National Television Awards 2011: Winners

I didn't watch the National Television Awards live this year, but feel like I dodged a bullet. As everything's chosen by the public, it's too mainstream to be a barometer of quality in UK TV, just popularity. For instance, nothing for This Is England '86 or Misfits? No, the NTA's focus is the primetime hits of BBC, ITV and Channel 4, with an emphasis on light enterainment and soaps. It's an awards ceremony that thinks Peter Andre's fly-on-the-wall series is one of the best things on digital TV, so treat it with the contempt that fact deserves. But here are the results and my brief thoughts on the winners:

Best Talent Show

• Dancing On Ice (ITV)
• Britain's Got Talent (ITV)
• Strictly Come Dancing (BBC)
• The X Factor (ITV) WINNER

My thoughts: Inevitable, but deserved. Love it or loathe it, The X Factor's the only reality show that seems to appeal to a huge number of people, fuels the majority of tabloid stories for four months, and becomes a talking point across the nation's playgrounds and offices by Monday morning. Gamu, Wagner, malaria, Cher Lloyd, Matt Cardle, they all became 2010 buzzwords because of Simon Cowell's brainchild.

Best Comedy Programme

• Benidorm (ITV) WINNER
• Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV)
• Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow (BBC)
• Outnumbered (BBC)

My thoughts: That must be a joke. I have no idea what dark spell was cast to make Benidorm win, especially as most of its fans will admit the show's past its best.

Best Drama

• Doctor Who (BBC)
• Shameless (Channel 4)
• Sherlock (BBC)
• Waterloo Road (BBC) WINNER

My thoughts: The most ludicrous win of the whole shebang. It's admittedly a shame Doctor Who has a strangehold on this category every year, but Sherlock deserved to triumph as the new kid on the block that wowed the nation. Waterloo Road? I mean, that's simply ludicrous. Absolutely insane.

Best Drama Performance

• Philip Glenister (Ashes To Ashes)
• David Jason (A Touch Of Frost) WINNER
• Matt Smith (Doctor Who)
• Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)

My thoughts: Good lord. I guess having "national treasure" status still has its advantages, particularly if you're retiring a beloved character from a long-running TV show. Cumberbatch was robbed, Smith perhaps deserved recognition of the difficult job he had replacing David Tennant in the nation's heart, and Glenister had an outside chance because of his fine work in the Ashes To Ashes finale. David Jason? Holy mackeral.

Best Digital Choice

• Glee (E4)
• Peter Andre: The Next Chapter (ITV)
• The Inbetweeners (E4) WINNER

My thoughts: Yeah, I'm fine with that. If Peter Andre had won, I'd have punched someone.

Best Factual Programme

• Celebrity MasterChef (BBC)
• Junior Apprentice (BBC)
• Top Gear (BBC) WINNER
• Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC)

My thoughts: Yawn. Junior Apprentice was the surprise success, if you ask me. That show could have been a total disaster, but managed to give the regular adult version a run for its money.

Best Serial Drama

• Coronation Street (ITV)
• EastEnders (BBC) WINNER
• Emmerdale (ITV)
• Hollyoaks (Channel 4)

My thoughts: In Coronation Street's 50th year, coming off the back of its week-long tram disaster live episodes, rival EastEnders wins? A soap that recently caused uproat over a cot death/baby swap storyline and made everyone laugh at the sight of Phil Mitchell on crack. That's just an insult.

Best Serial Drama Performance

• Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street)
• Steve McFadden (EastEnders)
• Lacey Turner (EastEnders) WINNER
• Danny Miller (Emmerdale)

My thoughts: I don't watch enough soaps these days, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lacey Turner's win was partly influenced by the fact she's just left EastEnders, a la David Jason's win for A Touch Of Frost. Still, of those nominees, I daresay she still delivered the best performance. Anyone watch enough 'Enders to confirm this?

Best Topical Magazine Programme

• BBC Breakfast (BBC)
• Loose Women (ITV)
• This Morning (ITV) WINNER

My thoughts: Yeah, fine. What a dispiriting trio of nominees, though.

Best Newcomer

• Paula Lane (Coronation Street)
• Ricky Norwood (EastEnders) WINNER
• Marc Silcock (Emmerdale)
• Olga Fedori (Holby City)

My thoughts: Who they?

Best Entertainment Programme

• Big Brother (Channel 4)
• I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (ITV) WINNER
• Mock The Week (BBC)
• QI (BBC)

My thoughts: Do me a favour! Big Brother delivered a good swansong in 2010 and it would have been nice to recognize its impact over the decade. I guess I'm A Celeb has more reach, being on ITV and perceived as a reality series it's "okay" to enjoy.

Best Entertainment Presenter

• Ant & Dec WINNER
• Davina McCall
• Dermot O'Leary
• Paul O'Grady

My thoughts: For the tenth year in a row, no less! "The Ant & Decade" That's an incredible feat, although I think McCall and O'Leary have a much tougher job on their respetive shows.

Special Recognition Award
Bruce Forysth