The Viewing Files 2025

I may have no life but somehow despite the odds I still manage to watch an awful lot of TV.  At least it certainly looks that way going by my rather long list of TV shows that I have enjoyed this year. Can it really be that many...

 

SAS Rogue Heroes

 

Maybe it's Jack O'Connell Irish accent or maybe it's him being all rugged and manly and swearing a ton but this show about how the SAS came into being is totally action packed and a ton of fun.  Even more surprising it's based on real people and real events.  Really though I'm here for some swoony feels.

The North Water

 

More Jack O'Connell only this time he's a sailor and it's the freezing Arctic and not the desert and Colin Farrell is on form as whaler who you really don't want to get on the wrong side of.

The Gold

 

A true story of how a bunch a people stole 26 million pounds of gold bullion. Of course the cops are on the trail...

Reacher

 

One was good, 2 was so-so and 3 was even better.  All I can hope is that season 4 doesn't follow the even number pattern.  The lone man hero is such a vibe.

The Queen's Gambit

Who knew that a show about a chess genius could be so good.  Riveting stuff and the clothing is to die for.

Dept Q

 

Matthew Goode as a scruffy, sarcastic tormented detective left dealing with cold cases no one wants?  Sign me up yes and please. 

Lynley

Posh boy totty teams up with a new disgruntled partner to solve crimes and it's all just so pretty and relaxing and just the thing to wind down with after a long day of work.  Would you believe that actor playing posh boy use to be the rugged, long hair swoony Viking in Vikings Valhalla?  I kid you not.

Cooper and Fry

 

More crime solving duos.  I'm sensing a pattern here...

The Institute

 

Finally a show where Ben Barnes doesn't die.  Or not yet.  Supernatural thrills from master that is Stephen King and it's just brilliant.

Schools Spirits

 

More supernatural thrills only this time it's a bunch of ghosts who are trapped in the place where they died... and it's their high school.  Quirky in a dark kind of way, oh and there's a big mystery too.

Wednesday

 

Dark, demented and quirky and so me in every way.   Season 2 was even better than 1.

Foundation

 

Just when you think it couldn't get any more complicated it does.  Mind blowing in every way.

Slow Horses

 

The fact that Gary Oldman hasn't won an award for this is insanely criminal.  In fact the whole show should be winning all the awards it's so wonderfully good. 

The Viewing Files 2024

Another year of watching over and once again it was a sluggish year viewing wise with not a lot around that caught our eye.  Still that doesn't mean it was a complete disaster as there were still a handful shows that saved my sanity and some that were just down right swoon worthy.

 

Queen Charlotte 

 

There's just something about historical TV shows that's so addictive so it's always good when a new one comes along.  Queen C fitted the bill perfectly and meant that I watched the entire thing over just a couple of nights.

Bridgerton

 

Totally swoon worthy.  Think Barbara Cartland but a whole lot more racier.  Riveting stuff.

Vikings Valhalla

 

Be still my beating heart.  Hot guy running around with a sword and being all manly.  I am so there.

The Tourist

 

Quirky, funny and exciting, why yes it's a thriller show with a difference and so very Irish.  Watched season 1 and 2 back to back which is the only way to really watch a show.

The Gentlemen

 

The drug business has never looked so sleak especially when headed by Theo James in all his rough voice glory. 

Black Doves

 

Quirky seems to be the thing this year with this thrillerish but different spy series that was so good.

Vera

 

14 seasons and Vera is finally hanging up her mac.  Of course I just had to watch it but now what am I going to watch each year for my TV detective craving?

Shetland

 

It's back and just as good which more murders going on.

The Rig

 

An OMG sci-fi thriller with a environmental message.  Sounds crazy but actually works thanks to some great actors and an interesting and surprisingly believable storyline... well for the most part.

Slow Horses

 

Pretty much my fav show of the year.  Grimy, gritty, snarky behind-the-scenes spies and their goings on.  Seriously under rated and seriously good.  It deserves all the awards.

The Viewing Files 2023: The Watcher Files

And yet another up and down year of watching.  What with strikes and studios slashing budgets and shows it was a struggle to find things to watch at the end of the day.  A mixture of rewatches (Justified and Spooks) and catching up with shows I had missed earlier at least helped a little.

 

Oh well at least I managed to do a bit more writing, knitting and jigsawing as a result.

One can only hope that next year is a bit better.

Bridgerton

 

I debated about watching this and kept putting it off but finally I caved.  Which was a good thing as it meant I had 2 seasons to wallow in.  A Jane Austen wannabe (though a lot more sexier) for when you need a Jane Austen fix.  Now all we need are some of those other lovely Regency reads to be adapted.

Julia

 

Be still my beating heart.  But this was just glorious.  Funny and quirky with a touch of drama and sadness. 

One of those shows I will probably watch again and again. 

Murder in Provence

 

As much as I love gritty crime sometimes it's nice to go for something a little lighter and this was just the thing.   Murder with lovely scenery and one of my fav actors. 

Vera

 

Now this was my gritty crime fix for the year.  12 seasons on and still brilliant and featuring the always grumpy Vera and her trusty mac and hat.

Hijack

 

Idris is my man.  Even when he isn't Luther.  This time around he's a man on a plane and things are not looking good.

 

This one will keep you glued to your seat trying to figure out what is going on.  Just my kind of thriller.

The Last of Us

Just when you think you'll never watch another zombie show and another one comes along and knocks all the others sideways.

 

Seriously good thanks to a great cast (including the guest actors) and some tight writing.  One episode will actually make you cry it was so good.   Always a sign of  good show.  Or it is if you're me. 

