The most important news is that I horrendously lost the penny gamble. It was going very well, as we had a huge roll-over from many un-won rounds, only for the brilliantly understated “Twenty Twelve” to help me scoop the pot.
Trouble is that traditionally the last award is a chance for the stragglers to play catch-up (especially when they are in such a sulk as was the first-born!) so the penny bets are scratched and everyone places as much as they choose on the closer. Were I in a better frame of mind, I’d have done some sums and worked out how much to gamble to ensure I still won, but both girls went all-in; I doubt I would have stood a chance regardless. Horrible Histories being given the sketch show award for a second year sealed my non-winning fate. On the plus side, I did not come last; but as we know, in award shows there are only winners and losers: second place counts for nothing.
So the home-bound competition dealt with, what of the awards themselves?
I am not going to analyse each decision, because I did enough thinking when making my predictions. For the most part, I felt even those awards going against my hopes and expectations went nevertheless to deserving people, so I won’t be harping on about “Why the hell?” but I do have a few things to acknowledge…
It was amazing to see Armando Iannucci receive an award. Odd it was the Writers Guild award rather than, say, Outstanding contribution or something, because to be honest what he has given the world of British comedy is beyond what he has brought to the table as a writer, but I guess there is time yet for more acknowledgment. It is quite simple to see when looking at the array of comedy around right now just how influential Iannucci has been throughout, both in television and radio so to have that recognised in any form is amazing.
On the converse, I did find the choice of The Inbetweeners as winners of the Outstanding Contribution to be odd indeed. To have made an outstanding contribution, surely you would have to have influenced others and done something to aid the further development of comedy in general. Whilst a brilliant show, has The Inbetweeners yet had time to do this? Of course, the claim could be that they have contributed the wealth of talent that is (in particular) Greg Davies, Simon Bird and Joe Thomas (and I am aware others have worked on other projects too, but these three especially stand out right now) and as such this is Outstanding Contribution, but would this not be the point of the Best Sitcom award they received last year? In all fairness, there are plenty of shows which have contributed far more over a greater amount of time.
It was brilliant to see Stewart Lee receive the award for the Best TV Comic. I really did not think he would be chosen because of his non-conformist nature; a fact he acknowledged himself in his speech, stating that it discredited his entire career (I am paraphrasing; I am far too lazy for proper reporting). That said, I am overjoyed he won, in spite of the fact I had opted against him (having no faith in the system, see?!)
I found the decision to give the best female comic award to Victoria Wood a strange one. I do wonder how much of that was because of her past contributions rather than just off the back of her new show, especially given that many people had not even heard of her new show least still watched it.
I was sad that Greg Davies did not win the Breakthrough award; although I do think whoever won, I’d have been thoroughly disappointed for the non-winners… and part of me has to wonder whether they were all a little relieved not to have had to deal with the seemingly (in case there is something actually wrong with the guy) drunken antics of Freddie Starr. I have to say, I think Dan Skinner dealt brilliantly with the situation; still managing to make his thank you’s, whilst ushering Starr from the stage.
These awards also highlight something else which really grates at me; being the concept “If it doesn’t happen on TV, it doesn’t exist”.
My regular readers will be [painfully] aware (I do know I can be something of a nag!) that I much prefer radio. I guess it comes of being so obsessed by words rather than by their visual representation, or maybe it is simply down to my constant need to multi-task; whilst listening to the radio I can be writing, taking a bath, cooking dinner etc, whereas TV is more demanding of a person’s time.
Regardless… I am digressing once more…
One day I might decide to start editing out the digressions in order to make this whole blog seem more professional, but since they give a little insight into my thought processes, I wonder if I ought to just leave them… more to ponder on I guess!
So anyway:
Where is all the great radio comedy in these awards? The name implies an all-inclusive tone “The British Comedy Awards”: the awards for the entire comedy industry of Britain… so what of those working their asses off week-on-week on the stand-up circuit? What of writers churning out novels, magazine and newspaper columns, blogs etc which have huge followings and are consistently funny throughout?
I am getting far too deep for so late on a Saturday, but this is not just about the awards; it goes far deeper than that. It does irk me hugely when I tell someone I am going to see a particular comedian, or ask “did you hear X on the radio the other day?” only to meet with blank looks because having not been on a panel show or Live at the Appollo makes this person a no-one. Even more annoying when I reel off credits: wrote this; was on this; did that show with Y: still no response.
Or maybe it is simply more indicative of my fangirl nature that I expect everyone to be the comedy geek I am becoming?
Either way, I feel I have wandered so far from the point now I might need to take out a mortgage to buy a train ticket back, so I guess that is my cue to consider this post finished.
Obviously, the Youtube listing is light on radio shows, but a dig around brought up this Christmas gem from The Unbelievable Truth hosted by the brilliant David Mitchell... for my money one of the best radio panel shows, with a new series due to start at the end of the month.
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