What a vintage year for television. From the worldwide sensation , which became one of ’s most-viewed shows ever, to the Japanese epic that was Shogun – as well as change-making television courtesy of ’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Is it any wonder Brits spending more time than ever glued to the screen (around 99 minutes a day, according to a poll for UKTV).
Here are the Standard’s top picks for the year, ready and waiting to be binged over the Christmas holidays. Colin Farrell should and will win all the awards for this all-timer of a performance as Oz Cobb, but you can’t separate out individual strands of genius in a show like this, everything just comes together. The acting – huge nod to Cristin Milioti too as Sofia Falcone – the gripping script that combines noir twists with a Scarface arc, the production design which further grounds the milieu of Matt Reeves’ The Batman in a convincingly gritty manner (Gotham street filled with flood detritus, Oz’s club foot) and show runner Lauren LeFranc’s whole ultra-confident approach.
Fans of The Sopranos and The Wire, as well as Caped Crusader fiends, were in heaven. It came out so long ago that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a 2023 show – but there’s no denying the sheer impact that Mr Bates had. Starring the inimitable Toby Jones as Alan Bates, the former postmaster-turned-campaigner, it told the story of the Post Office Scandal in a way that felt fresh, urgent and (most importantly) relatable.
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