Frame Rated: The 88th Academy Award Winners

If you're not Oscar'd out yet, you can read my thoughts on the big winners at the 88th Academy Awards, over at Frame Rated. Click here!

What makes a good Oscar acceptance speech?

Guest submission by Jamie Hughes • From heartfelt dedications to self-indulgent ramblings, the academy awards has thrown up a plethora of amusing and endearing acceptance speeches over the years. Since the ceremony began in 1929, the Oscar's has moved further and further into the public eye and, whether they're aware of it or not, award winners can now massively enhance their careers with some brief and well refined thank you messages.

Primetime Emmy Nominations 2014

This year's Primetime Emmy nominations were announced yesterday, but none of it really matters. The Emmy's just draw more eyeballs than most other awards ceremonies of their ilk, as the "Oscars of U.S TV". But if it keeps a few good-but-struggling shows on the air a bit longer, that's always nice. (Shame they snubbed Hannibal, then). Below is a list of the main Emmy categories, and some very brief thoughts on each set of nominees.

BAFTA Television Awards: Winners 2014

I don't take awards ceremonies seriously these days, but the BAFTA Television Awards were held last night, so the results are below... together with my thoughts on the most popular category's results...

Thoughts on 2013's Emmy nominations

The internet's awash with articles about this year's Emmy nominations, so I'm not going to bore you too much about it here. The key things that interest me about the nominations are below:

Dan's TV Awards 2012 (including a Top 10)

It's December, which means most entertainment blogs and websites will be indulging their readers with extensive Top 10 lists. I've done exactly that myself for most of the seven years Dan's Media Digest has been online. But this year I thought I'd offer something different: an awards ceremony! Of sorts. You can call it the "Danos", or something. It's basically a run-down of television shows that I thought pulled off something particularly good or bad this year. And if you still prefer a more traditional Top 10, I've included one at the very end.

British Comedy Awards 2012: the results

I have a deep attachment to the British Comedy Awards (hereafter the BCAs), mainly because they're the only awards ceremony I've seen every edition of, and I like its mix of anarchy and self-mockery. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and host Jonathan Ross's opening monologues used to be amongst the funniest things you'll hear all year. These days, that's less the case, but only because the marketplace is so crowded with other awards ceremonies and comedy interludes—on television, radio and online.

Primetime Emmy Awards 2012: Nominees

The nominations have been announced for the Primetime Emmy Awards 2012, and it makes for interesting reading. Below is a list of the major nominees, together with thoughts from my good self under each category. Obviously, I don't watch everything on US TV, so some of this is down to gut instinct and wishful thinking...

Outstanding Comedy Series

• The Big Bang Theory
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Girls
• Modern Family
• 30 Rock
• Veep

Thoughts: I'd like Girls to win because it's new and, to be frank, most US awards show are tedious because a good 90% of the nominees are cut-and-paste from last year.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Lena Dunham – Girls
• Melissa McCarthy – Mike & Molly
• Zooey Deschanel – New Girl
• Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
• Amy Poehler – Parks & Recreation
• Tina Fey – 30 Rock
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep

Thoughts: Claiming Nurse Jackie's a comedy is one thing, but claiming Edie Falco's in any way funny on that show is another thing entirely. I can envisage Julia Louis-Dreyfus winning, because of residual Seinfeld love, despite the fact she was the fourth funniest person on Veep.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
• Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Don Cheadle – House of Lies
• Louis C.K – Louis
• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
• Jon Cryer – Two & A Half Men

Thoughts: Louis C.K should win, obviously, but Jim Parsons probably will because more people watch Big Bang Theory and it's easier to laugh at geek stereotypes.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Mayim Bialik – The Big Bang Theory
• Kathryn Joosten – Desperate Housewives
• Julie Bowen – Modern Family
• Sofia Vergara – Modern Family
• Merritt Weaver – Nurse Jackie
• Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live

Thoughts: I'm not best placed to say, but Merritt Weaver is the only thing that even makes me understand why Nurse Jackie gets nominated in comedy categories, so give it to her. She's fun.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Ed O'Neill – Modern Family
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Modern Family
• Ty Burrell – Modern Family
• Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family
• Max Greenfield – New Girl
• Bill Hader – Saturday Night Live

Thoughts: The Modern Family award will most likely go to... oh, throw a dart.

Outstanding Drama Series

• Boardwalk Empire
• Breaking Bad
• Downton Abbey
• Game Of Thrones
• Homeland
• Mad Men

Thoughts: Finally! Americans have woken up and realized Downton Abbey is a TV series, not a miniseries. This has huge repercussions, as you'll see later. Breaking Bad is the best show on TV, so one hopes this is a no-brainer. Interesting that none of these dramas are on mainstream networks.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Glenn Close – Damages
• Michelle Dockery – Downton Abbey
• Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
• Kathy Bates – Harry's Law
• Claire Danes – Homeland
• Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men

Thoughts: Oh, Claire Danes, for sure. Michelle Dockery? America really needs to get over its UK period drama fetish. She's fine, but... God.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire
• Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall – Dexter
• Hugh Bonneville – Downton Abbey
• Damian Lewis – Homeland
• Jon Hamm – Mad Men

Thoughts: Bryan Cranston, duh. How is Michael C. Hall still getting nominated for Dexter? Hugh Bonneville? Oh, Lord. Jon Hamm's my #2.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Anna Gunn – Breaking Bad
• Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey
• Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey
• Archie Panjabi – The Good Wife
• Christine Baranski – The Good Wife
• Christina Hendricks – Mad Men

Thoughts: See, they've gone Downton crazy this year! I'm going to say Christine Baranski, because I've seen her play drama and comedy and she's terrific at both. Christina Hendricks is lovely, but I don't see why she gets nominated. Unless Emmy voters just want to see her on the red carpet.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

• Aaron Paul – Breaking Bad
• Giancarlo Esposito – Breaking Bad
• Brendan Coyle – Downton Abbey
• Jim Carter – Downton Abbey
• Peter Dinklage – Game Of Thrones
• Jared Harris – Mad Men

Thoughts: Ordinarily, Peter Dinklage would be my pick, but the Emmy's have come good and given Giancarlo Esposito a nomination. So he's my pick, because he was absolutely astonishingly good in Breaking Bad's fourth season.

Outstanding Guest Actor in Comedy

• Michael J. Fox - Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Greg Kinnear - Modern Family
• Bobby Cannavale - Nurse Jackie
• Jimmy Fallon - Saturday Night Live
• Will Arnett - 30 Rock
• Jon Hamm - 30 Rock

Thoughts: I can't judge this one, sorry...

Outstanding Guest Actress in Comedy

• Dot-Marie Jones - Glee
• Maya Rudolph - Saturday Night Live
• Melissa McCarthy - Saturday Night Live
• Elizabeth Banks - 30 Rock
• Margaret Cho - 30 Rock
• Kathy Bates - Two and a Half Men

Thoughts: Or this one.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

• Mark Margolis, Breaking Bad
• Dylan Baker, The Good Wife
• Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
• Jeremy Davies, Justified
• Ben Feldman, Mad Men
• Jason Ritter, Parenthood

Thoughts: Excellent category. I'd love for Mark Margolis to win, considering his performance was 99% communicated with a glare because his character in Breaking Bad could't talk. But I'd be happy with anyone else, except for Jason Ritter in Parenthood (which I haven't seen).

