The American Film Institute publishes two top ten lists each year: the top 10 movies and the top 10 TV shows. This year's has just come out. What do you think? And if they're right, what does it say about 2006: a good year or a bad year?
AFI Movies of the Year
- Babel
- Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Dreamgirls
- Half Nelson
- Happy Feet
- Inside Man
- Letters From Iwo Jima
- Little Miss Sunshine
- United 93
AFI TV Programmes of the Year
- Battlestar Galactica
- Dexter
- Elizabeth I
- Friday Night Lights
- Heroes
- The Office
- South Park
- 24
- The West Wing
- The Wire
I think there are some good ones in the TV list, but it's not been a great year for movies, by the looks of it.
Still, let's meme. I can't help out with the films list for once, since I doubt I've seen 10 films in the cinema this year (Casino Royale and The Prestige would both be on such a list, and Inside Man was all right, I s'pose). But here's my pick of the top 10 shows of the year, in no particular order, with links to my various comments on them.
- Battlestar Galactica
- Dexter
- The Wire
- Cracker
- Life on Mars
- The Secret Millionaire
- Ugly Betty
- Planet Earth
- That Mitchell and Webb Look
- Brotherhood
Ooh. By the looks of it, I must be the only person in the world who hasn't written about how great Planet Earth is. Well, it is. That's all that's needed.
So there's the meme: top 10 TV shows, top 10 films or both. Any channel, from any country of origin, any language, so long as they aired or were distributed in 2006 and weren't a repeat/re-run.
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December 12, 2006 | Reply
The back catalogue shown on BBC4, more 4, and ITV3 has at times this year shown up the paucity of modern British television drama. There's no modern I, Claudius, Tinker Tailor, GBH, A Very British Coup, Rumpole, &c. My favourite new programme of the year was French (Spiral). IN the British shows only Life on Mars seemed to live up to ambition. There were ambitious shows that seemed constrained by contemporary pacing (The Family Man had the potential to have the scope of Marchant's great Holding ON but felt rushed within the 3 episodes), and rehashes of successful shows almost designed as cash ins (Torchwood? Viva Blackpool, despite another good performance from David Morrissey). Drama was weaker than in the past couple of years but at least ITV has started making decent non-detective drama again (Victoria Wood's charming show at the weekend) and Tony Marchant was back, with a new show (with Tennant, ensuring the obligatory Tennant reference for your loyal readership) to follow. But while drama was weaker than previous years I thought comedy was stronger with a good new sitcom (Lead Balloon), a good new spoof show (Annually Retentive), and a good sketch show (Mitchell and Webb). I don't have Sky so the BSG phenomenon has passed me by and I've always felt Lost flattered to deceive so didn't miss it.
Scott
December 14, 2006 | Reply
I kind of liked Engrenages (Spiral), but I spent the whole time wondering why the French justice system was so backward. They need their own version of PACE '84!