Vikings Valhalla

 

My swoony feels guilty pleasure show.  Action, betrayal and this guy being all manly and charming.

Men with long hair and alot of scruff have never looked so good.

Silo

 

Read the books, watched the series and it's just so good thanks to a great cast and even better writing.

 

I'm now just hoping they don't ruin it all with a bad season 2.

Foundation

 

Complicated as anything (which is why we watched season 1 again before watching season 2) and yet fascinating at the same time.  Just when you think you know what is happening it twists it all around. 

So good. 

Bodies

 

The Brits are back and kicking it out the field with this brilliant time-travel show that's also a murder mystery.  Who knew that could even be a thing?  And it's amazingly good.  

 

Do I spy a series 2 on the horizon...

The Lazarus Project

 

Time travel is back in vogue and the Brits are just nailing it.  Both with the show above and this one.

 

Where as the above combined time travel with murder mystery this one is like a time travelling groundhog day.  Such a great concept.  Why I had missed the 1st season I have no idea.  But at least it gave me 2 seasons to binge back to back.

Wednesday

 

Finally something dark and twisty and oh so me.  Wednesday - yes the girl from the Addams family - finally gets a show all of her own and it's wonderful... if slightly demented. 

Just the thing then.

The Viewing Files 2022: The Watcher Files

I kept thinking that we hadn't watched that much in 2022 until I started this list.  Which just goes to show that there were actually some decent shows last year.  My taste as always is a little bit documentary, a little bit dark and twisty, a little bit TV detective with just a touch of feel goods.

Unlike the year before it started out strong with a ton of new shows for me to try before fading out as the year went on and Other Half and I were left with watching some really old TV shows from back in the dark ages aka the 70s.  Yes we were that desperate though luckily both Survivors and Colditz turned out to be not too bad and at least kept us entertained through the endless winter that seemed to drag on and drag.  I'm mean seriously snow in Oct? Crazy stuff.

So here's what managed to save us from going stir crazy throughout the year.

 

Super/Natural

 

A lovely feel good nature show narrated by the soothing voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.  What more could you ask for really.

Inside the Mind of a Cat

 

Have cat, will follow or perhaps more realistically have cat... will be a slave for the rest of your life and get use to your cat wanting 3am smooches.  At least in my household.  Thankfully there's this show to tell you exactly what's going on in your cat's mind.  Most likely where's my dinner and why haven't you gotten it yet.

The Hidden Lives of Pets

I've definitely been on a whole animal kick this year.  What can I say except it's the perfect feel good viewing when everything around seems like a struggle and the weather is just one constant up and down change.  This is just the thing to curl up with.

The Witcher

 

Man with sword, fighting monsters.  Well you just knew that I was gonna to watch the heck out of this and it's so good.  Even better when you watch season 1 and 2 back to back.

Vikings Valhalla 

 

More men with swords.  I was easily persuaded.  I mean seriously how could I not when I had this guy to swoon over. 

Swoony feels aside it's also the perfect action pack show with a little bit of everything to keep you happy.

Stranger Things

 

Of course along with all the light and fluffy and swoony feels I just had to have a dose of my usual dark and twisted.  Which pretty much sums up Stranger Things. It's also the kind of show which you might want to watch during daylight hours.  Great music though.

Shining Girls

 

Speaking of dark and twisted look no further than this twisty sci-fi thriller that will really make you head spin. But wow is it good.

Severance

And if twisty is your thing then you might want to check this out.  I have absolutely no idea what's going go but weirdly that's have the addictive fun.  Helped hugely with some wonderful characters that you actually care about.

Hawkeye

The perfect Christmas viewing.  It's fun, it's light and has some awesome Christmas music. Plus some action and some friendship bonding.  Just what you need at Christmas time.

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

 

I probably spent half my time swoony over the clothes in this show that's funny and angsty at the same time and a telling portrait of a woman's life in the late 1950s.   The dialogue is to die for.  Which is no surprise since it's written by the writer and creator of Gilmore Girls. 

The Ipcress File

 

I have a serious weakness for spy stories so it's no surprise that I really liked this.  Added bonus of being set in the 60s for that whole Cold War vibe.  Crossing fingers that they do more of these.

Slow Horses

 

If this is Gary Oldman's swan song before he retires then it's a bloody good one. Aptly supported by Jack Lowden who needs to do more of these kind of things.  Quirky spy drama that is so me and one that shows a bit more of the mundane work that spies probably do. 

The Capture

As hard as it is to pick my favourite show of the year this one might just be it.  So good that you just have to binge watch in one sitting.  And OMG that ending.  Now it's just the waiting to see if that's it or if there will be another season.

Grace

 

You just knew that there had be at least one crime show eventually and here's the 1st of my crime picks from the year.  Starring the always excellent John Simm.

Van der Valk

 

A crime show set in Amsterdam?  I am so there.  And there's going to be another season.  Even better.

Shetland

 

7 seasons and it's all over and what a great series it was with murder and angst galore and all set in remote Shetland islands.

Karen Pirie

 

If they don't do another season of this I'm going to be super annoyed because I need me my British crime fix.  Especially now that some of my shows are finishing.  Sort of like Vera (another Brit crime) but with a younger star whose a little bit less grumpy.

Three Pines

 

And finally a British/Canadian crime show that is both quirky and exciting with a Twin Peaks kind of vibe to it, though don't let that put you off.  It's basically a series of murder mysteries with one big murder mystery running through them all.  Think Hercule Poirot meets Twin Peaks meets Murder She Wrote.  Slightly weird but good.