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

• Martha Plimpton, The Good Wife
• Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy
• Jean Smart, Harry's Law
• Julia Ormond, Mad Men
• Joan Cusack, Shameless
• Uma Thurman, Smash

Thoughts: I can only really comment on Martha Plimpton and Julia Ormond here, who were fine but nothing Emmy-worthy. Was Uma Thurman worth the nomination for Smash?

Outstanding Reality Show Host

• Tom Bergeron - Dancing With the Stars
• Cat Deeley - So You Think You Can Dance
• Phil Keoghan - The Amazing Race
• Ryan Seacrest - American Idol
• Betty White - Betty White's Off Their Rockers

Thoughts: This is a genuine category? Oh. Umm, Cat Deeley to win. I like her.

Outstanding Reality Series Competition

• The Amazing Race
• Dancing With the Stars
• Project Runway
• So You Think You Can Dance
• Top Chef
• The Voice

Thoughts: From what I hear, The Voice or Dancing With The Stars have this sewn up.

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

• The Colbert Report
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
• Jimmy Kimmel Live
• Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
• Real Time With Bill Maher
• Saturday Night Live

Thoughts: I don't watch any of these regularly, but tend to find The Colbert Report funniest.

Outstanding Miniseries or Movie

• American Horror Story
• Game Change
• Hatfields & McCoys
• Hemingway & Gellhorn
• Luther
• Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia

Thoughts: Oh, now the Emmy's think Sherlock isn't a TV series. Give it a few years and they'll learn – but, okay, the paucity of episodes means it's a hard one to categorize. I'd pick Sherlock here because it's more fun and creative, but wouldn't mind Luther winning.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie

• Connie Britton – American Horror Story
• Julianne Moore – Game Change
• Nicole Kidman - Hemingway & Gellhorn
• Ashley Judd – Missing
• Emma Thompson - The Song Of Lunch

Thoughts: I can't judge this one, but my gut says Julianne Moore.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie

• Woody Harrelson – Game Change
• Kevin Costner - Hatfields & McCoys
• Bill Paxton - Hatfields & McCoys
• Clive Owen - Hemingway & Gellhorn
• Idris Elba – Luther
• Benedict Cumberbatch - Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia

Thoughts: It has to be Cumberbatch, followed by Elba. Patriotism, see.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie

• Frances Conroy - American Horror Story
• Jessica Lange - American Horror Story
• Sarah Paulson – Game Change
• Mare Winningham - Hatfields & McCoys
• Judy Davis – Page Eight

Thoughts: Jessica Lange was the standout of American Horror Story, in a role that's practically revived her career. Disliked the show, by and large, but she was great.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie

• Denis O'Hare - American Horror Story
• Ed Harris - Game Change
• Tom Berenger - Hatfields & McCoys
• David Strathairn - Hemingway & Gellhorn
• Martin Freeman - Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia

Thoughts: Denis O'Hare? He's great, but his role on American Horror Story was negligible. I actually thought Watson's role in series 2 of Sherlock was noticeably weaker, but I haven't seen the others, so will have to go with Martin Freeman.

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

• Tim Van Patten - Boardwalk Empire
• Vince Gilligan - Breaking Bad
• Brian Percival - Downton Abbey
• Michael Cuesta - Homeland
• Phil Abraham - Mad Men

Thoughts: Hmmm, tricky. I think there's more involved with directing Boardwalk Empire, so Tim Van Patten gets my hypothetical vote.

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

• Julian Fellowes - Downton Abbey
• Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon & Gideon Raff - Homeland
• Semi Chellas & Matthew Weiner - Mad Men
• Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton - Mad Men
• Erin Lev & Matthew Weiner - Mad Men

Thoughts: Julian Fellowes? Haha. He had terrible problems with Downton Abbey series 2. Just give it to one of the Mad Men posse.

Overall thoughts

A strong showing for British shows (Luther, Downton Abbey, Sherlock) and the actors involved in them (but not the writers?), plus some love shown for excellent dramas like Mad Men and Breaking Bad. It's just a tragedy Community doesn't feature anywhere—being not only the funniest show on TV, but one with the best comedy ensemble I've seen in years.

The Emmy 2012 winners will be announced on 23 September at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, with host Jimmy Kimmel. The complete list of nominees can be read here.

BAFTA Television Nominees 2012

Emily Watson & Dominic West in ITV1's 'APPROPRIATE ADULT'

The British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) unveiled their nominees for the small-screen aspect of their enterprise yesterday. The three most notable things for me are (a) the love shown for Appropriate Adult across multiple categories; (b) the absence of Sherlock from the Drama Series category, considering it contains markedly poorer shows like Scott & Bailey; and (c) the unexpected snubbing of Doctor Who this year, which doesn't feature anywhere!

The full list of 2012's BAFTA nominees can be read below, with my predictions for the winners, and brief thoughts on each category:

Leading Actor

• Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)
• Dominic West (Appropriate Adult) PREDICTION
• John Simm (Exile)
• Joseph Gilgun (This Is England '88)

Thoughts: There are some excellent performances here, although I missed John Simm in Exile (was he good?) I'd like to see the brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch win for Sherlock, of course, but suspect Dominic West will win for his performance as Fred West in ITV1's two-part Appropriate Adult.

Leading Actress

• Emily Watson (Appropriate Adult)
• Nadine Marshall (Random)
• Romola Garai (The Crimson Petal & The White) PREDICTION
• Vicky McClure (This Is England '88)

Thoughts: Vicky McClure won the BAFTA last time, so I don't think a second win for the same series is very likely. Emily Watson was good in Appropriate Adult, but my money's on Romola Garai for The Crimson Petal & The White (if only because her success with The Hour might also be in voters' minds). She's also a brighter younger star, who could do with a win to catapult her career further. Not that winners are chosen for ulterior motives. *whistles*

Supporting Actor

• Andrew Scott (Sherlock)
• Joseph Mawle (Birdsong)
• Martin Freeman (Sherlock)
• Stephen Rea (The Shadow Line) PREDICTION

Thoughts: I don't think Martin Freeman had good material to work with on Sherlock this year, and Andrew Scott probably split the vote as Moriarty on the same show. His performance is love/hate personified. Stephen Rea was really good in The Shadow Line, though, although I didn't care much for the show itself. Birdsong passed me by.

Supporting Actress

• Anna Chancellor (The Hour)
• Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) PREDICTION
• Miranda Hart (Call The Midwife)
• Monica Dolan (Appropriate Adult)

Thoughts: There's already buzz around Monica Dolan as Rosemary West, but she was only on-screen for about five minutes! I'll be irritated if she wins, for that reason alone, although she was very good in the moment she had. Miranda Hart doesn't deserve to be on this list for Call The Midwife, pure and simple. I think her nomination's down to residual love for Hart's award-winning sitcom. So, Maggie Smith may be the most boring and obvious choice, but I reckon she'll win because her character had more screen time on Downton Abbey last year.

