Seven have maintained their market dominance and made some big promises about staying at the top for the next 5 years and while that seems likely this year saw some pretty expensive uh-ohs on their part. News is slipping on the east coast, and they continue to lean on the old-school “you’ll watch it when we tell you” mentality. With the rise in 2015 of the subscription video on demand service – which they’re now a major player in – it can’t last.

Is the “big red train” slowing for the next station?

HITS

Bogan Hunters – Buried away on 7mate this was Pauly Fenech uncovering and revealing his people’s underbelly to the nation. We walk amongst the bogans, though we may not be one of them…

Bones/Castle – These are both the same show, right? I mean the lead actors and everything are the same. AND it rates pretty reasonably for the Network when they schedule it into a regular timeslot so the shows must be interchangeable.

Downton Abbey S04 – I have so much love for this series I should be an Earl.

House Rules – Solid casting wins the day again as this increases audience year on year and establishes a serious competitor for Nine’s The Block. So much so Seven are giving us TWO seasons of this series in 2015. Strap yourselves in, people.

INXS: Never Tear Us Apart – Pushed on by so much promotion our eyes were bleeding this two part mini-series lit up the screens so much that INXS’s Best Of topped the charts AGAIN. While we may not have bought some of the haircuts and the number of boobs Luke Arnold was mesmerising as the charismatic Hutchence. One of only two dramas to make the Top 50 shows for the year.

Kinne – Seven’s first attempt at sketch comedy in years and it wasn’t even theirs. Troy Kinne and his cast delivered some excellent laughs on 7mate and full credit to them have scored another season in 2015.

My France with Manu – Sure it’s one of their big stars on an all expenses paid trip home but it was the best food/travel show Seven have delivered in years.

My Kitchen Rules – It’s not longer a cooking show; it’s a reality catfight and that’s why it just gets bigger each year. Who cares about the food when we’ve got this pair from somewhere with their noses in the air staring down at this other couple boganing it up?!

Sunday Night – The off-screen drama overshadowed the excellent year Seven’s current affairs flagship has had up until then. Will the departure of Mark Llewelyn (EP) and Ross Coulthart (senior reporter) derail all the hard work put in to date when it returns next year?

Sunrise – Kochie, Sam, Nat & Berrets are clearly Australia’s number one brekky show and they can seemingly do no wrong (the question: is this size of their audience proportionate to the amount of power they wield?).

The Blacklist S01/S02 – S01 finished strong but the return struggled to find a place in the schedule, until they stopped moving it around. Spader is clearly loving his turn as the baddest good guy on TV.

The Goldbergs – A stellar pick up from the US delivering The Wonder Years as an 80’s sitcom.

The Killing Field – Rebecca Gibney’s new vehicle that has spawned a series in 2015. Solid, reliable cast with solid, reliable scripting.

CONCEDED PASSES

A Place To Call Home – OK then, bye bye now. Until Foxtel resuscitated it.

Once Upon A Time – A series that goes from strength to strength in the US, barely given a chance here.

Dancing With The Stars S14 – 10 years, 14 seasons, and allegedly still we have stars who’ll dance. Dan MacPherson and Edwina Bartholomew again deliver strongly as hosts in a year where hardly anyone talked about it except when Mark Holden did something stupid – which didn’t last long, so we could all go back to not talking about it.

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD S01/S02 – Scheduling meant that a show that picked up never picked up ratings, even after a very strong end to S01.

Resurrection S01/S02 – As it got curlier it got pushed later and later. You can’t expect and audience to stick with that.

Revenge – Yes, it’s still on, and no, I can’t tell you why.

The X Factor Australia – Seven pushed hard and they got their winner yet so many people didn’t watch. The Redfoo “creative” dramas outside the show didn’t raise the profile any. It’ll be back but is singing reality on its last legs?

What Really Happens In Bali – What really happens to cashed up bogans abroad.

Winners and Losers S04 – Continued laments for a great cast being pissed against the wall with sub-par scripts.

MISSES

Anh Does… – How is anyone still granting this man a visa?

Beauty and the Geek Australia – Not even Seven’s boy next door James Tobin could save this show this year. It used to be about the beauties and the geeks, man…

Bringing Sexy Back – The big push for Sam Armytage into prime time that stuttered and failed so badly we didn’t even get the entire season. Think of everything you didn’t like about The Biggest Loser and then roll it into a show hosted by a brekky TV host.

Brynne: My Bedazzled Diary – Contractual obligations suck. For all parties concerned.

How I Met Your Mother S09/finale – There is no way – NO WAY – that was a satisfactory ending, and no way – NO WAY – Seven should have expected anyone to care given how poorly they treated the season for fans.

Mr Selfridge S02 – Jeremy Piven should be praying for an Entourage reboot. Stat.

Mrs Brown’s Boys – Homophobia is not OK, but apparently a dirty old man dressing up as a dirty old woman is acceptable.

The Amazing Race Australia v New Zealand – What could have been the continued reinvention of the franchise unfortunately was a steaming giant poo. Some of the casting was great though the majority was a detraction from the game and ruined it entirely.

The Daily Edition – Informercial news chat best avoided.

The Big Adventure – There are many reasons why this show failed, not least of which because it was originally unoriginal.

Overall Result: Solid B. 2015 is shaping up to be the most important year in Seven’s life yet as the decisions they make will echo throughout their ad revenue (which will feel like eternity if it starts dropping).