I don't like British award shows. I can stomach the BAFTAs, because they're worth winning, and the British Comedy Awards can be hilarious and controversial. But everything else is usually tosh -- dominated by soaps, Doctor Who and whatever Ant & Dec appeared in.
The National TV Awards has a certain important vibe to it, but this quickly disappears once Sir Trevor McDonald walks out onto the stage. Has a man ever been so ill-equipped to host an awards show? Oh, and don't give him jokes to tell – the man has no charisma and zero comic timing. Watching him die on stage has a certain ghoulish appeal, but it just maddens me that the NTAs don't replace him. He's always bad, year after year.
As expected, the results were predictable, dominated by the usual faces, and full of plugs for ITV shows. But the winners were...
Most Popular Actor – David Tennant (Doctor Who)
Not exactly stiff competition (Antony Cotton, Bradley from EastEnders and some bloke from Hollyoaks nobody's ever heard of), but still a fitting win.
Most Popular Actress – Lacey Turner (EastEnders)
Again, poor competition (Eileen from Corrie, Dawn from EastEnders), so the best choice of a bad bunch. But does anybody find one-note Lacey Turner particularly entertaining to watch? She was great about 5 years ago when the Slaters were at their peak, but she's been stuck in a stupid love-triangle with Bradley for 18 months or so!
Most Popular Drama – Doctor Who
The Bill, Shameless and Life On Mars were good competition, and it might have been nice to see Life On Mars win for once, but Doctor Who is undoubtedly more popular with the masses. Just a shame the fact it's sci-fi means sniffier people think geeks have somehow rigged the vote!
Most Popular Serial Drama – EastEnders
They've had the lowest ratings in years, but still more "popular" than Coronation Street? You do the math! Oh well, who even cares?
Most Popular Entertainment Programme – Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
I like SNT, but after a few weeks, it's essentially the same thing. The other nominees were a Take That special, Jonathan Ross' chat show, Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out Of 10 Cats. Well, SNT is probably the most entertaining, I have to concede.
Most Popular Reality Programme – I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
This "popular" qualification is annoying. The Apprentice is better – so doesn't that count for anything? Are we just going on ratings with the National TV Awards? If so, I could have saved everyone a lot of time and effort by just reading the BARB ratings out loud. Of the nominees -- yeah, Big Brother 8 was average at best and nobody who's been through puberty watches Shipwrecked. I can live with I'm A Celebrity as winner.
Most Popular Entertainment Presenter – Ant & Dec
Ant & Dec are technically one person, apparently. They're good, but I think Paul O'Grady should have won. Graham Norton is an outside chance these days, while Jonathan Ross' bubble is slowly deflating. No way Fern Britten was going to win!
Most Popular Talent Show – The X Factor
Is it? It gets beaten by Strictly Come Dancing every Saturday! Britain's Got Talent atleast didn't outstay its welcome, Any Dream Will Do is more polished, Dancing On Ice is just silly, but I think Strictly is both entertaining and more respected.
Most Popular Comedy Programme – The Catherine Tate Show
Poor competition in this category. Only fortysomethings like My Family and is Ugly Betty actually FUNNY? Harry Hill's TV Burp is great fun, but rarely a gut-buster. Tate may have won, but her sketch show was at its poorest this year.
Most Popular Factual Programme – Top Gear
No chance for Jeremy Kyle after recent tabloid events, while This Morning was an outside chance really. The F Word might have sneaked it, but obviously Top Gear is leaps and bounds ahead.
Most Popular Newcomer – Kim Ryder (Coronation Street)
Yeah, I agree with that. Eli from Emmerdale or Tania from EastEnders instead? Or some girl from Hollyoaks. No way. Kim's impressed me on Corrie -- making a decent go of being an actress after a failed pop career via reality TV show!
Special Recognition Award – Jeremy Clarkson
I don't mind Clarkson. I think he can be wry and amusing in the right context, and is obviously a great fit for Top Gear. Not sure I'd ever give him a special recognition award, though...
That's it for another year. No big surprises. For me, these awards shows just highlight how much American TV I watch. It would be interesting to have an awards show where anything broadcast on British TV is eligible to be voted on... then we'll see how well UK content does against US hits like Heroes, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, 24, etc!