Entertainment Performance

• Alan Carr (Alan Carr: Chatty Man)
• Dara O'Briain (Mock The Week)
• Graham Norton (The Graham Norton Show) PREDICTION
• Harry Hill (Harry Hill's TV Burp)

Thoughts: Harry Hill could win because TV Burp' just finished and it would be a nice way to celebrate its success and passing, but I still think Graham Norton's doing the best work in this category. 50/50 choice.

Female Performance in a Comedy Programme

• Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous)
• Olivia Colman (Twenty Twelve)
• Ruth Jones (Stella)
• Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner) PREDICTION

Thoughts: I didn't see Sky1's Stella, have to admit. Was Ruth Jones really good in that? My money's on Tamsin Greig, who was great on Friday Night Dinner as the Jewish mum. Olivia Colman may win, though.

Male Performance in a Comedy Programme

• Brendan O'Carroll (Mrs Brown's Boys)
• Darren Boyd (Spy)
• Hugh Bonneville (Twenty Twelve)
• Tom Hollander (Rev.) PREDICTION

Thoughts: I think there's more to marvel at with Tom Hollander's subtle performance on Rev than anyone else here. Darren Boyd's one of the best things about Sky's otherwise tragic Spy, but that performance still wasn't anything special. Hugh Bonneville's brilliantly understated with bone dry delivery on Twenty Twelve, but I don't think I've been amazed by him there. It would cause an upset in critical circles if Brendan O'Carroll won for Mrs Brown's Boys, as the man's performance is so sledgehammer in its execution and commitment, but it would undoubtedly go down well with the general public.

Single Drama

• Holy Flying Circus PREDICTION
• Page Eight
• Random
• Stolen

Thoughts: If Holy Flying Circus doesn't win this, something's very wrong with the world. Very, very wrong.

Miniseries

• Appropriate Adult PREDICTION
• The Crimson Petal & The White
• This is England '88
• Top Boy

Thoughts: A very strong category here, but Appropriate Adult edges it because it did a marvelous job with very tough material. The restrain and skill was impressive. But I did love This Is England '88 last Christmas, too. Having less episodes than the '86 series really helped matters.

Drama Series

• The Fades PREDICTION
• Misfits
• Scott and Bailey
• Spooks

Thoughts: Misfits didn't have a good year for various reasons, and it feels like the cancelled Spooks is only nominated as a last-chance-to-win courtesy. So it's a tossup between ITV's Scott & Bailey (which I hear is decent) and BBC3's The Fades. I like to think BAFTA will champion something a little different than a detective drama, and that's coming from someone who thought The Fades was overrated.

Soap & Continuing Drama

• Coronation Street
• EastEnders
• Holby City
• Shameless

Thoughts: Yawn. Who cares except for the cast and crew of these shows? It's a yo-yo.

International Programme

• Borgen
• Forbrydelsen (The Killing) PREDICTION
• Modern Family
• The Slap

Thoughts: This category's in rude health these days! Remember when it would annually contain a handful of US shows? Now we have programmes from Denmark (Borgen, Forbrydelsen) and Australia (The Slap) in the mix. The Killing will probably win because it was such a phenomenon for BBC4, ushering in a "Noirdic" wave of programming.

Factual Series

• The Choir: Military Wives
• Educating Essex
• Our War
• Protecting Our Children: Damned If We Do Damned If We Don't

Thoughts: No idea because I didn't see any of these. Anyone have anything to say?

Specialist Factual

• British Masters
• Frozen Planet PREDICTION
• Mummifying Alan: Egypt's Last Secret
• Wonders of the Universe

Thoughts: Oh, it's a ___ Planet year. Arise, Sir David...

Single Documentary

• 9/11: The Day That Changed the World
• The Fight of Their Lives
• Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die
• We Need To Talk About Dad (Cutting Edge)

Thoughts: I didn't see enough to judge this. Comments welcome.

Features

• DIY SOS: The Big Build
• Hairy Bikers' Meals on Wheels
• The Great British Bake-Off
• Timothy Spall: Somewhere at Sea

Thoughts: Ditto. Great British Bake-Off dominated my Twitter-feed at times, if that's any indicator.

Reality & Constructed Factual

• An Idiot Abroad PREDICTION
• Don't Tell The Bride
• Made in Chelsea
• The Young Apprentice

Thoughts: I have a feeling the weak-sauce An Idiot Abroad will win, more's the pity, but The Young Apprentice deserves it for taking a potentially horrible spin-off idea and making it work. (Arguably better than the adult show in some ways.)

Current Affairs

• Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark
• Sri Lanka's Killing Fields
• 'The Truth About Adoption' (Panorama)
• 'Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed' (Panorama)

Thoughts: Didn't see enough to judge this category's nominees. Anyone?

News Coverage

• BBC News at Ten: Siege of Homs
• Channel 4 News: Japanese earthquake
• ITV News at Ten: Battle of Misrata
• Sky News: Libya rebel convoy – live

Thoughts: The news is where real life happens, so I'm not qualified enough to comment.

Sport & Live Event

• Frankenstein's Wedding: Live in Leeds
• The Royal Wedding (BBC) PREDICTION
• Rugby World Cup Final
• Tour De France 2011

Thoughts: The BBC's coverage of The Royal Wedding was weak compared to ITV, who must feel very disappointed the BAFTA nod's gone to the Beeb. They'll win this, too. I'm amused to see Frankenstein's Wedding on here, as it was so bloody awful, but nevertheless an impressive feat in terms of logistics and technique.

New Media

• Autumnwatch
• The Bank Job
• Misfits
• Psychoville

Thoughts: I don't know, as I tend to avoid "new media" online. It's for young 'uns.

Entertainment Programme

• Celebrity Juice
• Derren Brown: The Experiments PREDICTION
• Harry Hill's TV Burp
• Michael McIntyre's Christmas Comedy Roadshow

Thoughts: It has to be Derren Brown's Experiments, right? At least his show was new and different. If Celebrity Juice win this, I'll scream.

Comedy Programme

• Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe
• Comic Strip: The Hunt for Tony Blair
• The Cricklewood Greats
• Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle PREDICTION

Thoughts: Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle has been winning awards everywhere this year, so I reckon that will continue at BAFTA. Well-deserved, too. I missed The Hunt For Tony Blair and heard mixed things.

Situation Comedy

• Fresh Meat PREDICTION
• Mrs Brown's Boys
• Friday Night Dinner
• Rev.

Thoughts: For me, Fresh Meat was the year's standout UK sitcom, although it never quite lived up to the potential the first two or three episodes showed.

National Television Awards 2012: the winners, the losers, my random thoughts

I'm not the biggest fan of ITV1's The National Television Awards. They always seem to attract more celebrities than the more prestigious BAFTAs over on BBC1, and are generally treated as a bigger event, which I just don't get. Perhaps people associate BAFTA too much with movies

They're also tarnished by their association with family-friendly ITV, with the whole event resembling a big X Factor finale. It doesn't help that Cowell's ringmaster Dermot O'Leary also hosts this event, but I'm just glad the producers saw sense and axed Sir Trevor McDonald many years ago. A fine newsreader he may be, but he's the Fred West of comedy.

