The TV hits and misses of 2020
We all spent a lot of time parked in front of our TVs this year, but some shows entertained us more than others.
Fiona Byrne
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The COVID-19 lockdown saw television play a far greater role in people’s lives in 2020 than had been the case in recent years.
It provided news, information, entertainment, companionship and comfort during the uncertain lockdown months here in Victoria.
While the audience for news ratings naturally lifted, people were also tuning into shows on free-to-air or via streaming services to be distracted from the lockdown gloom.
Here are ten of the best shows of the year along with some programs that missed the mark.
HITS OF 2020
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win
Channel 10 took a huge gamble reinventing MasterChef with new hosts after 11 successful seasons. But, the risky move to bring in Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo certainly paid off. Launching the season with TV mega chef Gordon Ramsay hosting the first week was a brilliant move, as was having Katy Perry as a guest judge for an episode later in the season. The Back To Win format brought fan favourites back to the kitchen and meant the audience was already interested in, and engaged with, the contestants. And the three new hosts worked beautifully together. Plenty of bold moves by 10 but they paid off big time.
The Crown
All four seasons of this Netflix blockbuster are brilliant but the fourth season focusing on Charles and Diana’s courtship and marriage was a the TV distraction we needed during the COVID-19 lockdown. It was the sort of spicy TV drama we would have been talking about over the water cooler if we had been allowed back into our office workplace.
Gillian Anderson’s performance as British PM Margaret Thatcher was the wow factor that no one saw coming.
The Last Dance
This documentary of US basketballer Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997/98 was TV worth bingeing. You did not have to love sport or know anything about basketball to appreciate the drama, rivalries, pressure and intensity of this extraordinary Netflix series. While Jordan had editorial control on the project we were not presented with an airbrushed version of the basketballing great and his relentless drive to win was on full display. It is worth bingeing again over summer.
Lego Masters
Charming television that families loved where clever teams showed what was possible with a bit of imagination and a lot of Lego. Hamish Blake is arguably TV’s most valuable host. Smart, quick, funny and professional he appeals to all ages. He is perfect as the host of this delightful show that brings the kid out in all of us.
The Masked Singer
The mere fact that The Masked Singer finished its season in Melbourne this year after being shut down for two weeks because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the set, qualifies the show as one of the hits of the year. The technical nous required to piece together the grand final episode filmed across two states and two countries with strict COVID-19 protocols in place and to make it look as though everyone was sitting in a studio at the Docklands was genius. It was a huge effort from everyone involved and the triumph over adversity was appreciated by viewers.
Dancing With The Stars
While Dancing With The Stars was not a strong ratings performer for Channel 10 it makes the hit list because, as with The Masked Singer, the production had to be flexible and creative in order to get the show to air amid the COVID-19 drama. Each week the degree of difficulty rose for the show as COVID-19 restrictions tightened; the studio audience was removed, hosts and judges had to be distanced on screen, Christian Wilkins and Lily Cornish performed a dance via video link from a nearby rooftop while isolating and waiting for the results of a coronavirus test, and the grand final was brought forward by a week. It was an evolving playing field amid uncertain times at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Block
Well, didn’t this show have it all this year? From filming during COVID-19, to a record breaking day of sales which made for a top rating grand final episode, to the mysterious young woman who bought Jimmy and Tam’s property for $4.2 million failing to make payment for the home by the settlement date, and the luxury house now set to go back on the market. This show was never out of the headlines. It is one of the TV hits of the year for its drama factor alone.
SAS: Australia
SAS: Australia was the gamble that paid off for Channel 7 this year. Viewers tuned in to see celebrities and a couple of controversial characters put through brutal physical tests, pushed out of helicopters, dunked in mud and sat in freezing lakes. This was not a celebrity boot camp with plenty of creature comforts for the stars after hours. No, it was just one dirty, hard, painful endurance test after another. Clever casting, such as signing up Schapelle Corby, definitely helped bring viewers to the show. And the boxing match between AFLW player Sabrina Frederick and former rugby union player Nick Cummins in an early episode shocked the audience.
AFL Grand Final
The AFL’s first night grand final in October between Richmond and Geelong drew a big TV audience for Channel 7. More than 2.97 million people tuned in with 1.58 million watching in Melbourne alone. That is a massive cut through in a town of five million. While the half time entertainment got some mixed reviews it still gave an insight into what could be achieved with fireworks, a light show, a field of dancers and a major headline act in the future. My memory of the game is walking down my street during the first quarter and hearing the residents in each house cheering and barracking for their team. Another moment where we were apart but together this year.
Freeman
The sporting and cultural context of Cathy Freeman’s incredible victory in the 400m at the Sydney Olympics was brilliantly shown in this compelling documentary that was screened on the ABC. Called Freeman it was thoughtful, emotional and powerful and a reminder of the weight of expectation that Freeman carried into that race twenty years ago. Well worth another viewing.
TV MISSES OF 2020
Plate of Origin
Let’s be honest, this show was on the nose from the minute people twigged its acronym was POO. What was supposed to be Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan’s triumphant debut for Channel 7 post their MasterChef exit turned out to be an under cooked idea. The show felt like a reheated MKR with a few tweaks. Despite a huge publicity push viewers were not interested and it won’t be back.
Pooch Perfect
On paper this should have been a guaranteed hit with 10 professional pet stylists competing in a series of “pawsome” challenges to style and makeover family pets. Unfortunately the show did not click with the wider audience. The makeovers were not extreme enough, the sets looked cheap, there was a lack of drama and host Rebel Wilson, while loved by some viewers, was criticised by others for being a little risque with her commentary.
Family Feud
Channel 10 brought back Family Feud for a short series of specials featuring frontline heroes as contestants. It was a lovely idea and the network definitely had its heart in the right place, but putting the show into a highly competitive Sunday night timeslot was always going to be a challenge and its ratings were underwhelming to say the least.
Married At First Sight
This wild, crazy, ridiculous reality show is a guilty pleasure for so many, but things went too far this year when an angry ‘groom’, David Cannon, took revenge on his obnoxious TV ‘wife’, Hayley Vernon by cleaning a toilet with her toothbrush and then returning it to the bathroom drawer for her to use that evening. Vile. A big miss.
Between Two Worlds
This big budget Channel 7 drama was a flop. The story of two very different families thrown together by death was unfulfilling. It felt like a soap opera in parts, the characters were hard to like, and a couple of the acting performances were just odd. My suspicion is this could fall into the category of ‘so bad it is good’ and become a cult favourite. It certainly did not find an audience when it launched on 7 earlier this year and was quickly moved to a late night timeslot to run out its episodes.
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