Top 10 British TV programmes of 2010

It's been a funny old year for comedy and drama in British TV. There have been some unfortunate disappointments - one of my favourite programmes, Spooks, often worked in spite of the main storyline, not because of it. But when the stars aligned and everything came together, there were some programmes that hit heights that no-one could ever have anticipated. So here are my ten favourites of this year - in strictly alphabetical order, you understand, because the idea of choosing a favourite from Doctor Who, Sherlock and Downton Abbey may have actually broken my poor wee brain.

• Ashes to Ashes

The Life on Mars franchise concluded with this gripping final series which revealed the secrets of this world, a limbo for police officers with unresolved deaths. Despite being crammed full of ridiculous/amazing 80s clothes and great one-liners, the programme was deservedly dominated by Philip Glenister’s performance as Gene Hunt, undoubtedly one of modern television’s great icons.

• Being Human

Even if this second series missed some of the fun that made the first so brilliant to watch, the consistently darker tone allowed for a more sustained sense of the external threat. The addition of Nina to the core cast was a masterstroke, as was the casting of Donald Sumpter as the sinister Kemp. I’ll never quite forget the beating of my heart during the events of the thrilling finale: Mitchell confronting Lucy; Annie being dragged to the other side; and, most excitingly of all, the resurrection of the chilling Herrick.

• Doctor Who

From the moment in ‘The Eleventh Hour’ that the Doctor declared himself to be “worse than everybody’s aunt”, I knew that Doctor Who was in safe hands. The first full series in two years had so much going for it: Steven Moffat’s brilliant scripts and clever show-running; Karen Gillan’s sparky attitude and legs up to here; Arthur Darvill’s surprising but rather wonderful nobility; and Bill Nighy in a bow-tie. But the real revelation was Matt Smith: endlessly fun and energetic, but with an underlying sense of the Doctor’s loneliness and pain. And that face! Oh how I love that gloriously, majestically, unashamedly odd and beautiful face.

• Downton Abbey

For seven glorious weeks in the autumn, the nation was gripped by the lives of some toffs and their servants in a big house in the early 20th century. And yet it was so much more than that, thanks to some great writing and a few blistering performances. Everyone remembers Maggie Smith annihilating all around her with a few choice words and a pursed lip, but I also have fond memories of Mary amazingly ruining Edith’s chance of marriage, and Hugh Bonneville cementing his place in my heart with his world-weary sighs and a divine cream suit.

• Foyle’s War

The mannered and leisurely detective programme was given a well-deserved swansong, in which Foyle solves a last few cases and is finally granted his long-anticipated retirement. But the real heart of the episodes for me was a rather posh and dishy gentleman giving the perennially jolly Sam the clipped and very British happy ending she so richly deserved.

• Merlin

I don’t care what you say: this series, somehow, Merlin became amazing. I’ve always enjoyed it in a casual way, but about half-way through this run, I realised that it had won my heart, and the huge great leaps towards the legend in the final two episodes had me literally clapping my hands with glee. More knights! A conveniently placed round table! A sword in a stone! Of course, much of it is clearly ridiculous, but the cast (led by Colin Morgan) are blessed with so much chemistry and charm that it works.

• Miranda

Much has been written trying to define why Miranda has been such a hit, but I reckon it’s actually fairly simple: Miranda Hart is just inherently funny. The casting of the world around her (particularly Patricia Hodge and Sally Philips) is spot on, but what really makes this programme work is the verve, wit and charm of the leading lady. It’s filled with moments that are performed with such gusto that you can’t help but laugh – I will forever remember the tone of disgust with which she spat the phrase “A SAVOURY muffin?” at Gary – while the little cutaway moments (like ‘Where’s Miranda?’) are often nothing short of inspired.

• Rev

Perhaps not the funniest comedy to grace our screens this year, but certainly one of the most engaging thanks to the thoroughly brilliant Tom Hollander. The portrayal of a vicar as a good but flawed man, who constantly strives to do the right thing in a world that’s largely against him, was a welcome break from typical TV Christians. And the final episode, featuring a spectacularly embarrassing crisis of faith followed by a quiet reawakening of it, was one of the finest things I’ve seen in a long time.

• Sherlock

This is the programme that could have gone so horribly wrong, and yet went so beautifully right. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’s love of the original stories shone through as they brought the detective firmly into the 21st century while remaining completely true to the tone and spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing. The fast-paced, clever adventures rightfully placed the relationship between Holmes and Watson at their core, and the writing was easily matched by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as the central pair. The tales of a "highly functioning sociopath" have never been so fun.

• This is England ‘86

While anyone who’d seen Shane Meadows’ astonishing This is England would have expected a dark tone for its follow-up, few could have anticipated just how harrowing it would become. Despite some odd pacing, a compelling central performance from Vicky McClure combined with Meadows’ unflinching direction made for a truly memorable piece of television.

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