But perhaps my biggest gripe is how it's all voted for by the public. On the one hand, this means the nominees/winners are people/shows most people have heard of and likely seen, so that's great. On the other hand, it becomes a dull popularity contest, with most of the winners being shows/celebs with the biggest fanbases or better ratings. In other words, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey and X Factor are a shoe-in for everything they're ever nominated for.

Anyway, here are my thoughts on last night's winners and losers.

TALK SHOW

I like the idea of having a separate category for talk shows, and was expecting Graham Norton to take this from Jonathan Ross simply because his three-guest format's so brilliant. Oddly, Alan Carr seems to be the most popular with audiences and walked away with the trophy. I enjoyed his latest series more than usual, I don't mind admitting, but still can't help thinking Norton was robbed because his show's often more memorable. Small mercy: Loose Women lost.

DRAMA

One of the night's biggest awards. People always expect Doctor Who to win this one, but Downton Abbey was victorious instead, despite having a second series most people consider inferior to the first. It would have been nice for Merlin to get the prize, seeing as it regularly achieves 6-7m viewers against X Factor every week, but that wasn't to be. Small mercy: school drama Waterloo Road lost.

REALITY TV

Another big award for the night, considering how popular Reality TV is on British TV. I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! took home the award, and it's hard to argue when its competition was The Only Way Is Essex, Come Dine With Me and The Apprentice. It's not the best show of that bunch, but it had the better run in 2011. Blame the jungle cockroach that went up Fatima Whitbread's nose!

TALENT SHOW

You always expect X Factor to win this award, and it didn't disappoint us this year. It's strange, though, because Strictly Come Dancing was markedly the better show last year and famously managed to beat its ITV rival in the ratings for the first time. Small mercies: the time-wasting Dancing On Ice and Britain's Got Talent (with its flop new judging panel and weak finalists) didn't win anything.

ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTER

Or "The Ant & Dec Award" because they've now won it 11 times in a row! But would you really give it to Michael McIntyre, Dermot O'Leary or Keith bloody Lemon instead? We need some new presenters on the box. Or a decision to split Ant and Dec into separate nominees, to cause rivalry between the pair!

ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME

Great to see Watch's Dynamo: Magician Impossible nominated because it was a weekly hour or genuinely memorable street magic, but BBC1's Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow probably won because more people saw it. At least it wasn't as obvious as Harry Hill's TV Burp winning. Small mercy: grubby "dating" gameshow Take Me Out lost.

PANEL GAMESHOW

Why wasn't Would I Lie To You? nominated? Oh well, the execrable and witless Celebrity Juice won, probably because braindead ITV audiences are the demographic that can't resist a phone vote. The vastly superior QI, Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You all went home empty-handed.

SITUATION COMEDY

I've never actually seen it, but half-improvised family comedy Outnumbered won, perhaps as a last hurrah because its child actors are losing their cuteness to acne and greasy hair. Still, this award could have been as predictable as handing Miranda another win. Small mercy: comedy throwback Benidorm lost.

SERIAL DRAMA

In some ways THE best category for a show like this, because soaps thrive on popularity. Coronation Street won over EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. I haven't seen much of any for about 8 years.

DRAMA PERFORMANCE - Male

A terrible bunch of nominees! Martin Clunes for Doc Marten? David Threlfall from Shameless? Scraping the barrel! John Barrowman for the inept Torchwood: Miracle Day? Just awful. Matt Smith deservedly won for Doctor Who, then. Frustrating that Benedict Cumberbatch couldn't be nominated because Sherlock didn't air in 2011, but there's always 2013.

DRAMA PERFORMANCE - Female

Doctor Who sweeps the drama acting board with a female win for Karen Gillan, pushing Waterloo Road's Jaye Jacobs, Scott & Bailey's Suranne Jones, and Torchwood's Eve Myles into loserville.

SERIAL DRAMA PERFORMANCE

Why do soap stars get their own acting award? Isn't that admitting they're second-tier in someone's eyes? Coronation Street's Katherine Kelly won, beating castmate Alison King, Emmerdale's Danny Miller and EastEnders' Jessie Wallace.

NEWCOMER

Someone called Jacqueline Jossa from EastEnders won, making Corrie's Chris Fountain and Emmerdale's Chelsea Halfpenny cry in their taxi home. The only newcomers in 2011 were from soaps?

FACTUAL

One of the least predictable categories, and This Morning won. I don't watch it, because I have a job. It was one of the biggest surprises, though, considering the extremely popular Top Gear and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding were both on this shortlist. Small mercy: the vastly overrated An Idiot Abroad lost, meaning Ricky Gervais' mantelpiece has been saved from collapse.

As for the ceremony itself? I wisely recorded it for about an hour, so I could later fast-forward through the dreary parts and adverts, meaning the whole affair only lasted about 40-minutes for me. A smattering of random thoughts to finish up: Who opens a big event like this with Bruce Forsythe crooning a song from his swing album? Don't the Downton Abbey cast look totally bizarre in modern clothes? How awesome are Karen Gillan's legs? Kermit the Frog is never funny in the real world, is he? It was great to see Jonathan Ross win a Lifetime Achievement award, and even better seeing archive footage of his '80s breakthrough on Channel 4. The Merlin cast looked like a good bunch, all sat together like best pals. Did Tulisa kill a pink flamingo to use as a dress? Why was everything so skewed towards ITV, regarding awards presenters? (Rhetorical question.)

That's it from me! If you have any thoughts/opinions to share on the NTAs, please do so below.

British Comedy Awards 2011: Winners

The winners of the 22nd British Comedy Awards were announced last night on Channel 4, with two of the awards handed out during the E4 follow-up Lock-In show because the ceremony overran. Below is my updated list of the nominees and my (very wrong) predictions from earlier in the week, now with the winners and my brief reaction to each category's result.

Best Comedy Panel Show

• Celebrity Juice (ITV2)
• Have I Got News For You (BBC1)
• Shooting Stars (BBC2) WINNER
• Would I Lie To You? (BBC1) PREDICTION

My reaction: A very ironic win, given the fact the BBC axed Shooting Stars for the second time in its history a month ago. I suppose this win proves how well-regarded Vic n' Bob's crazy panel show remains in the industry, and giving it a BCA may have been intended as a way to get the show picked up by another channel. I hear Sky are interested...

Best Comedy Entertainment Programme

• Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1) PREDICTION
• Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Channel 4)
• An Idiot Abroad (Sky1)
• Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (BBC2) WINNER

My reaction: I was overjoyed to see Stewart Lee get some unexpected recognition at the BCA's, given how poorly rated his Comedy Vehicle was during both its series. Great to see awards go to someone who's doing something that feels fresh and interesting, but I bet a sizable chunk of the show's audience watching were bewildered.

Best Comedy Drama

• Comic Strip Presents: The Hunt For Tony Blair (Channel 4)
• Fresh Meat (Channel 4) PREDICTION
• Misfits (E4)
• Psychoville (BBC2) WINNER

My reaction: Given Fresh Meat's win elsewhere on the night, I was happy to see Psychoville take this one home. I'm not sure it's really much of a "drama", per se, but it was nice to see it given something. (Shame a big category like Comedy Drama slipped into the after-show E4 transmission, though.)

