The Last Year of Television is an end-of-year comedy review programme covering Australian TV, created and presented by Mitch McTaggart. It was first broadcast nationally on SBS Viceland in 2020.
An initial special was created for community television station C31 Melbourne in 2019, which McTaggart described as "a test run" and "a pilot" to pitch to SBS.[1]
Regarding the concept, McTaggart explained to The West Australian that despite existing review programmes such as The Weekly or Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, "no one really bothers [to cover] Australian TV, which is fairly... disappointing."[2]
In an interview with SBS, McTaggart said that world events and politics were "well and truly mined by all those other shows", and so he instead wanted to "lean into the more niche moments" of Australian television.[3]
Format
The Last Year of Television provides a month-by-month recap of the highs and lows of specifically Australian television from the past year. The commentary is often crass and "snarky"[4] to illustrate points.
Each special is broken up with occasional long-form segments, such as detailed analyses of how news can create large-scale outrage,[5] or discussions of how television can exploit an event or single person in the pursuit of ratings.
McTaggart often draws from Australian TV history to make observations and comparisons with current programming.
Production
McTaggart writes the show and watches Australian television throughout the year to collect clips, explaining in 2022: "I usually write a few notes when a moment happens, then flesh it out later depending on runtime. Some stuff gets the chop later in relation to the other content – [for instance] if there’s too many downer stories, or too many consecutive critiques of a single network."[6]
Some topics become running jokes. Beginning in 2020, McTaggart talked about how Channel Seven sitcom Fam Time had yet to air, despite being shot in 2019.[7] This was mentioned in every subsequent special until Seven finally released the series in 2024, where it was reviewed in that year's show.[8]
After the 2020 special, SBS also broadcast the companion series The Back Side of Television in 2021,[9] containing a wider scope without the limitations of a year-in-review format. Both shows then migrated to streaming platform Binge in 2022.[10]
Series overview
The first SBS special aired in 2020. For the 2022 special onward, it was released on Binge.[11]
In June 2024, it was renewed for a 2025 special.[12]
McTaggart recaps Home and Away seemingly censoring a lesbian kiss; A Current Affair addresses its role in the downfall of Hey Dad..! actor Robert Hughes; and a summary of how Australian TV responded to the outbreak of COVID-19. Also, Neighbours' 35th Anniversary week; a series of ill-judged interviews on Today; and the realities of on-screen diversity.
McTaggart recaps Wayne Carey's appearance on SAS Australia, Scott Morrison's puff piece on 60 Minutes, and the insensitivity surrounding the production of Underbelly: Vanishing Act. Also a look at the ABC's 90th anniversary, the suspicious timeline of the cancellation and renewal of Neighbours, and dramatisations of mass-casualty events with Bali 2002.
McTaggart looks at how Australian TV dealt with the Sea World helicopter crash; the fallout of one joke made by Reuben Kaye on an episode of The Project; and King Charles' coronation. Also a deep dive into how most Australian telemovie biopics are largely the same; The Voice referendum; and a rebuttal to a 7News Spotlight programme about gender de-transitioning.
McTaggart looks at a specific episode of Under Investigation profiling murder victim Samantha Murphy; the ABC's Fresh Blood comedy initiative; and the news coverage of Arj Barker apparently kicking a breastfeeding mother out of a live comedy show. Also looks at how Bruce Lehrmann's legal trial played out in the media.
The Last Year of Television has received consistently positive reviews. It regularly attracts praise for its humour and research.
Screenhub wrote "it’s a show made by people who care enough about television to tell it like it is,"[15] adding that "[McTaggart's] take on the local industry is both funny and well-informed, backed up by the kind of in-depth research that rarely goes into coverage of anything on television."[16]
Clare Rigden of The West Australian wrote that "we owe [McTaggart] a debt of gratitude... he's been able to articulate so much of what we find askew and not-quite-right about Australian TV."[18]
Awards and nominations
In 2023, The Last Year of Television won the AWGIE award for Comedy (Sketch or Light Entertainment),[19] and was nominated again in 2024.[20]
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