| Best Animated Comedy South Park, internet Hello all, and welcome to an exciting new 2010. What better time to look back at a year now dead, and pick the finest fluff from its blueing naval. We start with the award for Best Animated Comedy. It was by no means the best series of South Park this year, but it was good enough. It's not up against much competition. 2008: South Park, internet 2007: South Park, internet 2006: Family Guy, B3 2005 American Dad!, B2 2004: The Simpsons, C4 2003: South Park, C4 |
Best
Brewer Mighty Oak Brewing Company, Maldon They lost out in a tie-breaker last year, but have continued their good form through 2009. 2008: Abbeydale 2007: Dark Star 2006: Rudgate 2005: Acorn 2004: Acorn 2003: Ossett 2002: Roosters |
Best Comedy Sketch Show Bremner, Bird & Fortune, C4 Horrible Histories, B1 Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, B2 By no means brilliant, but rather good all the same: children's television comes up with the appropriate goods. 2008: Bremner, Bird & Fortune, C4 2007: Bremner, Bird & Fortune, C4 2006: Time Trumpet, B2 2005: Bremner, Bird & Fortune, C4 2004: Bremner, Bird & Fortune, C4 2003: (no award given) 2002: Noble & Silver, C4 |
Best
Fact-Based Radio Show Five Live Drive, R5 In Our Time, R4 Simon Mayo, R5 Start the Week, R4 www.wechoosethemoon.org This recreation of the Apollo 11 mission was painfully clunky and needlessly over-embedded, but also a great, involving, real-time replay of events. 2008: Simon Mayo, R5 2007: In Our Time, R4 2006: Five Live Drive, R5 2005: Simon Mayo, R5 2004: Jon Ronson on..., R4 2003: Simon Mayo, R5 2002: Five Live Drive, R5 |
| Best Factual TV Programme Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain, B2 Art Deco Icons, B4 Jonathan Meades: Off-Kilter, B4 Meades takes the trophy for a third time with truly his best programme since Surreal Film. 2008: Jonathan Meades: Magnetic North, B4 2007: Tim Marlow on..., C5 2006: Planet Earth, B1 2005: Life in the Undergrowth, B1 2004: Light Fantastic, B4 2003: Top Gear, B2 2002: Jonathan Meades' Surreal Film, B2 |
Best Music Album Decemberists - The Hazards of Love We've still not got our hands on a copy of the new Josephine Foster album, so the Decemberists' bloated Tullian musings might yet need to be reappraised. 2008: Deerhoof - Offend Maggie 2007: Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity 2006: Josephine Foster - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing 2005: Deerhoof - The Runners Four 2004: Arcade Fire - Funeral 2003: Pflaphpschoen - Easy Unlistening 2002: Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow |
Best New Comedy Series Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, B2 A welcome return to Mr Lee, in surprisingly good form. 2008: Thank God You're Here, I1 2007: The Dame Edna Treatment, I1 2006: Time Trumpet, B2 2005: American Dad!, B2 2004: Arrested Development, B2 |
Best News and Current Affairs Programme Channel 4 News, C4 Five Live Drive, R5 Today, R4 Another somewhat inevitable win from the seemingly effortless Drive. As a news presenter, Peter Allen remains without peer. 2008: Five Live Drive, R5 2007: Five Live Drive, R5 2006: Channel 4 News, C4 2005: Five Live Drive, R5 2004: Five Live Drive, R5 2003: Five Live Drive, R5 |
| Best Pub in Sheffield The Bath Hotel The Kelham Island Tavern The Wellington The Bath breaks the Kelham's winning streak. 2008: Kelham Island Tavern 2007: Kelham Island Tavern 2006: Kelham Island Tavern 2005: Kelham Island Tavern 2004: Fat Cat 2003: Kelham Island Tavern 2002: Kelham Island Tavern 2001: Cask & Cutler |
Best Quiz / Game Show University Challenge, B2 The 2008/9 series final was truly amazing stuff, with Manchester's drugging of Corpus Christi's Gail Trimble not quite lasting the duration, allowing her to wake up for the last ten minutes and steal the ultimate lead. The involvement of the press was less endearing. 2008: Hole in the Wall, B1 2007: University Challenge, B2 2006: University Challenge, B2 2005: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I1 2004: University Challenge, B2 2003: (no award given) 2002: Treasure Hunt, B2 |
Best Radio Comedy I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, R4 The Powers That Be for once did the right thing and got Jack Dee in the chair. The result was most welcome, though it'd be nice to be able to give the prize to something a little newer once in a while. 2008: The News Quiz, R4 2007: ISIHAC, R4 2006: ISIHAC, R4 2005: ISIHAC, R4 2004: Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation, R4 2003: Just a Minute, R4 2002: The News Quiz, R4 |
