soap categorisation.
I'd argue that Red Rock is a drama rather than a soap. That's meant as a compliment.
Best new show
UnREAL (Lifetime)
Respect: Empire (E4), American Crime (RTÉ2)
This one almost sneaked in under the radar, but I was fortunate to catch it from the start on the UK version of American satellite channel Lifetime. What's truly great about it is that it's a satire and a soap, so viewers can lap it up on both or either levels.
UnREAL stars Shiri Appleby (ER, Life Unexpected) as a young reality television producer pushed by her devious boss (played by former House of Cards cast member, Constance Zimmer) to ignore her integrity and do whatever it takes to drum up salacious show content. In fairness, she doesn't need that much pushing.
The series centres on a fictitious reality series called Everlasting, which is clearly based on US show The Bachelor, and how the people behind the scenes manipulate gullible, needy and desperate contestants to boost ratings. It's as morally bankrupt as can be.
In decades to come, this grimy, semi-misogynistic show will stand up as a beacon to the cynical, populist TV of today.
Best Drama
The Americans (RTÉ2)
Respect: The Leftovers (Sky Atlantic), The Good Wife (RTÉ One, More4), Homeland (RTÉ2, Channel 4)
Soaked in paranoia, this 1980s-set, Cold War drama about two seemingly average American parents who are actually Soviet spies gets increasingly claustrophobic with each season.
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys play the duplicitous duo, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, and there are various sub-plots concerning American and Soviet spies, but nothing beats what's happening at home with Liz and Phil.
Season three took things to another amoral and emotional level of ambiguity as the Jennings debated the idea of bringing their teenage daughter - unaware of her parents true calling - into their web of intrigue.
This show brings the concepts of a dysfunctional family and a strained marriage to new levels, and makes an everyday meal out of moral dilemmas. Graham Greene would love it.
Best Comedy
Catastrophe (Channel 4)
Respect: Silicon Valley (Sky Atlantic), Veep (Sky Atlantic), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (RTÉ2)
2015 was a poor year for British shows - This is England '90, Wolf Hall and Poldark were probably the best in terms of drama - but Catastrophe came out of nowhere and hammered the comedy opposition.
It stars Sharon Horgan as Sharon Morris and Rob Delaney as Rob Norris, a London-based Irish schoolteacher and a US businessman, who get together after she becomes pregnant after a one-night stand while he's visiting the UK.
The first season began in January, and proved such a success that its second season has already been broadcast. So hop off to Channel4.com if you haven't yet caught this potty-mouthed treat.
An honourable mention for the ninth and final season of Peep Show, also on Channel 4, which is bowing out in style - it's still cringingly hilarious.
Best Reality
Gogglebox (Channel 4)
Respect: The Apprentice (BBC One), The Great Irish Bakeoff (TV3)
Hands up, I cannot stand reality shows, whether it's some dumb semi-scripted nonsense such as Made in Chelsea, those awful, exploitative singing contests, or the 'I can do that!' shows.
Gogglebox, on the other hand, is a good laugh and everyone can relate to people making remarks about the telly they're watching. It's what I do for a living so I'm obviously a fan.
Best Documentary
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (BBC Four)
Respect: What's Another Year: The Life And Times Of Shay Healy (RTÉ One); Dole Life (RTÉ2), Reality Bites (RTÉ2)
The Shay Healy documentary was very touching and thoroughly deserved given Healy's remarkable life, but this three-part mosaic about the outstanding singer of the 20th Century was a masterclass in documentary-making. Seamlessly merging music, visuals and voiceovers to create a fitting tribute to The Voice, it was a singular experience.
Just like Ol' Blue Eyes.
Turkey
True Detective (Sky Atlantic)
Blimey. After a first season that almost re-wrote the rules, along came this shambles of a second season. The final episode was more comically awful than anything I've seen this year – which is something of a back-handed compliment.
Best Talk Show
The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
Respect: Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Channel 4), The Late Late Show (RTÉ One)
No one stands anywhere near the genius that is Graham Norton. Easily the best talk show on the planet, it makes all others look staid and dull. And he has a guest line-up to die for – every bloomin' week!
Best Subtitled
The Returned (Channel 4)
Respect: The Bridge (BBC Four), Borgen (TG4)
Season two of The Returned just couldn't be as good as its achingly haunting debut run, but it remains a hugely morose, but now more baffling drama about people coming back from the dead in a dormant French Alpine town.
I have no idea what's going on here, but that's part of the fun.
Best On Demand
Marvel's Jessica Jones (Netflix)
Respect: Bloodline (Netflix) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Amazon Prime hasn't reached Ireland yet so we can't (legally) watch the highly-rated, Christian Slater-starring Mr Robot, but Netflix continue to come up with the goods – especially this show, which is yet another Marvel adaptation. But there isn't a superhero suit in sight.
Really, it's something of a dark Veronica Mars, with Krysten Ritter in tremendous form as the eponymous Jones, a former superhero who now operates as a private detective in New York.