Best Comedy Entertainment Personality

• Alan Carr
• Charlie Brooker
• Harry Hill
• Graham Norton PREDICTION WINNER

My reaction: As predicted, a worthy winner. I'm not even a fan of Norton when he's doing stand-up or straight presenting, but as a chat show host I think he handles it very well.

Best Male TV Comic

• Charlie Brooker
• Harry Hill
• Rob Brydon PREDICTION
• Stewart Lee WINNER

My reaction: Who would have thought it, eh? There was a surprising amount of love for Stewart Lee this year, which was really nice to see. As the man said himself during a VT, this has probably blown his credibility, though.

Best Female TV Comic

• Jo Brand
• Sarah Millican PREDICTION
• Miranda Hart
• Victoria Wood WINNER

My reaction: I can't fathom it. What has Victoria Wood done this year? Is this 1987?

Best New Comedy Programme

• Fresh Meat (Channel 4) PREDICTION WINNER
• Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4)
• Spy (Sky1)
• Twenty Twelve (BBC3)

My reaction: I was very pleased to see Fresh Meat win this award, as it was thoroughly deserved.

Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist

• Dan Skinner WINNER
• Greg Davies PREDICTION
• Micky Flanagan
• Tom Rosenthal

My reaction: Dear oh dear. I just don't understand the affection people have for Shooting Stars character Angelos Epithemou, as played by Dan Skinner. He's a sub-Harry Enfield character from 1992, and consistently fails to be amusing outside of Vic n' Bob's show. (And he's not really very funny there.) We'll see how he gets on next year when his Channel 4 chat show launches...

Best Sketch Show

• Come Fly With Me (BBC1) PREDICTION
• Horrible Histories (CBBC) WINNER
• The One Ronnie (BBC1)
• This Is Jinsy (Sky Atlantic)

My reaction: For the second year running a children's sketch show wins this award. Great news for kid's TV, but I can't help thinking it's bad news for the sketch show format in general. Where were Mitchell & Webb or Armstrong & Miller in the nominations? This Is Jinsy isn't even a sketch show and The One Ronnie was a Christmas one-off! Very poor category.

Best Sitcom

• Miranda (BBC1)
• Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4) PREDICTION
• Peep Show (Channel 4)
• Twenty Twelve (BBC3) WINNER

My reaction: Another shock, to me. Twenty Twelve was mildly amusing, but ran out of steam by its third episode. Oh well, conceptually, we only have one more series to go. Friday Night Dinner was robbed.

Best TV Comedy Actor

• Darren Boyd PREDICTION WINNER
• Hugh Bonneville
• Hugh Dennis
• Jack Whitehall

My reaction: Yes, great choice. It's just a shame Darren Boyd largely got this award because of his work on the execrable Spy, when he's been far better in Whites, Dirk Gently and Holy Flying Circus recently. This also means Sky will now market Spy as "award-winning". Sigh.

Best TV Comedy Actress

• Claire Skinner
• Dawn French
• Miranda Hart WINNER
• Tamsin Greig PREDICTION

My reaction: Well, there you have it. Tamsin Greig was great in two sitcoms this year (Friday Night Dinner and Episodes), but Miranda Hart's "single middle class giantess falls over all the time" performances still have a curious allure for the BCA judges.

People's Choice Award For The King Or Queen Of Comedy

• David Mitchell PREDICTION
• Graham Norton
• Jack Whitehall
• Miranda Hart
• Jo Brand
• Sarah Millican WINNER

My reaction: Sarah Millican is genuinely everywhere right now, as the go-to "token female" for most panel shows where the producers aren't aware there are many other talented female stand-ups to choose from. I don't blame the British public for voting her to a win, because her face has been burned onto our retina's throughout 2011.

There was also a Lifetime Achievement Award for the panel show Have I Got News For You?, which I fully agree with, and the Writer's Guild Award went to Armando Iannucci, which is impossible to argue against. The man helped bring us The Day Today, Alan Partridge and The Thick Of It, so it's just remarkable it's taken this long to honour him for services to comedy writing.

British Comedy Awards 2011: Nominations

The nominees for the 22nd British Comedy Awards were announced last night. Ahead of the ceremony, broadcast live on Friday 16 December at 9pm on Channel 4, here are my predictions for the winners:

Best Comedy Panel Show

• Celebrity Juice (ITV2)
• Have I Got News For You (BBC1)
• Shooting Stars (BBC2)
• Would I Lie To You? (BBC1) PREDICTION

My prediction: There's no doubt in my mind that Would I Lie To You? is the funniest panel show around, but HIGNFY remains the most relevant. I'm surprised QI didn't get a nomination.

Best Comedy Entertainment Programme

• Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1) PREDICTION
• Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Channel 4)
• An Idiot Abroad (Sky1)
• Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (BBC2)

My prediction: Stewart Lee deserves some recognition, but this will probably go to Harry Hill because TV Burp's likely to end early next year. I just hope Idiot Abroad doesn't win.

Best Comedy Drama

• Comic Strip Presents: The Hunt For Tony Blair (Channel 4)
• Fresh Meat (Channel 4) PREDICTION
• Misfits (E4)
• Psychoville (BBC2)

My prediction: I didn't see The Hunt For Tony Blair, but my gut says Fresh Meat's going to win this. Misfits hasn't been up to its usual standard this year, and Psychoville remains too niche.

Best Comedy Entertainment Personality

• Alan Carr
• Charlie Brooker
• Harry Hill
• Graham Norton PREDICTION

My prediction: It would be great if Charlie Brooker won, but I think Graham Norton's got this in the bag because his chat show continues to improve.

Best Male TV Comic

• Charlie Brooker
• Harry Hill
• Rob Brydon PREDICTION
• Stewart Lee

My prediction: I can see Rob Brydon walking away with this.

Best Female TV Comic

• Jo Brand
• Sarah Millican PREDICTION
• Miranda Hart
• Victoria Wood

My prediction: What has Victoria Wood actually done this year? Sarah Millican's very overexposed, but she may still win. Miranda Hart swept the board last year, and has an impressive four nominations this year, so I think the BCA's will plump for Millican instead.

Best New Comedy Programme

• Fresh Meat (Channel 4) PREDICTION
• Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4)
• Spy (Sky1)
• Twenty Twelve (BBC3)

My prediction: I have no doubt Fresh Meat will win this, as the only real competition is Friday Night Dinner. If Spy wins I will eat my mouse mat.

Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist

• Dan Skinner
• Greg Davies PREDICTION
• Micky Flanagan
• Tom Rosenthal

My prediction: Greg Davies has been around for ages as part of We Are Klang, but he certainly broke through this year as a solo act—with lots of panel show appearances, a national stand-up tour, and a role in The Inbetweeners Movie. Micky Flanagan could also win, for similar reasons, but I'm predicting Davies. If Dan Skinner wins for playing Angelos in Shooting Stars, I will scream.

