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TV Tonight Awards 2010: Good year for Drama

The votes are in! Packed to the Rafters wins Best Australian Drama while newcomer Offspring also proves a popular winner this year.

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2010 was a good year for Drama shows according to the results of the annual TV Tonight Awards.

Packed to the Rafters, Offspring, Mad Men, Dance Academy and comedy shows The Librarians and Modern Family were all chosen as winners.

Packed to the Rafters was voted as Best Drama (Australian) for the second year in a row.

Rebecca Gibney thanked those who voted for the show, following an impressive run in 2010.

“Big thanks to the readers of TV Tonight, I’m thrilled,” she said.

“We had a fantastic third season of Rafters. We are very proud of the show, and it’s very gratifying to know people are enjoying it as much as we are. We are underway filming season four, with lots of great new stories, and some new faces, who you are going to love.

“So, thanks again, from me and all of the cast for this lovely recognition. Hope you all have a very happy and peaceful 2011.”

Meanwhile newcomer drama Offspring, which also fared well in the Best Drama stakes, won Best New Show (Australia) and delivered Asher Keddie the Favourite Female award.

Asher Keddie also thanked readers, saying, “Offspring is bold, funny, surprising and eccentric and I think Aussie viewers are enjoying the characters for all their foibles as well as their strengths. I am thrilled that Australians have embraced the show and thank TV Tonight‘s readers for their loyalty.

“2011 promises to be another great year with a few surprises!” she said.

Here are the first results of the Awards, with more to follow tomorrow.

Each category lists the Winner followed by Runners-Up in the order they were ranked by readers.

* denotes runaway winner.
/ denotes Tie.
(2009: winner of last year’s Award)

BEST AUSSIE DRAMA
Packed to the Rafters
Rush, Offspring, Rake, Tangle.
(2009: Packed to the Rafters)

BEST COMEDY (AUSTRALIAN)
The Librarians
Yes We Canberra, Review with Myles Barlow, Hamish & Andy specials / Lowdown, Wilfred.
(2009: The Chaser’s War on Everything)

BEST DRAMA (INTERNATIONAL)
Mad Men
Dexter, The Good Wife, Breaking Bad, NCIS.
(2009: Dexter)

BEST COMEDY (INTERNATIONAL)
Modern Family*
30 Rock, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, Community.
(2009: 30 Rock)

BEST LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation*
Spicks and Specks, Gruen Transfer, The 7PM Project, Good News Week.
(2009: Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation)

BEST MORNING PROGRAMME
The Circle*
Sunrise, Today, ABC News Breakfast / The Morning Show, Kerri-Anne.
(2009: Sunrise)

BEST GAME SHOW
Deal or No Deal
Hot Seat, Letters and Numbers, Minute to Win It, Pyramid.
(2009: Deal or No Deal)

BEST REALITY (AUSTRALIAN)
MasterChef Australia*
Beauty & the Geek Australia, Australia’s Next Top Model, The X Factor, The Block.
(2009: MasterChef Australia)

BEST REALITY (INTERNATIONAL)
The Amazing Race
Survivor, Undercover Boss, Project Runway, American Idol.
(2009: The Amazing Race)

BEST LIFESTYLE
Better Homes and Gardens*
Grand Designs Australia, Getaway, Selling Houses Australia, Poh’s Kitchen.
(2009: Better Homes and Gardens)

BEST FACTUAL / DOCUMENTARY / OBSERVATIONAL
Border Security
Australian Story, Bondi Rescue, Bondi Vet, Who Do You Think You Are?
(2009: Border Security)

BEST NEWS / CURRENT AFFAIRS
The 7:30 Report
Four Corners, TEN News, Seven News, 60 Minutes.
(2009: Seven News)

BEST TALK SHOW
Q & A*
The 7PM Project, The Circle, Insight, The Drum  / A Quiet Word with (Tony Martin).
(2009: Q & A)

BEST KID’S SHOW
Dance Academy
Play School, Prank  Patrol, Hi-5, Lockie Leonard.
(2009: Play School)

BEST SPORTS SHOW
Before the Game
AFL Footy Show, Sports Tonight, NRL Footy Show, The Matty Johns Show.
(2009: Before the Game)

