Holiday catch-up: The 20 best TV shows of the year so far
Any Given Day was set in Cork University Hospital, while other TV/streaming highlights this year have included Heated Rivalry and Uncharted.
This steamy queer romance about two rival hockey players falling in love (based on the book series by Canadian author Rachel Reid) saw its talented but unknown stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams catapulted into fame in the space of weeks. The magnetic, on-off relationship between Canadian star player Shane Hollander and Russian bad boy Ilya Rozanov is a love story for the ages. Smitten fans call their fervent rewatching ‘reheats’, because it’s a show that rewards repeated viewing.
This documentary (directed by Irishman Michael Harte) dives into the career and life of Australia’s biggest pop star. Tracing her journey from actor to icon, the use of family footage, relaxed interviews and copious clips from the archive give the audience a great sense of her incredible journey to stardom.
After six seasons, this pitch-perfect comedy came to an end this year. Jean Smart stars as the legendary comedian Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as her co-writer Ava Daniels, and fans adored the clash of personalities and growing love between these talented women. In the final season, Deborah reckons with mortality and Ava tries to grow her career. It all ends in heartwarming tears.
Noah Wyle came to fame in in the 1990s, so he definitely knows the key to a successful medical drama. The Pitt has been a storming success due to its format - every episode is one hour of a shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center - and the fact it treats hospital patients and their dilemmas with true humanity. It also highlights serious issues, like gun crime and medical insurance, without being preachy.
Across its run, the finance thriller Industry has shown that it’s never afraid to take big swings. The latest and fourth season took things to a whole new level, with characters Yasmin (Marisa Abela) and Harper (Myha’la) dancing a derring-do that turned their friendship upside down. There were shady business deals, right-wing dalliances and some truly distasteful behaviour on show, with it all building to a stunning crescendo.
knows what we want: juicy, sexy stories about posh people and their bonkers lives. The second season of gives us all this and more, with cast members like David Tennant (playing Lord Tony Baddingham) and Aidan Turner (playing his rival, TV producer Declan O’Hara) clearly relishing the chance to chew the scenery. A total romp, but at the same time able to stir the heartstrings, because it’s a bonkbuster that takes its characters seriously. The second part of the season drops in November.
After three seasons, Irish comedy-drama came to a close this year. It’s a poignant and affectionate farewell to the Sheridan family. Writer Nancy Harris ensures us viewers get to see the family at their best and worst, while leaving us with enough space to do our own imagining about how the Sheridans’ lives might work out. We’ll miss them.
Dermot Bannon knows that we’re all very nosy about celebrities’ lives, so in this show he takes us on a tour around some of their gaffs. He pops over to visit the likes of Vogue Williams, Chupi Sweetman and Joanne McNally, making us feel incredibly jealous in the process. Though at least we also get some interior decor inspiration… if only we had those big budgets too.
For those of us who don’t work in a hospital, it can be hard to imagine what daily life is really like there. is a six-part documentary that puts us right into the action, bringing us the stories of patients at Cork University Hospital who need urgent treatment and the hardworking staff providing their care.
Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice finally gets her dues in this series, adapted from Janice Hadlow’s 2020 bestselling book Mary feels like the ugly duckling compared to her five sisters, and accepts her lot after they’re all married off except her. But when her father dies she has to start taking charge of her life. This is an endearing show, with Ella Bruccoleri a standout as Mary.
It’s hard to describe exactly what is - it’s both a horror and a comedy show, it gets extremely weird and is great fun to watch. Heading things up is Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, the mayor of Widow’s Bay, an island town that is in desperate need of tourists. But unfortunately for him, the town might be cursed. Oh dear. Eccentric and delightful in equal measure.
After 10 seasons of his improvised chat show, Tommy Tiernan hasn’t lost his charm. This time around he chats to the likes of Shaun Ryder, Linford Christie and Caolfhionn Gallagher, gently probing into what makes them who they are. It’s a winning format that demonstrates the key to a great interview is simple: curiosity.
Let’s be honest - we’d rather watch this show than take part in it. Ex-Special Forces soldier Ray Goggins takes celebrities on extreme trips into the wilderness, putting them to the test mentally and physically. This is the sort of show that has Keith Duffy groaning in pain and comedian Kyla Cobbler crying while eating a potato. It’s also beautifully shot, making it a great watch all round.
This spin-off is a welcome change of tone from what we’ve come to expect from George RR Martin. Irish actor Peter Claffey is Ser Duncan, a tall, bumbling but sweet man who dreams of becoming a knight. A twist drawing him into the world of the Targaryens showed that while this is quite a scatalogical take on things, there is a lot to sink your teeth into.
Lisa McGee, creator of returned to our screens this year with the vibrant, funny about three pals reuniting after a schoolfriend’s death. Tonally this doesn’t always cohere, as it’s a mix of mystery, comedy and drama. But there are excellent performances by its leads and the whipsmart dialogue we’ve come to expect from McGee.
Riz Ahmed created and stars in this clever and humorous series, about a young British-Pakistani actor called Shah Latif who gets papped following a Bond audition. It’s a wild ride after this, with Shah trying to make the most of his newfound almost-fame but also struggling with mental health issues. Keep an eye out for the hilarious Guz Khan as Latif’s cousin.
Yes, this series is the third time the story has been brought to the screen. And you could argue that stretching it out to 10 episodes is a bit much. But there’s something very moreish about this series, which stars Javier Bardem as exonerated prisoner Max Cady and Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson as the lawyers he wants revenge on. This gets gloriously OTT, but just strap in and enjoy the dark, noirish ride.
This two-part documentary about NORAID, an Irish-American organisation that gathered funds for the Republican cause during the Troubles, is a fascinating watch. It evokes the feel of 1970s America and Northern Ireland with clever use of music, archive images and footage, while providing oodles of context thanks to interviews with key figures.
If it’s an easy watch you’re looking for, then don’t turn to Richard Gadd. He’s already brought us the fascinating, controversial Baby Reindeer, and his latest series Half Man plumbs extremely dark territory too. It’s the story of two men who have a troubling relationship, and while difficult to watch it does show that - refreshingly - Gadd isn’t afraid of getting intense.