Best Radio Drama Bring Me The Head of Philip K. Dick, R3 The Changeling, R3 The Lady From The Sea, R3 Rather surprising shortage of Pinter in the running given his shuffling off this mortal coil last year. It's not been an amazing year for radio drama, but we've had a lot worse. In the end, Ibsen's usual recipe handed him an easy win. 2008: Landscape, R4 2007: Doctor Faustus, R3 2006: Gilgamesh, R3 2005: No Background Music, R4 2004: Under Milk Wood, R4 |
| Best Radio Music Program Spotify A slight tweak of the category title, and a borrowing of American English permits this delightful conceit. And quite rightly. Radio, behold your future. 2008: Hear & Now, R3 2007: Mixing It, R3 2006: Andy Kershaw, R3 2005: Do or DIY, WFMU 2004: Do or DIY, WFMU 2003: Do or DIY, WFMU 2002: John Peel, R1 |
Best Radio Presenter Peter Allen, for "Five Live Drive" Richard Bacon for "Richard Bacon" Simon Mayo, for "Simon Mayo" The retirement of Wogan deprives us of one of the greatest radio interviewers to have ever donned the cumbersome headphones of wireless. He will be sorely missed. 2008: Peter Allen 2007: Jane Garvey 2006: Henry Blofeld 2005: Andy Kershaw 2004: John Peel 2003: Jane Garvey 2002: John Peel |
Best Radio Station BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 4 LW BBC Radio 5 Live We probably ought to retire this award. 2008: R5 2007: R5 2006: R5 2005: R5 2004: R5 2003: R5 2002: R5 |
Best Regular Newspaper Column Charlie Brooker in G2 After some false starts in the yellow monster days, Brooker's G2 columns have matured into genuinely amusing and meaningful rants. Alas, by contrast, Screen Burn looks increasingly like a first-draft of Screenwipe. 2008: George Saunders: American Psyche 2007: Jon Ronson: Out of the Ordinary 2006: Charlie Brooker's Screen Burn 2005: Jon Ronson: Out of the Ordinary 2004: Jon Ronson: Out of the Ordinary 2003: Tim Dowling: Chatroom 2002: Tim Dowling: Chatroom |
| Best Repeat on Radio The Best of Simon Mayo, R5 It was quite moving to step back through the greater part of the decade and relive some of the best bits of Simon Mayo's programme. Not all the best bits of the programme were here, for if they were it would still be on right now. But those that were chosen were by and large worthy (even the more obvious ones). Radio 2's gain is the world's loss. 2008: Doctor Faustus, R3 2007: The Mark Steel Revolution, B7 2006: The Mark Steel Solution, B7 2005: On the Hour, B7 2004: Armando Iannucci, B7 |
Best Repeat by a Terrestrial TV Broadcaster All In a Day: The City, B4 Apollo 11: A Night to Remember, BA Men, Women & Clothes, B4 Question Time '79, BP A Very British Coup, UY We've tweaked this category to allow content from the BBC Archive website. It is from there that the BBC's attempt to piece together footage of the moon landing was enjoyed. 2008: Washes Whiter, B4 2007: Channel 4 Season, M4 2006: Our Friends in the North, B4 2005: Dennis Potter Season, B4 2004: Dennis Potter Season, B4 2003: Threads, B4 2002: The Day Today, B2 |
Best Spin-Off Show Angel, internet The Sarah Jane Adventures, B1 Strictly... It Takes Two, B2 We finally gave up on C5 and watched the last series of Angel on-line. It was great. 2008: The Sarah Jane Adventures, B1 2007: The Sarah Jane Adventures, B1 2006: Strictly... It Takes Two, B2 2005: (no award given) 2004: Angel, C5 2003: (no award given) 2002: Angel, C4 |
Best Sporting Event Formula One World Championship, B1 For the third year we choose F1: a brilliant season with a fairytale plot, coupled with truly great coverage from the BBC's appealingly dysfunctional yet strangely well-connected team of pundits. 2008: Formula 1 World Championship 2007: Formula 1 World Championship 2006: Football World Cup 2005: The Ashes 2004: Poker 2003: Brazillian Grand Prix 2002: Winter Olympic Curling |
| Best TV Channel BBC Two The Wire made it easy for B2 to coast some 200 or so points into the lead by the end of Ivan's Ration Book this year. Now we've all just about got digital, BBC4 no longer has to offer anything tempting. 2008: B2 2007: B2 2006: B4 2005: B4 2004: B4 2003: B4 2002: B4 |
Best TV Drama Series Angel, internet Dollhouse, I4 The Wire, B2 Had BBC2 shown The Wire in a more respectful way, that might've stood more of a chance, but then The Wire never had an episode where McNulty was turned into a Muppet. 2008: Ten Days to War, B2 2007: Doctor Who, B1 2006: House, C5 2005: Doctor Who, B1 2004: Angel, C5 2003: State of Play, B1 2002: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, B2 |