The National TV Awards has a certain important vibe to it, but this quickly disappears once Sir Trevor McDonald walks out onto the stage. Has a man ever been so ill-equipped to host an awards show? Oh, and don't give him jokes to tell – the man has no charisma and zero comic timing. Watching him die on stage has a certain ghoulish appeal, but it just maddens me that the NTAs don't replace him. He's always bad, year after year.
As expected, the results were predictable, dominated by the usual faces, and full of plugs for ITV shows. But the winners were...
Most Popular Actor – David Tennant (Doctor Who)
Not exactly stiff competition (Antony Cotton, Bradley from EastEnders and some bloke from Hollyoaks nobody's ever heard of), but still a fitting win.
Most Popular Actress – Lacey Turner (EastEnders)
Again, poor competition (Eileen from Corrie, Dawn from EastEnders), so the best choice of a bad bunch. But does anybody find one-note Lacey Turner particularly entertaining to watch? She was great about 5 years ago when the Slaters were at their peak, but she's been stuck in a stupid love-triangle with Bradley for 18 months or so!
Most Popular Drama – Doctor Who
The Bill, Shameless and Life On Mars were good competition, and it might have been nice to see Life On Mars win for once, but Doctor Who is undoubtedly more popular with the masses. Just a shame the fact it's sci-fi means sniffier people think geeks have somehow rigged the vote!
Most Popular Serial Drama – EastEnders
They've had the lowest ratings in years, but still more "popular" than Coronation Street? You do the math! Oh well, who even cares?
Most Popular Entertainment Programme – Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
I like SNT, but after a few weeks, it's essentially the same thing. The other nominees were a Take That special, Jonathan Ross' chat show, Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out Of 10 Cats. Well, SNT is probably the most entertaining, I have to concede.
Most Popular Reality Programme – I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
This "popular" qualification is annoying. The Apprentice is better – so doesn't that count for anything? Are we just going on ratings with the National TV Awards? If so, I could have saved everyone a lot of time and effort by just reading the BARB ratings out loud. Of the nominees -- yeah, Big Brother 8 was average at best and nobody who's been through puberty watches Shipwrecked. I can live with I'm A Celebrity as winner.
Most Popular Entertainment Presenter – Ant & Dec
Ant & Dec are technically one person, apparently. They're good, but I think Paul O'Grady should have won. Graham Norton is an outside chance these days, while Jonathan Ross' bubble is slowly deflating. No way Fern Britten was going to win!
Most Popular Talent Show – The X Factor
Is it? It gets beaten by Strictly Come Dancing every Saturday! Britain's Got Talent atleast didn't outstay its welcome, Any Dream Will Do is more polished, Dancing On Ice is just silly, but I think Strictly is both entertaining and more respected.
Most Popular Comedy Programme – The Catherine Tate Show
Poor competition in this category. Only fortysomethings like My Family and is Ugly Betty actually FUNNY? Harry Hill's TV Burp is great fun, but rarely a gut-buster. Tate may have won, but her sketch show was at its poorest this year.
Most Popular Factual Programme – Top Gear
No chance for Jeremy Kyle after recent tabloid events, while This Morning was an outside chance really. The F Word might have sneaked it, but obviously Top Gear is leaps and bounds ahead.
Most Popular Newcomer – Kim Ryder (Coronation Street)
Yeah, I agree with that. Eli from Emmerdale or Tania from EastEnders instead? Or some girl from Hollyoaks. No way. Kim's impressed me on Corrie -- making a decent go of being an actress after a failed pop career via reality TV show!
Special Recognition Award – Jeremy Clarkson
I don't mind Clarkson. I think he can be wry and amusing in the right context, and is obviously a great fit for Top Gear. Not sure I'd ever give him a special recognition award, though...
That's it for another year. No big surprises. For me, these awards shows just highlight how much American TV I watch. It would be interesting to have an awards show where anything broadcast on British TV is eligible to be voted on... then we'll see how well UK content does against US hits like Heroes, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, 24, etc!
