I used to have this theory that by the time you get to the fourth part of something, it becomes good again. The third part is disappointing, usually a rehash of the first two, while the fourth is a chance to take a risk and do something new. Case in point: the Shrek films. Shrek 3 is pants. Shrek 4 is brilliant. This theory is mostly commonly seen in sitcoms where the fourth season tends to be the best as the actors and writers are all in sync and exploring the possibilities of what they can do. The fourth season of The Office being the perfect example.

However, this year, this barely conceived theory took a heavy hammering as both Succession and Barry both fulfilled the theory by taking huge creative swings with drastic changes to the story but both fell over as they struggled to find a reason to carry on. I couldn’t care what happens after Logan’s plane landed, nor did I care what happened to Barry when he started to wear glasses. (Keeping things as vague as possible).

So, instead of talking about brilliant finales to series which have been excellent, instead I enjoyed watching:

Andor and The Last of Us

When did heroes stop smiling? I know it’s grim in a zombie mushroom post apocalyptic wasteland and living on the run from the Galactic Empire is no laughing matter but there’s no need to be this miserable. Cheer up, Andor! Cheer up Pedro! No need to be so glum, you’re in the best programmes I watched this year!

Race Around The World

Never has hitching a lift from a gas station in Canada looked so scenic. A programme impossible to watch without thinking: “I’d love to go to Ottawa!”

Loki

See, heroes can smile, even when all their friends repeatedly die in a time loop multiverse apocalypse.

Rooney/Beckham

Don’t mess with Mrs Beckham. Don’t mess with Mrs Rooney! Two programmes which show thaw ruthless and single minded you need to be to survive a tabloid storm.

Brooklyn 99 (Season 5)

If season 4 is great then season 5 can be even better as the writers and actors go even weirder and introduce a child killing cannibal in prison as the comedy relief. Though if your tolerance of Andy Samburg is low, like Mrs TwinBikeRun, watching this will be like sharing a cell with Hannibal Lecter.

The Detectorists Xmas Special

Has a show managed to have a perfect finale? Come back, have another perfect finale and then come back a third time and have even better finale? I love this show. I loved the ending. And the last ending. And this ending.

Evil Season 1

Utter nonsense but it steals from all the best bits of the monster of the week X-Files.

The Outlaws

Stephen Merchant and Christopher Walken find a bag of cash while on community service. Looked rubbish, saw a bit of it, chuckled, watched more of it and it was one of the funniest programmes I watched all year.