BEST NEW SHOW (AUSTRALIAN)
Offspring*
Rake, Junior MasterChef, My Kitchen Rules, Gruen Nation.
(2009: MasterChef Australia)

BEST NEW SHOW (INTERNATIONAL)
Modern Family*
The Good Wife, Raising Hope, Sherlock, Community.
(2009: not polled)

FAVOURITE MALE
Shaun Micallef*
Adam Hills, Richard Roxburgh, Hugh Sheridan, Rodger Corser.
(2009: Shaun Micallef)

FAVOURITE FEMALE
Asher Keddie
Rebecca Gibney, Kat Stewart, Chrissie Swan, Carrie Bickmore.
(2009: Rebecca Gibney)

MOST UNDERRATED PERFORMER
Shaun Micallef
Jackie Woodburne, Chrissie Swan, Charlie Pickering, Kat Stewart.
(2009: Shaun Micallef)

TOMORROW: Worst Show, Worst Male / Female, Most Overexposed, International Show We Need to See on Air, Story of the Year, Best Subscription Channel, Best Digital, Best FTA Network.

This year votes came in from some interesting countries including Norway, Canada, Israel, China, France, Germany, Japan, UK, USA and NZ -thanks expats!

There were a few fan campaigns run for some shows, despite only one vote per computer being accepted. Votes were accepted for the categories in which they were eligible (sorry, but Hey Hey it’s Saturday doesn’t qualify as News and Current Affairs, and it surely doesn’t qualify in the Best New Show category ….. votes were counted for Best Light Entertainment).

Sometimes people ignored voting criteria which voided their vote in that category.

In the Game Show category votes for Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Spicks and Specks, RocKwiz were ineligible as instructions noted Celebrity / Panel shows were out. Many people noted a slim line-up of game shows this year.

The 7PM Project, and Q & A were also ineligible for Best News / Current Affairs as criteria stipulated no talk-driven formats. The Circle was a curious vote in the category of Best Talk Show -strictly speaking it didn’t transgress any of the rules and was allowed.

Across the four years the Awards have been polled, four shows are yet to lose their category: Deal or No Deal, Border Security, Better Homes and Gardens and The Amazing Race -all four are Seven titles.

Tune in tomorrow for the final instalment!

29 Responses

  1. And not a decent winner amongst them. I could make an exception for Packed to the Rafters but I’ve never seen it. I never saw Always Greener either but liked it in the reruns.

  2. Re: ‘underrated Micallef’.
    I love Shaun – he’s a complete comic genius. But I hate Your Gen and can’t watch it. I think he’s under-rated considering the vehicle he’s currently on and the fact that other projects he does seem to fail to inspire mass audiences.

  4. Lol at Secret Sqiirull’s comments. I have to say aside from the plotline and a few other things I dont see too much likenesses between the two shows. I was actually lucky enough to go to where SC was filmed the other day, beautiful place.

  7. No mention for Santo Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever in Best Sports Show? Has everyone just forgotten about it? I enjoyed it and I don’t even have an interest in sport.

  9. Such a sham that Natalie Garonzi doesn’t get the recognition she deserves. By Far the funniest and most talented lady, even though she is given such few opportunities to shine.
    2011, The Year of the Garonz

  10. Good to see beauty and the geek second only to MC. who would vote for Charlie Pickering in underrated? I think he gets plenty of recognition and he’s on the screen 3.5 hours most weeks.

  11. Forgot to say super well done to Chrissie – she is such a super lady in so many ways.

    She could be the female face of ten if they utilised her talents properly.

  12. @ jay jay – No you are right noone in the whole of australia watched Offpsring at all ever and it is just a complete accident that people went to type their votes in and all of a sudden the names Asher / Kat & Offspring jumped into their brains.

    Geez louise, just because you didn’t like it doesn’t mean others didn’t for crying out loud!

  13. I am so so happy for Asher Keddie!! Everything little bit of acting she does on Offspring is brilliant! She is consistent and shines week in week out. Even though Kat Stewart is also brilliant, it’s thanks to the great one-liners that she’s given by the writers. It’s Keddie who needs to be more appreciated, in a role that is so unique in Australian television at the moment.