Best Sketch Show

• Come Fly With Me (BBC1) PREDICTION
• Horrible Histories (CBBC)
• The One Ronnie (BBC1)
• This Is Jinsy (Sky Atlantic)

My prediction: This Is Jinsy isn't a sketch show. Weak category, but I’d give the win to Come Fly With Me.

Best Sitcom

• Miranda (BBC1)
• Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4) PREDICTION
• Peep Show (Channel 4)
• Twenty Twelve (BBC3)

My prediction: Peep Show was still the best in my eyes, but I can see Friday Night Dinner winning because it's good to reward new things.

Best TV Comedy Actor

• Darren Boyd PREDICTION
• Hugh Bonneville
• Hugh Dennis
• Jack Whitehall

My prediction: As much as I hated Spy, I hope Darren Boyd wins this. He was the best thing about that horrible show, and was also great in Whites and Dirk Gently recently.

Best TV Comedy Actress

• Claire Skinner
• Dawn French
• Miranda Hart
• Tamsin Greig PREDICTION

My prediction: Tamsin Greig should win, after her performances in Episodes and Friday Night Dinner, no question.

People's Choice Award For The King Or Queen Of Comedy

• David Mitchell PREDICTION
• Graham Norton
• Jack Whitehall
• Miranda Hart
• Jo Brand
• Sarah Millican

My prediction: The Great British Public will go for David Mitchell, I say.

BAFTA Television Awards 2011: The Winners

The BAFTA Television Awards were held last night. Below you can read the full list of winners, a reminder of my largely incorrect predictions, and a few thoughts on the outcomes:

Leading Actor

• Jim Broadbent - Any Human Heart (Channel 4)
• Benedict Cumberbatch - Sherlock (BBC One) – PREDICTION
• Daniel Rigby - Eric & Ernie (BBC Two) - WINNER
• Matt Smith - Doctor Who (BBC One)

My thoughts: One of the night's big surprises, as everyone thought it was a toss-up between Cumberbatch and Smith, but BAFTA seemed to prefer the accuracy of Daniel Rigby's Eric Morecambe impersonation. I don't agree it was the best performance, but it was a good performance.

Leading Actress

• Anna Maxwell Martin - South Riding (BBC One)
• Vicky McClure - This Is England '86 (Channel 4) - PREDICTION / WINNER
• Natalie Press - Five Daughters (BBC One)
• Juliet Stevenson - Accused (BBC One)

My thoughts: I suspected McClure would win for This Is England '86, and win she did. I'm pleased, mainly because she's a relatively fresh talent on the scene.

Supporting Actor

• Brendan Coyle - Downton Abbey (ITV1)
• Martin Freeman - Sherlock (BBC One) - WINNER
• Johnny Harris - This Is England '86 (Channel 4)
• Robert Sheehan - Misfits (E4) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: I thought Sheehan would scrape a win as a rising star, but Freeman took home the BAFTA. I really don't mind, as playing Watson to a Sherlock is the very definition of a supporting role.

Supporting Actress

• Gillian Anderson - Any Human Heart (Channel 4)
• Lynda Baron - The Road To Coronation Street (BBC Four)
• Lauren Socha - Misfits (E4) - WINNER
• Jessie Wallace - The Road To Coronation Street (BBC Four) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: A big surprise! I love Misfits, but I don't really see what's so special about Socha's performance--she's essentially playing herself, and her character didn't even get much to do in series 2. Maybe BAFTA love human-gorilla love stories?

Entertainment Performance

• Rob Brydon - The Rob Brydon Show (BBC Two)
• Stephen Fry - QI (BBC One)
• Harry Hill - Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1)
• Graham Norton - The Graham Norton Show (BBC One) - PREDICTION / WINNER

My thoughts: Pleased to see I got this one right, as Norton's three-guest format is surprisingly joyous most of the time, and the quality of his Friday night guests has shot up recently.

Female Performance In A Comedy Programme

• Jo Brand - Getting On (BBC Four) - WINNER
• Dawn French - Roger & Val Have Just Got In (BBC Two)
• Miranda Hart - Miranda (BBC Two) - PREDICTION
• Katherine Parkinson - The IT Crowd (Channel 4)

My thoughts: Oh dear, what's going on? Brand's such a tedious screen presence, I'm not sure what happened here. I guess it's not as "lazy" as picking Hart, but Dawn French deserved the BAFTA over Brand.

Male Performance In A Comedy Programme

• James Buckley - The Inbetweeners (E4)
• Steve Coogan - The Trip (BBC Two) - WINNER
• Tom Hollander - Rev (BBC Two) - PREDICTION
• David Mitchell - Peep Show (Channel 4)

My thoughts: I'm okay with this win for Steve Coogan, who's was very good in The Trip.

Single Drama

• Eric & Ernie (BBC Two) - PREDICTION
• I Am Slave (Channel 4)
• The Road to Coronation Street (BBC Four) - WINNER
• The Special Relationship (BBC Two)

My thoughts: Disappointed BAFTA went with The Road To Coronation Street over Eric & Ernie, but it was a close call.

Drama Series

• Being Human (BBC Three)
• Downton Abbey (ITV1) - PREDICTION
• Misfits (E4)
• Sherlock (BBC One) - WINNER

My thoughts: Pleasantly surprised--I predicted Downton Abbey, but actually wanted Sherlock to win. Maybe voters had enough distance from both shows to make this correct judgement?

Drama Serial

• Any Human Heart (Channel 4) - WINNER
• Mad Dogs (Sky1)
• The Sinking Of The Laconia (BBC Two)
• The Promise (Channel 4) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: Hmmm, Any Human Heart starred award-magnet Jim Broadbent, I forgot.

Continuing Drama

• Casualty (BBC One)
• Coronation Street (ITV1)
• EastEnders (BBC One) - PREDICTION / WINNER
• Waterloo Road (BBC One)

My thoughts: Yeah, wha'ever.

International

• Boardwalk Empire (Sky Atlantic/HBO)
• Glee (E4/Twentieth Century Fox)
• The Killing (BBC Four/DR/ZDF Enterprises) - PREDICTION / WINNER
• Mad Men (BBC Four/Lionsgate Television)

My thoughts: See! I knew The Killing would beat that competition. It has subtitles and it's in a foreign language.

Factual Series

• Coppers (Channel 4)
• One Born Every Minute (Channel 4) - PREDICTION
• Welcome To Lagos (BBC Two) - WINNER
• The Young Ones (BBC One)

My thoughts: I can't really comment--I didn't see Welcome To Lagos.

Specialist Factual

• Alan Bennett & The Habit Of Art (The Making Of) (More4)
• Flying Monsters 3D (Sky3D) - WINNER
• Human Planet (BBC One) - PREDICTION
• Pompeii: Life and Death in a Roman Town (BBC Two)

My thoughts: Really? I didn't see the show, but the clips of Flying Monsters looked rather weak. Are BAFTA closet 3D fans? Or did the Sir David Attenborough attachment swing it?

Single Documentary

• Between Life and Death (BBC One) - WINNER
• The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan (More4)
• Pink Saris (More4)
• Scenes From A Teenage Killing (BBC Four)

My thoughts: I didn't see any of those.

