TV Quick & TV Choice Awards 2005

Dorchester Hotel, Monday 5th September 2005

BEST DAYTIME SHOW: THE PAUL O’GRADY SHOW

Having proved a daytime hit deputising for Des O’Connor, Paul landed his own show,  along with his canine sidekick Buster of course. The Paul O’Grady Show soon established itself as a firm favourite, and its triumph has prevented This Morning from making it a hat-trick in the Best Daytime category.

BEST LIFESTYLE SHOW: ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

Property shows might be all the rage, but as it approaches its 30th birthday, Antiques Roadshow has shown that it’s still very much in vogue. Hosted by the equally well-preserved Michael Aspel, who took over the reins in 2000, the Roadshow recently headed to Australia to film a couple of specials.

BEST SOAP NEWCOMER: LACEY TURNER

They were already the Square’s rowdiest clan, and life in Walford has been even more chaotic since the arrival of the next generation of Slaters, in the form of stroppy teenager Stacey. 17-year-old Lacey Turner has made a huge impact since arriving in 2004 and seems sure to be a fixture in EastEnders for a while to come.

BEST FACTUAL SHOW: JAMIE’S SCHOOL DINNERS

He made his name as the Naked Chef, and this year saw Jamie Oliver become a national hero with his Channel 4 show and campaign to revolutionise the luncthime fare served to our schoolchildren. We applauded as Jamie – assisted by dinnerlady Nora - vowed to banish the Turkey Twizzler and gasped as he met children for whom fresh fruit and vegetables were an alien concept.

BEST ENTERTAINMENT SHOW: STRICTLY COME DANCING

Didn’t they do well? With the glamorous Tess Daly by his side,  showbiz legend Bruce Forsyth has prevented those cheeky chappies Ant and Dec making it three in a row  by scooping the Best Entertainment Show prize for Strictly Come Dancing. Who can forget Carol  Vorderman’s attempt at dirty dancing? And Quentin Willson’s still trying to live down his brief foray on the dancefloor. You loved it, and SCD has since spawned spin-offs in which stars have taken on the challenges of African dance and ice dance.

BEST NEW DRAMA: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

So who’s your favourite – sexy Gabrielle, ditzy Susan, uptight Bree or stressed out Lynette? And don’t forget their man-mad neighbour Edie.
According to the tagline ‘Everyone has a little dirty laundry’,  and this year, everyone’s been talking about the residents of Wisteria Lane, where Mary Alice Young’s suicide mystified her friends and neighbours. Now we’re eagerly awaiting series two.

BEST REALITY SHOW: I’M A CELEBRITY,  GET ME OUT OF HERE

There are always surprises when celebs are dropped into the Aussie jungle, and the last series brought a new twist with the first married campmates, as Vic Reeves joined Nancy Sorrell in the camp. Paul Burrell came over all squeamish when faced with creepy-crawlies, Janet Street Porter ranted. And who’d have thought squeaky voiced Joe Pasquale would end up as King Of The Jungle?

BEST COMEDY SHOW: THE VICAR OF DIBLEY

Little Britain might be riding high and grabbing awards left, right and centre. But more than a decade after first hitting our screens, it’s
chocoholic cleric The Vicar Of Dibley that’s won the readers’ praise in the category of Best Comedy Show, also trouncing The Kumars at No 42.

BEST SOAP ACTRESS: EMMA  ATKINS

Emma Atkins was still a drama student at Salford University when she was cast as Charity Dingle, arriving in 2000 for Butch’s funeral. Over the next five years she thrilled Emmerdale fans with storylines such as the love triangle which saw Charity bed both Chris and Zoe Tate. This year Emma bowed out on a high, following the ruined wedding storyline which makes it a double for the Yorkshire soap.

BEST SOAP ACTOR: SHANE RICHIE

Having been voted Best Newcomer two years ago,  Shane’s held on to the title of Best Soap Actor which he won last year. Now serving his notice as Walford’s Alfie Moon,  the comeback king is clearly still a favourite with fans who this year have watched Alfie’s troubled love life grow ever more tangled.

BEST LOVED DRAMA: FOOTBALLERS  WIVES

Shed Productions have plenty to celebrate as both Bad Girls and Footballers Wives made the final three. And while it was the women of Larkhall Prison who stole away with the prize last year, it’s the Earls Park team who win their first ever silverware for the series which saw Amber and Tanya vie for Conrad’s affections.

BEST ACTRESS: JULIE WALTERS for Ahead of The Class

Over the years we’ve loved her for comedy roles like Mrs Overall and Petula Gordino. But this year Julie Walters OBE played it straight by
taking on the role of Marie Stubbs, the Glaswegian headmistress who was nearing retirement when she took on one last challenge. Her aim was to improve the fortunes of St George‘s School in north west London, which was facing closure after the notorious murder of its previous headmaster, Philip Lawrence, in 1995. Ahead Of The Class became a huge ratings hit for ITV1, and has now landed Julie her latest award.

BEST ACTOR: CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON for Doctor Who

Many were surprised when Christopher Eccleston opted to follow up work like Our Friends In The North,  Hillsborough and The Second Coming with a stint as TV’s most famous time traveler. However the first actor to play the Doctor who was born after the show began showed a lighter side with a performance that thrilled Who fans old and new – including previous critic Michael Grade. Will new Who David Tennant prove as big a hit?

BEST SOAP STORYLINE: CHARITY’S RUINED WEDDING AND HER REVENGE ON SADIE

When trampy widow Charity and her sugar daddy lover Tom King announced their engagement, eyebrows were raised all over Emmerdale. And those who expected the union to end in tears were proved right. As well as breaking up the unlikely lovebirds, the storyline also featured Charity’s battle with the new bitch in town, Sadie. High ratings and high drama.

BEST SOAP: CORONATION STREET

While EastEnders has been savaged by the critics, its fans remained loyal and voted in their thousands. And after a cracking year, Emmerdale’s made it clear that the battle to be top soap is no longer a two-horse race. But in the end, the good folk of Weatherfield walked off with their only gong of the night, for Best Soap. And after a year which featured Mad Maya’s Revenge and Karen v Tracy, who would deny them the victory?