Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: Big Chef Takes On Little Chef

A surprise hit of the year as Heston Blumenthal slummed it in the struggling chain of Roadside restaurants, trying to turn their fortunes around. Key to its charm was showing the Heston wasn't quite the smug bastard you'd think he might be - and in boss Ian Pegler, a pantomime villain who would spout out nonsense that would make an Apprentice wannabe blush.

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: Eastbound & Down

The Foot Fist Way and Observe and Report both suffered as films as the jokes couldn't really last an hour and a half - and if I'm honest Observe and Report's jokes didn't even last a minute, but the half hour format suited Danny McBride and Jody Hill much better and you can't help but hit a home run if you can rope in extended cameos from Craig Robinson and Will Ferrell, who channelled the spirit of Ric Flair in his turn as car salesman Ashley Schaeffer.

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: Eastenders Goes Tarantino

The only way this could be any more of a Pulp Fiction rip-off is if the wardrobe team had given Lucas a wallet that said Bad Mother Fucker

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: Fishsticks

This year's run of South Park was pretty forgettable on the whole, except for two musical moments that became online sensations that they'd parodied previously. Cartman doing Poker Face was the more popular, but my pick is Matt and Trey ripping into Kanye West a good few months before the VMAs, showing how even on autopilot they still manage to stay well ahead of the competition.

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling

Celebrity Wrestling over here was abysmal - with Dlo Brown and Joe Legend leading a team of celebs through various sub-Gladiators style games. This time around they did things properly, putting them through the paces and showing what its like to get in the ring. The highlight of the show was the feud between Screech and Danny Bonaduce - which ended in a surprisingly brutal hardcore match between the two that saw them put each other through tables and smash each other into walls.

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: The Life & Times Of Tim

Its lo-fi stylings and sarcastic tone made The Life & Times Of Tim reminiscent of those 90s cartoons like Duckman and Beavis and Butthead - which is no bad thing in my eyes. Also gets bonus points for being the only show that has ever been worth watching on Virgin 1.

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: Psychoville

Much more than a black comedy, Psychoville unfolded to become a genuinely thrilling and a times pretty damn scary modern day Hitchcockian story. Add in the immersive online experience and you have the one of most creative new shows in years.

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: Red Riding Trilogy

Make it past the first of the three films, which is impossible to follow at times and you'll be rewarded with one of the best dramas of recent times. In the Year of Our Lord 1980 is the highlight - with Paddy Considine starring as Peter Hunter, brought in to investigate the Yorkshire Ripper murders which ultimately become the backdrop for a dark tale of corruption.

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: The Wire

Showing up in all the best of the decade lists, The Wire finally made it to terrestrial tv tucked away in a late night slot on BBC2. With only the odd break between series it was a great way to immerse yourself in the Wire universe, as the wide ranging story spans the entire run whilst still managing to update itself year by year

Top 10 TV Moments of 2009: WWE Vintage Collection

The forgotten show in the WWE portfolio and arguably the best of the lot. A particlar highlight was the four week run showcasing the best of the cruiserweights from the WWE library that spanned the 70s right up to the modern day.

I sometimes think that WWE has actually forgotten they employ Mean Gene and he spends most of his time locked in the Vintage Collection studio taking to all the cardboard cut outs from the era that show up every week.