Best TV Play Hamlet, B2 It wasn't up against a good deal of competition. Indeed, had it not come along we'd've had to redefine this category to allow one of the Royal Opera House gigs on B4. 2008 King Lear, M4 2007, Krapp's Last Tape, B4 2006: Stan, B4 2005: Blue/Orange, B4 2004: Happy Days, C4 |
Best TV Presenter Charlie Brooker for "You Have Been Watching" and "...Wipe" Matthew Collings for "What is Art?" Jonathan Meades for "Off-Kilter" Off-Kilter was a real return to the form of the Even Further Abroad days and was consequently an unbeatable performance. 2008: Jonathan Meades 2007: Barry Humphries 2006: Simon Amstell 2005: Simon Amstell 2004: Mark Steel 2003: Matthew Collings 2002: Jeremy Clarkson |
| Best TV Sitcom The Thick of It, B2 Not so much a return to form here as a new-found brilliance. Some of this series was really very special indeed. 2008: Family Guy, B3 2007: Family Guy, B3 2006: Arrested Development, B2 2005: Arrested Development, B2/4 2004: Peep Show, C4 2003: Peep Show, C4 2002: Coupling, B2 |
Best Use of BBCi Channels Formula One The F1 Forum meant we got some proper coverage for once: and not just in depth but suitably irreverent. Never have Ferrari looked so friendly and not-evil thanks to the Matt Collings of motorsport: Stefano Domenicali. Beyond the Forum, the array of audio and video options was also quite nice, especially when we had the opportunity to sit out a rainstorm in the company of the safety-car drivers. Alas, the demise of channel 302 means the end of the best of this sort of thing. 2008: Olympics 2007: Glastonbury 2006: World Championship Snooker 2005: Glastonbury 2004: World Championship Snooker |
Best Website YouTube The internet delivers on its promises with the greatest video library ever built: the closest humanity has yet got to Paradise. 2008: BBC iPlayer 2007: South Park Zone 2006: UbuWeb 2005: Seabrook Crisps 2004: Wikipedia 2003: Wikipedia 2002: Wikipedia |
Biggest News Smokescreen Jade Goody Mexican Flu Michael Jackson Death's no fun, generally speaking, and one doesn't tend to wish it upon people, with the possible exception of news schedulers who devote undue air-time to the unfortunate, drawn-out demise of a game-show contestant turned F-lister. Even Max Clifford seemed embarrassed by the end of it. 2008: Sachsgate 2007: The McCanns homecoming 2006: Veils 2005: Bird Flu 2004: US Election build-up 2003: Soham Trial |
| The Buffy Award for the most pointless first showing of a programme that is repeated later in the week QI XL, B2 Another case of Have I Got Even More News for You. Another indicator that television is coughing up its last chunks of black pudding. 2008: The Culture Show, B2 2007: Life on Mars, B4/1 2006: Torchwood, B3/3/3/2/3/3 2005: QI, B4/2/4 2004: Arrested Development, B2/4 2003: Have I Got Even More News for You, B2 |
Most Disappointing Return Series Never Mind the Buzzcocks, B2 Shooting Stars, B2 Top Gear, B2 It's sad when things like this happen. They just got lazy. The other two shows should also take a long hard look at themselves, especially Top Gear. 2008: Crimewatch, B1 2007: Never Mind the Buzzcocks, B2 2006: The Simpsons, C4 2005: Peep Show, C4 2004: Coupling, B3 2003: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, B2 2002: League of Gentlemen, B2 |
Most Improved Series The Thick of It, B2 The Thick of It managed to negotiate the brink imposed upon it by Chris Langham's on-line shopping, leap beyond it, and become something several times better than ever it had been during his tenure. The presumable distractions of the Hollywood flirtation last year make the improvement all the more impressive. 2008: Bremner, Bird & Fortune, C4 2007: Never Mind the Buzzcocks, B2 2006: The News Quiz, R4 2005: Formula 1, I1 2004: QI, B2/4 2003: The Simpsons, B2 2002: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, B2 |
Most Sorely Missed Show The Adventure Game After Dark Horizon The Mole Tomorrow's World Bang Goes The Theory highlighted all the more the desultory state of science programming on television these days. In some ways, the thing that calls itself Horizon has improved in recent years but it is still far from being the science platform it used to be. Please, bring back the real Horizon. 2008: The Adventure Game 2007: After Dark 2006: Angel (final series) 2005: Angel (final series) 2004: The Mole 2003: Twin Peaks series 2 2002: Twin Peaks series 2 |