The Best TV of 2017

I'm the first to admit that I watch a lot of TV, but I've surprised even myself with the sheer number of shows I've managed to cram in this year. It's been a year of endings, we've seen the final series of Broadchurch and W1A, Claire Foy's last series of The Crown and we've said goodbye to Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, but there's also been a raft of new shows and exciting new talents are starting to surface. Here's my run-down of the best TV of 2017.

Roots

This remake of the groundbreaking 1970s series was just about as powerful as TV can get.
Beginning with the capture of a young man by the name of Kunte Kinte, it followed his story and that of his family, from generation to generation, through their lives as slaves. Though Kunte begins his life as a free man, his daughter Kizzy and later, her son George, are born into slavery, and all three carry the same determination to reclaim their freedom. It was relentlessly horrifying but eye-opening and the injustice and inhumanity that its characters suffered, left me furious.
The frankly astounding cast included the likes of Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne and the wondrous Annika Noni Rose, but I have to single out Rege Jean-Page who played George and Kunte Kinte himself, Malachi Kirby for the most praise. It was almost unbearable to watch Kunte's youthful strength and ambition being stripped from him, and so painful to see twinkly-eyed George's hope being slowly eroded. Both Jean-Page and Kirby are young British actors and they turned in seriously powerful performances that brimmed with emotional maturity.
The authenticity of the story that Roots is based on has been called into question, but whether it's true or not, it's a window into a repulsive piece of history, the consequences of which continue to ripple through time.

Broadchurch

2017 saw the concluding part of the Broadchurch trilogy and, following accusations that the trial scenes from series two were unrealistic, this time writer Chris Chibnall answered his critics with a forensically accurate portrayal of a sexual assault investigation. As with Danny Latimer's murder in series one, this wasn't a voyeuristic account of a crime, it was an examination of its repercussions; the effect it had on family, friends, the wider community and this time, the victim herself. The whodunnit formula once again gripped the country, but Chibnall never let us forget that sexual assault cases have survivors, and the focus was firmly on victim Trish, played with huge sincerity by Julie Hesmondhalgh. Sadly, victim-blaming is too often a part of the narrative in cases like Trish's, and when it comes to drama, the police are often made out to be 'professionally skeptical', so it was refreshing to see that Broadchurch's DI Hardy and DS Miller (the incomparable partnership of David Tennant and Olivia Colman) were well-trained to deal with the crime, sensitive to Trish's concerns and quick to reassure her that the blame lay firmly with her attacker.
This was the final part of a trilogy and although the Latimer family, so deeply affected by their son's death in series one, were not directly involved in Trish's case, their story was given a thoughtful and poignant ending. Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan were superb once again as parents forever changed by their ordeal.

Line of Duty

2017 was the year that the tenacious officers of AC-12 were promoted from BBC2 to BBC1 and this time, they were on the case of DCI Roz Huntley, played devilishly by Thandie Newton. Writer Jed Mercurio is known for bringing in 'big name' actors only to bump them off early in the series so I wasn't expecting Roz to make it past the end of the first episode but, just when you think you've got the hang of it, Mercurio wrong-foots you again - and it turned out that Roz, who was initially under scrutiny from AC-12 for ignoring evidence, was concealing significantly more than they'd bargained for. The police interview scenes that Line of Duty has turned into an art form were as jaw-dropping as ever this series, none more so than in the final episode, where Roz's mis-deeds came to light as, unexpectedly, did the mis-deeds of several other people. It came at the end of a riveting series that had included, among other things; a kidnapping, a violent murder, an attempt on the life of an AC-12 officer and (ahem) a smelly arm. Sadly, it looks like series five won't be making an appearance until 2019 so until then all we can do is speculate about that ever so shady look that Ted Hasting threw in the direction of his colleagues in the final few moments. Could Ted be corrupt? Say it ain't so fella, say it ain't so.

W1A

The critical response to the final series of the BBC's self-deprecating mockumentary was something of a mixed bag but I for one was thrilled to have it back and thrilled to see it wrapped up so perfectly. As usual, the damage limitation team had plenty of disasters to avert, but this time it wasn't just the reputation of the BBC that they were trying to save - their own jobs were on the line and it was every man for himself as their many incomprehensible roles were "unimagined going forward". The final episode, which included a cameo from the BBC's real-life Director General Tony Hall, brought what was left of the gang together to fix another monumental cock-up and it was only right that it should fall to perennially-useless intern Will to save the day, albeit accidentally. The ending left the fates of the characters unclear but everything felt 'as it should be' with long suffering 'Head of Values' Ian Fletcher deservedly holding on to his position and scheming PA Jack receiving a sharp slap from Izzy.