    It’s especially great since back in the day, she kept having to stand in the shadow of her Love My Way co-star, Claudia Karvan, when in fact, both were pretty much on the same level when it came to acting. Though I think Keddie’s Julia was a more difficult role to Karvan’s Frankie.

    I really hope she gets recognised at the TV Week Logie awards this year for both Popular and Outstanding categories.

    I am very pleased with the support of Offspring. It surely has generated a neat little fan base! The same goes to Rush, which is my favourite series of 2010 (internationally and locally, and of all genres)

    On the discussion about Shaun Micallef… I personally think that he was brilliant on TAYG’s first season and he was the one I was barracking for the Gold Logie. However, I think he lost quite a bit of steam in 2010 and is in fact, overrated to me. Overrated!

    I’m very disappointed that the Gruen Transfer/Gruen Nation didn’t win! It was a highlight of the year for me!

    Seeing that the Librarians won best Aussie comedy, I’m going to admit that the only reason I voted for it was because comedy was very much lacking this year! It was actually difficult to sit through some of the episodes this season! Without Frances O’Brien and her offensive antics, I would have switched off! The entire plot was snooze worthy (see Angus Sampson).

    I’m going to end on a positive note and congratulate The Circle for their brilliant debut! What a great addition to the morning lineup and it easily beats a slowly burning Mornings with Kerri-Anne and the Morning Show, with a format that has become to familiar and lacking in creativity and change.

    Thanks for running these awards, David!! I’m sure these results are more pleasing than a lot of TV awards shows!

    I don’t recall who I voted for in some of the worst characters (maybe Richard Wilkins or Curtis Stone!), but I’ll be looking forward to that tomorrow 🙂

    Anthony.

  14. @jay jay – so what you seem to be saying is that it was mostly Network Seven viewers who voted? Are you saying that Nine viewers can’t use a computer or didn’t understand the voting categories.

    Is it not, in fact, more likely that more people voted for Seven shows over Nine’s because the Seven shows are actually better? Don’t look at me, I don’t watch Seven either.

    @Gary – have to disagree with you about “Bed of Roses” being like “Sea Change”. I enjoyed “Sea Change” but find that “Bed of Roses” is devoid of most of the things that made SC so good – scripts, understated quirky humour, etc.

    In fact, the only thing that I can see that they have in common is an actress who sold her soul to Coca Cola and lied about the effects on children of drinking large quantities of sugar, caffeine, and phosphoric acid.

  16. So good to see Asher Keddie recognised by the terrific readers of TV Tonight! I thought Rebecca Gibney would be guaranteed for that category (given the popularity of Rafters). Although I like both actresses, I think that Asher does a sensational job of acting what is a very difficult role with its blend of humour/slapstick/drama/anxiety. Great work!

  17. Shaun Micallef appears to be underrated as the only show we see him on is a weekly quiz/comedy show.

    Most other big names on TV are on nightly shows, or multiple shows, it seems.

  18. Shaun Micallef is very much rated now, especially after winning most underrated 2 years in a row, lol. That means people rate him.
    Generally agree with most of these. Asher Keddie has sparked lots of comments on here so surprised she won best female.

    1. I agree Shaun Micallef isn’t “underrated” anymore as he fronts a broad Logie-winning show, but it is obviously a perception thing. Jackie Woodburne has previously won this category too. It’s a category I may have to consider putting new conditions on! Can you continue to be “underrated” if you’ve won?

  21. Shaun micallef isn’t really underrated anymore, he won a logie last year and was nominated for gold, and will no doubt be nominated again and will hopefully win!

  23. Some of these are quite surprising. Odd that some of the winners barely attract an audience on TV. Odd that Better Homes & Gardens beat Grand Designs. Offspring? Really? Did anyone even watch it? Lots of Seven shows which says something about those who voted I think. Rafters, Q&A, Masterchef, Amazing Race, Modern Family – all well deserved.
    My pics for 2011:
    Best new aussie show: Winners & Losers
    Fave male: Ben Elton
    Best reality: Amazing Race
    Best comedy (Int): Mr Sunshine

  24. Great to see The Circle win its genre.It really has come into its own & probably in the last couple of months for me.I found myself tuning in here & there but towards the end of this year would stay tuned & it was Chrissie that kept me in. I predict a logie for this wonderful woman,if not this year definately next.

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