Features

• Come Dine With Me (Channel 4)
• Hugh's Fish Fight (Channel 4) - WINNER
• Mary Queen of Shops (BBC Two)
• Pineapple Dance Studios (Sky1) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: Really? Wonders never cease.

Current Affairs

• Kids In Care (Panorama) (BBC One)
• Lost Girls of South Africa (Dispatches) (Channel 4)
• Secret Iraq (BBC Two)
• Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children (BBC Four) - WINNER

My thoughts: I missed them all.

News Coverage

• BBC One Ten O'Clock News: Handover of Power (BBC One/BBC News 24)
• Channel 4 News: From Chile's Ecstasy to Congo's Agony (Channel 4)
• ITV News At Ten: The Cumbria Murders (ITV1) - WINNER
• Sky News: Egypt Crisis (Sky News)

My thoughts: Again, strange category to judge.

Sport

• 6 Nations: England v Wales (BBC One)
• FA Cup Final: Chelsea v Portsmouth (ITV1)
• Formula 1: The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (BBC One) - WINNER
• Wimbledon 2010 (BBC One)

My thoughts: This is always a strange category. Is any of the coverage appreciably better?

New Media

• LabUK/Brain Test Britain
• Misfits
• Malcolm Tucker: The Missing Phone
• Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention - PREDICTION / WINNER

My thoughts: Wallace & Gromit were probably the only example of new media anyone was actually aware of. But where was Becoming Human in the nominations? That webseries was so good it actually got aired as a special by BBC3!

Entertainment Programme

• The Cube (ITV1) - PREDICTION / WINNER
• The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
• Have I Got News For You (BBC One)
• The X Factor (ITV1)

My thoughts: I have a soft spot for ITV's The Cube, despite its repetitiveness, so I'm glad it won. It beats having The X Factor dominate the category.

Comedy Programme

• Catherine Tate's Little Cracker (Sky1)
• Come Fly With Me (BBC One) - PREDICTION
• Facejacker (E4)
• Harry and Paul (BBC Two) - WINNER

My thoughts: Oh wow, a slight upset for Matt Lucas and David Walliams' mockumentary Come Fly With Me. The BBC were close to axing Harry & Paul, too!

Situation Comedy

• Mrs Brown's Boys (BBC One)
• Peep Show (Channel 4)
• Rev (BBC Two) - WINNER
• The Trip (BBC Two) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: Slightly disappointed, but I know Rev has its fans. It's very BAFTA, isn't it.

BAFTA Special Award
Peter Bennett-Jones
producer, talent agent, Comic Relief co-creator

YouTube Audience Award

• Downton Abbey
• Miranda
• My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding
• Sherlock
• The Killing
• The Only Way Is Essex - WINNER

BAFTA Fellowship

Sir Trevor McDonald
journalist, newsreader

BAFTA Television Awards 2011: The Nominees

The BAFTA Television nominees have been announced for 2011, ahead of the ceremony in London on 22 May. The full list is below, together with some predictions and thoughts from yours truly:

Leading Actor

• Jim Broadbent - Any Human Heart (Channel 4)
• Benedict Cumberbatch - Sherlock (BBC One) – PREDICTION
• Daniel Rigby - Eric & Ernie (BBC Two)
• Matt Smith - Doctor Who (BBC One)

My thoughts: It's great to see Matt Smith get his first nod, but I have a suspicion BAFTA have grown bored of Doctor Who dominating awards and will instead plump for the panache of Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes. Daniel Rigby's an outside change, with a good comic performance. I didn't see Any Human Heart, so can't comment on Jim Broadbent.

Leading Actress

• Anna Maxwell Martin - South Riding (BBC One)
• Vicky McClure - This Is England '86 (Channel 4) - PREDICTION
• Natalie Press - Five Daughters (BBC One)
• Juliet Stevenson - Accused (BBC One)

My thoughts: It has to be Vicky McClure with her spunky performance in This Is England '86; the attempted rape scene alone should bag her the BAFTA.

Supporting Actor

• Brendan Coyle - Downton Abbey (ITV1)
• Martin Freeman - Sherlock (BBC One)
• Johnny Harris - This Is England '86 (Channel 4)
• Robert Sheehan - Misfits (E4) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: Robert Sheehan's leaving Misfits, so what better way to honour a truly breakout performance that became 50% of the reason many people watched a silly-sounding teen superhero drama. Martin Freeman also did great work on Sherlock, while Johnny Harris was marvelous in This Is England '86. I didn't see enough of Downton Abbey to comment on Brendan Coyle.

Supporting Actress

• Gillian Anderson - Any Human Heart (Channel 4)
• Lynda Baron - The Road To Coronation Street (BBC Four)
• Lauren Socha - Misfits (E4)
• Jessie Wallace - The Road To Coronation Street (BBC Four) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: I didn't see enough of these to comment, but I doubt Lauren Socha's done enough to warrant a win for Misfits. My gut says Jessie Wallace may snatch it.

Entertainment Performance

• Rob Brydon - The Rob Brydon Show (BBC Two)
• Stephen Fry - QI (BBC One)
• Harry Hill - Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1)
• Graham Norton - The Graham Norton Show (BBC One) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: The usual suspects, eh? I say Graham Norton's the only person who really has to stretch and adapt on his show, so deserves the win more than the rest.

Female Performance In A Comedy Programme

• Jo Brand - Getting On (BBC Four)
• Dawn French - Roger & Val Have Just Got In (BBC Two)
• Miranda Hart - Miranda (BBC Two) - PREDICTION
• Katherine Parkinson - The IT Crowd (Channel 4)

My thoughts: Miranda Hart's probably going to walk away with the prize, after her British Comedy Awards success.

Male Performance In A Comedy Programme

• James Buckley - The Inbetweeners (E4)
• Steve Coogan - The Trip (BBC Two)
• Tom Hollander - Rev (BBC Two) - PREDICTION
• David Mitchell - Peep Show (Channel 4)

My thoughts: Steve Coogan was great, but Tom Hollander's a new face in this category and really Rev into the surprise hit it was.

Single Drama

• Eric & Ernie (BBC Two) - PREDICTION
• I Am Slave (Channel 4)
• The Road to Coronation Street (BBC Four)
• The Special Relationship (BBC Two)

My thoughts: Eric & Ernie was fantastic, so I'd love to see it win. The Special Relationship didn't quite come together, and I can't see the other being crowned ahead of E&E.

Drama Series

• Being Human (BBC Three)
• Downton Abbey (ITV1) - PREDICTION
• Misfits (E4)
• Sherlock (BBC One)

My thoughts: Misfits won last year, so I doubt it'll do the double. My heart wants Sherlock to win, but Downton Abbey has a better chance.

Drama Serial

• Any Human Heart (Channel 4)
• Mad Dogs (Sky1)
• The Sinking Of The Laconia (BBC Two)
• The Promise (Channel 4) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: I didn't see enough, so can't really comment here. Mad Dogs was good, but the last two episodes soured a terrific start. I suspect The Promise will win.

Continuing Drama

• Casualty (BBC One)
• Coronation Street (ITV1)
• EastEnders (BBC One) - PREDICTION
• Waterloo Road (BBC One)

My thoughts: It's a coin toss, right? EastEnders, then.

