In the world of politics seen through fictional TV drama, 2006 had everything.

Perhaps people imagined that the events of last Christmas - when Britain's prime minister, Harriet Jones, helped to save the world from aliens in Doctor Who - could not be surpassed in the excitement stakes.

But in a parallel Downing Street, somewhere across the cosmos, Ros Pritchard found herself in the unprecedented position of being an "ordinary" voter, with little interest in politics, taking over as the country's leader.

Inevitably, however, the subject of sleaze soon reared its head.

It emerged her husband was a former money-launderer, and then a naked image of her daughter was projected on Parliament.

She was faced with the choice of her career or her family, and viewers awaited the decision of the "amazing" Mrs Pritchard as the year ended.

Elsewhere, an attempted coup at the highest levels of the British government was averted by the MI5 officers known as Spooks.

It was one of several breathtaking successes in 2006 for the team, whose workload seemingly never ended.

Last month they foiled a flooding attempt which involved sabotaging the Thames Flood Barrier, while agent Ros Myers escaped unscathed after risking her life during a siege in London's Saudi Trade Centre.

There were casualties, however, with spy Juliet Shaw paralysed when her car exploded at Westminster, while analyst Ruth Evershed - wrongly accused of murder - faked her own death.

In the US, the year began with an assassination.

President Logan's double-dealings were exposed by leading counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer.

But Bauer disappeared shortly afterwards and as 2006 ends, his whereabouts remain unclear.

Two other dramas have had their own storylines involving US presidents, again in parallel worlds to 24.

We saw President Jed Bartlett standing down after eight years in charge in The West Wing, to be replaced by fellow Democrat Matt Santos.

The handover was tinged with sadness for Bartlett because of the death of his long-time friend and Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry.

Elsewhere Mackenzie Allen became the first woman to occupy the Oval Office in Commander in Chief, although her reign lasted only nine months when she lost the support of US network ABC.

So it was left to fly-on-the-wall series The Thick of It to offer the year's lighter political moments, introducing Social Affairs Secretary Hugh Abbot and his foul-mouthed spin doctor, Malcolm "The Enforcer" Tucker.

Policies were created in the back of ministerial limousines; announcements were made, withdrawn and reissued; journalists were deliberately led astray; voters were abused in inappropriate emails.