The Crown

I've learnt more British history from the last two series of The Crown than I did in eleven years of education. Among other things, I've learnt that an opinionated young upstart called Lord Altrincham effectively changed the face of the British Monarchy, that Edward VIII was in cahoots with the Nazis and that the Queen had a rented TV! I've loved every fascinating second but my favourite episode this series was 'Beryl' in which Princess Margaret, still damaged by her doomed affair with Peter Townsend, met society photographer Tony Armstrong Jones and the pair enjoyed a highly-charged "photoshoot" in his bohemian studio. Vanessa Kirby's eyes are magical - one moment sarcastic and cruel, the next extremely vulnerable - somehow she manages to make Margaret seem completely self-obsessed but still convinces you to root for her. Was there a more poignant sequence than that of Margaret on her way to marry Tony a few episodes later, looking genuinely happy, totally oblivious to what we now know - that their relationship was ultimately doomed.
Matt Smith really came into his own this series too - it was a masterstroke to spend most of the earlier episodes making Philip out to be a manipulative cad with an inferiority complex then dedicating the whole of the penultimate episode to his tragic childhood. It was a many layered performance from Smith who up to now has often been overshadowed.
But I'll save the final word for Claire Foy - although, what more is there to be said? It's genuinely hard for me now to see where she ends and The Queen begins. She executes the walk, her movements, that accent flawlessly, but what of those imagined conversations where Foy had no point of reference? It's at those points that she's managed to create a new character, a strong yet fallible woman, shaped by the extraordinary burden she carries. As excited as I am to see what Olivia Colman and the new cast can bring to the series, I'm quietly devastated that the current reign is over.

Honourable Mentions ...

Sherlock ... It takes a lot for me to admit this but the final episode of this fourth series came as a huge disappointment. In my opinion, it became too outlandish and lost some of the magic that had originally made me such a huge fan. I'll be upset if it was the final episode, as a show this monumental deserves to go out on a higher note. All that being said, the first two episodes of this series are still better than pretty much anything else you'll see on TV so, swings and roundabouts.

Howard's End ... I wasn't familiar with E. M. Forster's novel so this adaptation was something of a revelation to me. It was a moral maze, with a less than straightforward, often less than romantic love affair at its heart, but I loved it. Margaret Schlegel, played magnificently by Hayley Atwell, quickly became one of my all time favourite costume drama heroines.

No Offence ... The second series of this woefully underrated Channel 4 Police Drama was just as frantic and funny as the first. This time DI Deering and her team were trying to bring down Manchester crime family the Attah's and it made for explosive viewing.

Little Women ... I'm still crying. This was a life-affirming drama but it wasn't without moments of terrible pain as the March sisters navigated their way through love, loss and war. It had stunning performances all round but I have to single out Emily Watson who was utterly devastating as Marmee. Writer Heidi Thomas deserves heaps of praise for this beautiful adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel.

Doctor Who ... I can't let another one of these long-winded TV review posts pass without a few words on both Peter Capaldi and Stephen Moffat's final series of Doctor Who. Showrunner Moffat's Swansong was certainly less bold than some of his previous series but that worked in its favour - a quiet, thoughtful ending to one of the most bombastic eras in the show's history. Oxygen was a highlight; a gripping standalone episode with some of the best production values we've seen in Moffat's tenure and series finale World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls was astonishing - hugely disturbing at times, massively ambitious and, like all the best episodes of Doctor Who, deeply moving. It was in these episodes that Moffat showed his unparalleled understanding of the show, summing up the Doctor's ethos in just a few words, delivered flawlessly by Capaldi "I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, because I hate someone ... I do what I do because it's right ... And above all, it's kind!" - a speech that stunned two incarnations of the Master into silence.
Perhaps the greatest triumph of Moffat's final series was Bill Potts - not only a history making character but one of the most down-to-earth and likeable companions there's ever been, it's such a shame that her time on screen was so short.
Finally, we've reached the inevitable regeneration of Peter Capaldi. As a huge fan of the show himself, Capaldi had a deep understanding of the Doctor from the off. He knew he didn't need to over embellish him, he just needed to speak his lines sincerely, without a hint of cynicism and with that, the Doctor just poured out. His war speech in The Zygon Inversion will long be remembered - every pause had weight, every time his voice rose and he stopped to gather himself it pulled you in further, he spoke for nearly ten minutes and I don't think I breathed in all that time. It's been inspiring to see Capaldi living his childhood dream and his genuine love and respect for the show shines through. Off-screen, the tales of his generosity to fans are heart-warming, do yourself a favour and seek them out. His final line "Doctor, I let you go" was as much about Capaldi saying goodbye to his childhood hero as it was about the Doctor giving way to his next incarnation. The name on everyone's lips is Jodie Whittaker and I can't wait to see what she'll bring, but Doctor number twelve, the fan's Doctor, will always hold a special place in my heart.