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Just sneaking into our top 25 is this criminally overlooked BBC Three drama pilot about the tangled and troubled lives of a bunch of teens. Wanky title aside, the piece succeeded in being all shades of funny, realistic and dramatic. But successful it was not. Despite a great deal of publicity, the programme was postponed at the last moment in the wake of a string of teen suicides in Bridgend. It eventually went out six weeks later, without much promotion, to just 71,000 viewers.
After the reckless abandon and sheer frivolity of its first outing, Skins returned in 2008 more grown up and with a grittier edge. But in trying to play with the big boys in the world of "serious" drama - plotlines included a teen abusing her MS-suffering mother - the show lost some of its spark. As a result Skins drops 20 places from its impressive fourth place finish in last year's list. At the end of the series the whole cast was axed, paving the way for a new breed to take over in 2009.
The most acclaimed of BBC Three's drama pilots, and the only one to be commissioned for a full series (let's all try to forget the Phoo Action farce, shall we?), Being Human was a tale of a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost sharing a house together. Surprisingly dark in places, the pilot won a cult following for its bizarre premise, strong characterisation and plot potential. A full six-part series airs early in 2009.
ITV's Saturday evening fantasy drama Primeval went from strength to strength in 2008. The second series saw the introduction of new characters such as the villainous Leek and Jenny Lewis (long live Claudia Brown!), the erection of the ARC and the climactic death of Cutter's sidekick Stephen. The underlying mythology continued to build, and in the finale it was suggested that human cloning may be a realistic possibility. And Lester got to use a gun.
One of the few new shows to emerge unscathed from the troubled 2007-08 US TV season, Chuck - masterminded by The O.C.'s Josh Schwartz - successfully mixed up the most unconventional of cocktails: spy drama and comedy. In its titular hero, Chuck also gave rise to every geek boy's new idol, played with charm by Zachary Levi.
A modern take on the classic '70s series, Survivors explored a Britain ravaged by a sweeping killer virus. Like the original, the series instilled both fear and hope in its audience, but also provoked thought on a range of social and moral issues. The influence of Primeval's Adrian Hodges as showrunner saw the introduction of a government conspiracy subplot that is set to be a driving force in the recently-commissioned second series.
Returning for a fifth season in 2008, Grey's Anatomy took new twists after Derek discovered the journals of Meredith's deceased mother Ellis. The show became embroiled in a fresh gay controversy after lesbian character Erica Hahn was axed amid accusations that broadcast network ABC was attempting to "de-gay" the series. Meanwhile, the rumour mill suggested that original cast members Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight were preparing to leave the show.
A spinoff from the hugely popular and previously concluded Life On Mars, Ashes To Ashes reunited us with Gene Hunt and colleagues one decade on in London. Sam Tyler was replaced by Alex Drake, a female DI who found herself in 1981 after being shot in the head in the modern day. The first series followed Drake's attempts to wake herself from an assumed coma and prevent her parents from being killed. A second series is due to air early in 2009.
Desperate Housewives shook things up in 2008. The fifth season was set five years on from the fourth, cleverly allowing producers to dramatically change the lives of Wisteria Lane's residents. Susan split from Mike, Bree became a successful celebrity cook, Lynette's twins grew into strapping young men - and Gaby got fat. The new season also marked the arrival of the show's best villain to date, the creepy Dave Williams, played by Neal McDonough.
Season Four Spoiler Alert! Dean's time was finally up as season three of Supernatural concluded with the Winchester boy being dragged off to Hell. His time there was short-lived, however, and at the start of season four he was literally ripped out of Hell to serve a higher purpose. Meanwhile, brother Sam began to harness and improve his own supernatural abilities.
The Doctor Who spinoff for kids (and adults alike) returned for a second run in the Autumn. Maria Jackson departed and was replaced by feisty Rani Chandra, while foes included the Sontarans, the Bane and old nemesis Mrs Wormwood. The series finale saw the return of old Who favourite the Brigadier for the first time in 15 years.
Channel 4 reinvented seminal '70s reality show The Family with a new series following The Hughes clan. For four months cameras filmed the family, Big Brother-style, in their Canterbury home - to acclaimed result. Critics heaped praise on the show's 'no frills' presentation of every day domestic issues and around 2 million tuned in every week. A second series, with a new family as the subjects, will air in 2009.
Neatly filling the void left by The O.C., Josh Schwartz's new teen drama project blossomed in 2008. An ever-increasing fanbase was hooked by the antics of the elite in New York's Upper East Side, as Blair sought comfort from her split with Nate in the arms of Chuck, Dan almost strayed with the manipulative Georgina, and Serena... oh, who cares what Serena does?
