We’ve all been there. In the midst of an incredible television series that has managed to keep us on the edge of our seats for weeks on end, giving incredible payoff when it finally comes to an end and hopes to leave behind a legacy. Unfortunately for some of those shows, they don’t leave quite the permanent mark on our memories as they would like. Here are 6 hugely popular TV shows that you forgot all about…
Jim Fenner in Bad Girls
6. Footballer’s Wives
Full of sex, glamour, love and affairs, Footballer’s Wives was one of the most hideously engrossing dramas ITV ever released. Launching the careers of many an actor, the show would toe the line of what was and wasn’t acceptable to show, even in its late night timeslot.
5. Bad Girls
Created by the same people behind Footballer’s Wives, Bad Girls was an incredible prison drama following some a brilliant cast of female characters. With villains that you’d want to take down in person if you ever got the chance (Damn you, Jim Fenner!), the show went on to win a slew of awards, for all the right reasons. We’d love to see Bad Girls make it back to the small screen at some point.
4. Waterloo Road
Running for almost a decade, Waterloo Road was an incredible British drama on the BBC, set in a comprehensive school of the same name and following some incredible staff and pupils. With an ensemble cast of up to forty main characters, it was sometimes hard to follow, but worth every minute. The payoff was always brilliant and some hard-hitting topics were dealt with.
3. The Story of Tracy Beaker
All 90s kids remember The Story of Tracy Beaker. It was the basis for many memories to be formed and helped spring some fantastic child actors into the spotlight. In it we saw orphan Tracy Beaker deal with the ongoing traumas of being left in a place she called ‘The Dumping Ground’, surrounded by people she didn’t really like at the best of times. Throughout the show we saw the youngster transform into a young lady, build her personality and become a better person.
2. Jericho
Despite only coming to viewers within the past decade, Jericho seems to already have been forgotten. Fans went crazy when CBS pulled the plug on the series after just a single season, sending 20 tonnes of peanuts to the studio’s headquarters. In the show, we met a host of characters in a small American town, dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear bomb attack on most of America. Eventually brought back for a second season due to the fan response, the show was once again cancelled, but revived in comic book form. Six books formed the third season of the show, giving fans the ending they were searching for, but not the one they wanted.
1. Sugar Rush
Taking on the taboo topic of sexuality before it was popular, Sugar Rush proved itself time and time again as one of the bravest and most groundbreaking shows of its time. In it, viewers met protagonist Kimberly, a 15-year-old who narrated her own experiences of exploring her sexuality and navigating a world filled with prejudice. Identifying as a lesbian, Kimberly was friends with Maria ‘Sugar’ Sweet; a close friend and fellow teenager who likes to go about her business without thinking of consequences. Many of those youngsters watching the show struggling with their own identity used Sugar Rush as a way to become more comfortable within themselves, and for that it should be celebrated. While it only lasted two seasons despite being so popular, it has to take the top space on our list here. It’s available on DVD now if you want a refresher!