International

• Boardwalk Empire (Sky Atlantic/HBO)
• Glee (E4/Twentieth Century Fox)
• The Killing (BBC Four/DR/ZDF Enterprises) - PREDICTION
• Mad Men (BBC Four/Lionsgate Television)

My thoughts: You'd think Boardwalk Empire, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say the surprise success of BBC4's Danish import The Killing will give it a victory. Even if the show's actually years old now.

Factual Series

• Coppers (Channel 4)
• One Born Every Minute (Channel 4) - PREDICTION
• Welcome To Lagos (BBC Two)
• The Young Ones (BBC One)

My thoughts: One Born Every Minute is the only show anyone's been talking about, so...

Specialist Factual

• Alan Bennett & The Habit Of Art (The Making Of) (More4)
• Flying Monsters 3D (Sky3D)
• Human Planet (BBC One) - PREDICTION
• Pompeii: Life and Death in a Roman Town (BBC Two)

My thoughts: It has to be Human Planet, surely.

Single Documentary

• Between Life and Death (BBC One)
• The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan (More4)
• Pink Saris (More4)
• Scenes From A Teenage Killing (BBC Four)

My thoughts: I can't comment.

Features

• Come Dine With Me (Channel 4)
• Hugh's Fish Fight (Channel 4)
• Mary Queen of Shops (BBC Two)
• Pineapple Dance Studios (Sky1) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: Pineapple Dance Studios really exploded for Sky and unleashed Louis Spence on us. They're even reward it for that.

Current Affairs

• Kids In Care (Panorama) (BBC One)
• Lost Girls of South Africa (Dispatches) (Channel 4)
• Secret Iraq (BBC Two)
• Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children (BBC Four)

My thoughts: I can't comment.

News Coverage

• BBC One Ten O'Clock News: Handover of Power (BBC One/BBC News 24)
• Channel 4 News: From Chile's Ecstasy to Congo's Agony (Channel 4)
• ITV News At Ten: The Cumbria Murders (ITV1)
• Sky News: Egypt Crisis (Sky News)

My thoughts: I can't comment, but I tend to prefer BBC news.

Sport

• 6 Nations: England v Wales (BBC One)
• FA Cup Final: Chelsea v Portsmouth (ITV1)
• Formula 1: The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (BBC One)
• Wimbledon 2010 (BBC One)

My thoughts: I'm drawing a blank, but Formula 1 coverage always looks more complex and cutting-edge on TV.

New Media

• LabUK/Brain Test Britain
• Misfits
• Malcolm Tucker: The Missing Phone
• Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention - PREDICTION

My thoughts: I'm not sure, but I think Wallace & Gromit did more to bridge the media gap with kids.

Entertainment Programme

• The Cube (ITV1) - PREDICTION
• The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
• Have I Got News For You (BBC One)
• The X Factor (ITV1)

My thoughts: The X Factor will probably win, but I'll predict The Cube because it's fresher and deserves more acknowledgment.

Comedy Programme

• Catherine Tate's Little Cracker (Sky1)
• Come Fly With Me (BBC One) - PREDICTION
• Facejacker (E4)
• Harry and Paul (BBC Two)

My thoughts: Come Fly With Me is more high profile, so it'll win.

Situation Comedy

• Mrs Brown's Boys (BBC One)
• Peep Show (Channel 4)
• Rev (BBC Two)
• The Trip (BBC Two) - PREDICTION

My thoughts: I'd say it's between Rev and The Trip, but the latter gets my vote.

Oscars 2011: The Results

The 83rd annual Academy Awards were held last night at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. Did you watch? I'll try and catch the highlights, mainly to see the various sketches that hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway did. As for the winners: The King's Speech was the big hit with four awards (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay), and I was pleased to see Natalie Portman win Best Actress for Black Swan. It boggles my mind that Tom Hooper can win Best Director over David Fincher or Darren Aronofsky for The King's Speech, though. And Christian Bale got Best Supporting Actor, proving Tropic Thunder wrong. You really can go "full retard" and be a success.

The full results are below. What did you make of the evening?

BEST PICTURE

• 127 Hours
• Black Swan
• The Fighter
• Inception
• Toy Story 3
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King's Speech WINNER
• The Social Network
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

BEST ACTOR

• Javier Bardem - Biutiful
• Jeff Bridges - True Grit
• Colin Firth - The King's Speech WINNER
• Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
• James Franco - 127 Hours

BEST ACTRESS

• Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
• Natalie Portman - Black Swan WINNER
• Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
• Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
• Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Christian Bale - The Fighter WINNER
• John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
• Jeremy Renner - The Town
• Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
• Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Melissa Leo - The Fighter WINNER
• Amy Adams - The Fighter
• Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
• Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
• Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom

BEST DIRECTOR

• Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
• Joel &Ethan Coen - True Grit
• David O Russell - The Fighter
• David Fincher - The Social Network
• Tom Hooper - The King's Speech WINNER

BEST ANIMATED FILM

• Toy Story 3 WINNER
• How To Train Your Dragon
• The Illusionist

BEST SCREENPLAY WRITTEN DIRECTLY FOR THE SCREEN

• Another Year
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• The Fighter
• The King's Speech WINNER

BEST SCREENPLAY BASED ON MATERIAL PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED

• 127 Hours
• The Social Network WINNER
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

BEST FOREIGN FILM

• Biutiful (Mexico)
• In A Better World (Denmark) WINNER
• Outside The Law (Algeria)
• Incendies (Canada)
• Dogtooth (Greece)

BEST ART DIRECTION

• Alice In Wonderland WINNER
• Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Inception
• The King's Speech
• True Grit

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Black Swan
• Inception WINNER
• The King's Speech
• The Social Network
• True Grit

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• Alice In Wonderland WINNER
• I Am Love
• The King's Speech
• The Tempest
• True Grit

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

• Exit Through The Gift Shop
• Gasland
• Inside Job WINNER
• Restrepo
• Wasteland

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

• Killing In The Name
• Poster Girl
• Strangers No More WINNER
• Sun Come Up
• The Warriors Of Qiugang

BEST EDITING

• Black Swan
• The Fighter
• The King's Speech
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network WINNER

BEST MAKEUP

• Barney's Version
• The Way Back
• The Wolfman WINNER

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• How To Train Your Dragon
• Inception
• The King's Speech
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network WINNER

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• 'Coming Home' (Country Strong)
• 'I See The Light' (Tangled)
• 'If I Rise' (127 Hours)
• 'We Belong Together' (Toy Story 3) WINNER

BEST SOUND EDITING

• Inception WINNER
• Toy Story 3
• Tron: Legacy
• True Grit
• Unstoppable

BEST SOUND MIXING

• Inception WINNER
• Salt
• The King's Speech
• The Social Network
• True Grit

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

• Alice In Wonderland
• Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Hereafter
• Inception WINNER
• Iron Man 2

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

• Day & Night
• The Gruffalo
• Let's Pollute
• The Lost Thing WINNER
• Madagascar, A Journey Diary

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

• The Confession
• The Crush
• God Of Love WINNER
• Na Wewe
• Wish 143