Top 5 Worst Episodes in Great British Shows

Even creator Charlie Brooker admits this is the one episode of the dystopian sci-fi series “Black Mirror” that he wishes he could go back and do differently. “The Waldo Moment” tells the tale of a foul-mouthed cartoon bear that makes a bid for Parliament, before eventually itself becoming the unconventional leader of a surveillance state. Critics condemned the story’s pacing, dialogue, and lack of a coherent message, but their biggest gripe was the fact that Waldo’s rise to power was just too unbelievable. Even in the murky world of modern politics.

OK, so this episode wasn’t especially worse than any other instalment of Top Gear’s 23rd series, but here’s where the hope and general interest in the show started to die. When Chris Evans took over as host in 2016, many condemned him simply for the crime of not being Jeremy Clarkson. But his and Matt Le-Blanc’s sub-par car-based quips and blatant lack of chemistry saw viewing figures plummet, with even the original Stig calling the show “really, really bad.” But of course, we’ll always remember that time later in the series, when Evans seemed to throw up because the car he was travelling in was going too fast. Oh dear.

The final episode of “Sherlock” series four features a few impressive performances from a pretty stellar cast, but the drama is sadly overshadowed by gaping plot holes and unsatisfying scratch-your-head moments. First, we’re expected to believe that Sherlock’s sister, Eurus, can essentially control people’s minds. Then, in an apparent effort to get Sherlock to like her, she creates an elaborate deathtrap and forces him to choose between killing his brother and his best friend. Because that’ll make her popular, right? These are clearly some solid concepts, but there’s only so much disbelief we can suspend - and ridiculousness wins out here.

This TARDIS-tripping, galaxy-galavanting, long-running sci-fi series has dropped the very occasional clanger, and some were left particularly unimpressed with “In the Forest of the Night” from the Peter Capaldi era. But in the end, Peter Kay as the Abzorbaloff is still the character which haunts most Whovians – and not because it’s scary! Looking like a creature created for a Blue Peter contest, Kay reportedly called this appearance the one true regret of his career, and it’s easy to see why. It’s an episode marred by weak acting and an anticlimactic ending, but worst of all the Doctor barely features at all!

In 1996, Del Boy, Rodney and Uncle Albert were given the perfect send-off that everyone wanted, as they walked off into the sunset after finally becoming millionaires. But then, five years later, the first of three highly-anticipated but largely disappointing Christmas specials saw their dreams cruelly snatched away from them. After Del Boy loses his fortune in a stock market crash, he tries to win it back on a quiz show - but the wheeler dealer magic is unfortunately no more. With its hit-and-miss gags and its over-silly plot, this episode was not ‘lovely jubbly’, and it didn’t make sense.