The Story Of 2021 As Told By The Best TV Shows Of The Year

Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s been another trying year. But one thing that has helped us through all the chaos and changes in 2021 has been the TV.

Whether it’s been the familiar comfort of Gogglebox, Strictly Come Dancing and The Great British Bake Off, prestige drama like It’s A Sin, Line Of Duty and Vigil or a dose of reality from Love Island and Selling Sunset – not to mention two series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK – there’s been a lot to enjoy.

So as we slam the door on 2021, we thought there was no better way to tell the story of the last 12 months than through the lens of some of those shows...

When the country went back into lockdown just days into the New Year

And it was back to a life of sitting around the house

But at least we saw Trump finally leave the White House

During lockdown, days turned into weeks, and weeks into months

But then Boris finally announced his ‘roadmap’

When we were finally allowed to socialise outdoors

Even though that often meant sitting outdoors in the cold, wind or pissing rain

But the taste of that first pint from the tap had never been so good

When those pictures of Matt Hancock and his aide emerged and created a national talking point

And then Delta arrived in the UK and the full unlocking was pushed back

Then came 19 July

We were allowed to hug our loved ones again

We were allowed in friends’ houses again

We could actually go and see live music

The clubs reopened

And we could resume getting with total strangers

Even if that meant occasionally having to dodge some unwanted advances

Our social lives became busy once again

And we could finally squeeze in a long-awaited holiday

But then the government kept constantly changing the rules

The Euros kicked off, and while some of us initially resisted football fever...

It wasn’t long before we were all swept up in the madness

And fell in love with basically all of the England team

We also continued cheering as Team GB headed to Tokyo for the Olympics

And we all had a bit of a moment when Tom Daley won his first Olympic gold

And then Emma Raducanu won the US open too

Meanwhile, the nation ran out of petrol and it became a mission to source any

And then items started disappearing from the supermarket shelves and so began a scramble to get anything you actually wanted

When Adele made her big return

When Omicron decided to turn up just as Christmas was approaching

And it began to feel like we were living in an eternal nightmare all over again

Meanwhile the government was busy denying multiple claims of a Christmas party at Number 10 last year while we were all under restrictions

The threat of more restrictions loomed

And we ended the year wondering if this hell will ever, ever end

Still, at least we got to see Rose win Strictly, eh?