Now in its fourth series and attracting more viewers than ever before - 9 million watched the finale back in June - The Apprentice gave us some of the best telly moments of the year. Who could forget winner Lee McQueen's pterodactyl impression, Raef's "prince or pauper" speech to Sir Alan, or the terrier-like business approach of runner-up Claire? The new series is due to begin in March.
Airing its second season in the UK in 2008, deliciously dark drama Dexter tore up all rule books with the discovery of Dexter's collection of bodybags. The new serial killer earned the nickname 'the Bay Harbor Butcher' and a massive manhunt was launched. As the net closed in on Dexter, Doakes happened upon the truth - but before he could expose Dexter, he was blown up by Dexter's friend Lila (Jaime Murray) and went down himself as the Butcher. At the end of season two, Dexter thankfully offed his murderous - and highly annoying - accomplice. The equally twisty third season airs here in the summer.
Perhaps controversially high in Tube Talk's list for 2008 is Heroes. Following the creatively limp second season, the cult drama returned after a break of almost ten months for a third attempt. Initially the signs - if not the ratings - were good, and fans praised the refreshing velocity of the opening episodes. But before too long the complicated plots became too much to handle, leaving many a viewer scratching their throbbing head. A fourth volume is due to begin in February.
Spoof reality show Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice produced one of the year's most worthy reality show winners in Geraldine McQueen, a larger-than-life, flame-haired Irish lass with a passion for singing. Her first single 'The Winner's Song' wasn't half bad either, reaching number two in the official chart - ahead of The X Factor's Leon Jackson - and number 33 in our top 50 singles of the year.
Aussie comedian Chris Lilley gained cult status in 2008 for his spoof masterpiece Summer Heights High. Set in a fictional high school, the fake fly-on-the-wall documentary followed three compelling characters (two, if we discount Jonah), all played by Lilley. The series concluded with the long-awaited performance of Mr. G: The Musical, featuring songs such as 'Naughty Girl', 'Bummer Heights High' and 'She's A Slut and She Knows It'.
Torchwood's action-packed second series saw an increased presence of serial storylines and produced some of the best episodes from the Whoniverse in recent years ('Adam', 'Fragments'). The introduction of Captain Jack's former lover/fellow Time Agent Captain John and an underlying subplot involving Jack's 'missing' brother Gray came to a devastating conclusion as series regulars Owen and Tosh were sadly killed off.
After a shaky start, the BBC's latest mythical serialisation grew into a serious contender for family audiences, regularly averaging 6 million viewers despite going up against ITV heavyweight The X Factor. Strong casting - cf. Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson - and a solidly built mythology earn Merlin a deserved sixth place on our list for 2008. Roll on series two!
Charlie Brooker's take on zombie horror - neatly adding social commentary by setting it in the Big Brother house - was every second pure genius. BB compere Davina McCall earned surprise plaudits for her guest turn as presenter-turned-blood-hungry-zombie.
In the genre, 2008 was without doubt Gavin & Stacey's year. Typically of BBC Three comedies, it was a sleeper hit. By the time the second series came to air in the Spring, the word-of-mouth effect, together with James Corden guesting on almost every TV show in the land, catapulted the comedy firmly into the mainstream. The year was capped by a promotion to BBC One for an hour-long Christmas special, seen by 6.7 million viewers. Tidy.
Airing over five consecutive nights on BBC One in the summer, Criminal Justice was utterly compelling television. Rising young actor Ben Whishaw put in a stunning lead performance as a young man imprisoned for a murder he doesn't remember committing.
With an end firmly in sight, Lost bounced back from a difficult third season with a sharp focus and promises of answers. The result was an excellently-crafted run of 14 episodes. The 'flashforward' device became a major driver in the series narrative, new characters such as Miles, Faraday and Charlotte brought new life to the island - and the season concluded with an almighty megamix of game-changing cliffhangers.
2008 was one of the most eventful years in Doctor Who history. Catherine Tate boarded the Tardis for an acclaimed run as assistant, then the series finale to top all series finales reintroduced every companion from the new run (including a dentally-deficient Billie Piper). Exec producer Russell T Davies announced he would be stepping down from the role at the end of 2009's four special episodes, handing the reins to fan favourite Steven Moffat. In October David Tennant made the shock announcement that he too would be leaving after the four specials, sending the rumour mill into overdrive with speculation about his successor. An official announcement isn't due until March time (UPDATE Jan 2: Ahem, looks like it's been brought forward!), but here's a hint: it's not David Morrissey...
What did you think of Tube Talk's list? Any notable omissions? What should have been higher? Add your comments to this entry below!