You don't have to be a Marvel fan to get this noir-ish drama, just a lover of great TV.
Best Broadcaster
Darragh Maloney (RTÉ2)
Respect: Vincent Browne (TV 3), Angela Scanlon (RTÉ2)
Sport's big secret should be a secret no more. Darragh Maloney took over the mantle from the legendary Bill O'Herlihy as RTÉ's TV football anchor and he's already made it his own.
As well as seamlessly presenting, Maloney has to act as a referee when variations of Richie Sadlier, Eamon Dunphy, John Giles and Liam Brady get together for a row. Not an easy task, but this guy does it with Messi-like brilliance. As the stellar Jimmy Magee might put it: 'Different class.'
There's a wide variety of shows that made 2015 another great year for television. Take this half-century, and there would've been 100 if I only had more time . . . If your show isn't included, don't be offended. As we all know, there's only so much anyone can watch, and one person's Breaking Bad is another's X Factor.
Show of the year
Better Call Saul (Netflix)
Respect: The Leftovers (Sky Atlantic), Fargo (Channel 4)
Vince Gilligan became a legend with Breaking Bad, and this prequel to his wonderful creation proved to be another big hit. A very similar show in terms of tone, it's also managed to be good enough to stand alone on its own merits. No mean feat.
Bob Odenkirk stars as small-time lawyer and former scam artist Jimmy McGill – Saul Goodman's identity before Breaking Bad – and both he and Jonathan Banks as former cop turned car park attendant Mike Ehrmantraut are superb.
Show creator Gilligan's not faultless, though. His latest effort, Battle Creek, was a huge disappointment on every level. A straightforward, semi-comic procedural, it lasted just one season. Frankly, it stank.
But Better Call Saul is superb.
TV Moment of the Year
Grey's Anatomy fans were heartbroken when their beloved Derek Shepherd was killed in a car accident at the end of the medical drama's eleventh season.
Those of us who feel Shonda Rhimes' biggest success (How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal are both top-notch telly) has passed its sell-by date can only applaud Patrick Dempsey for jumping ship rather than hanging on until what could be a bitter end.
But the smart money's on the show surviving Derek's demise and lasting long enough to beat ER's 16-season record. Season 12 recently began on Sky Living, and comes to RTE One in the new year.
On the home front, Teresa Mannion's emotional news/weather report from Galway during Storm Desmond will be savoured and ridiculed in equal measure for many years to come. Only in Ireland.
Top 50 TV Shows of 2015
Notable shows that didn't make the Festive 50 include Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory and almost every piece of reality TV. US shows lead the way... and by some distance. That's because the Yanks do TV better than everyone else.
Also, being quite honest, after the top 20 or so the placings are pretty arbitrary. All of these shows are worth watching, and there are many more that could be considered. But time and space are my enemies.
Nothing to watch on TV? That's just a lie to get you off your sofa and living your life. Don't even think about it... Turn on, tune in, enjoy.
1: Better Call Saul (Netflix)
2: The Americans (RTÉ2)
3: UnREAL (Lifetime)
4: The Good Wife (RTÉ One)
5: The Leftovers (Sky Atlantic)
6: Fargo (Sky Atlantic)
7: Parenthood (RTÉ2)
8: Veep (Sky Atlantic)
9: The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
10: American Horror Story (Fox)
11: Catastrophe (Channel 4)
12: Silicon Valley (Sky Atlantic)
13: Peep Show (Channel 4)
14: Girls (Sky Atlantic)
15: Nashville (TG4, E4)
16: Mad Men (RTÉ One, Sky Atlantic)
17: How to Get Away with Murder (Universal)
18: Hannibal (Sky Living)
19: Empire (E4)
20: Boardwalk Empire (Sky Atlantic)
21: Peaky Blinders (BBC Two)
22: Homeland (RTÉ2)
23: American Crime (RTÉ2)
24: Ripper Street (BBC One)
25: Marvel's Jessica Jones (Netflix)
26: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (RTÉ2)
27: 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy (Sky 1)
28: Red Rock (TV3)
29: Scandal (Sky Living)
30: Modern Family (Sky 1)
31: Togetherness (Sky Atlantic)
32: Wolf Hall (BBC Two)
33: Person of Interest (RTÉ2)
34: Indian Summers (Channel 4)
35: Gotham (RTÉ2)
36: Gogglebox (Channel 4)
37: The Comeback (Sky Atlantic)
38: Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (UTV Ireland)
39: Nurse Jackie (Sky Atlantic)
40: Mr Selfridge (UTV Ireland)
41: Italy Unpacked (BBC 2)
42: Ray Donovan (Sky Atlantic)
43: Poldark (BBC One)
44: The Following (Sky Atlantic)
45: This is England 90 (Channel 4)
46: Ordinary Lies (BBC One)
47: The Walking Dead (Fox)
48: Bloodline (Netflix)
49: The Returned (Channel 4)
50: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
