Yea, That Time of the Year Again!

2012 British Comedy Awards

I should have known better, really. I watched the nominations show thinking about the grim offerings we have seen of late thinking that if nothing else, at least the few gems should stand out. I was wrong.

I know time is an issue, that it is always difficult to fit the awards into its timeslot. Some might suggest adbreaks don't help matters and clearly there needs to be time allowed for the drivelling nonsense of Jonathon Ross between each, but there are so many aspects of comedy missing.

The most prominently missed each year would be radio. There are so many fantastic radio comedies at the moment it is almost impossible to find a favourite. Okay, maybe that is wherein lies the problem: the nominations list itself seems a rather lazy one even in spite of the poor selection from which to choose, possibly it was just deemed too much hard work to trawl through radio shows to find the best of them. Or maybe those arranging the nominations are unaware of the existence of such a new, modern format as radio. Either way, there is an enormous selection of comedy being ignored from the outset.

What of the stand-up circuit? How's about awarding those doing all the really hard work in going out in search of their audience? After all, people will always watch television, getting them to leave the house to go and find their comedy is surely far more difficult and worthy of recognition, is it not?

And those who work hard to bring the industry to a greater market by appearing in more mainstream shows. I mean, yes, okay at the end of the day appearing on breakfast and daytime television or local news shows and the like may be a means to sell more tickets, but if they are also making the audience aware of the greater live comedy circuit in the process, surely this is a good thing too. There are also a growing number of acts using their comedian personas to present factual shows. This is equally commendable, is it not?

In the modern age, there is also scope for a multi-media selection. There are comedy shows which are purely internet-based, a huge range of parody websites, the endless list of podcasts we all subscribe to; all available to the audience for free and all unrecognised by the cursory glance through the Radio Times which has clearly inspired the current choices.

Surely there is also scope to have separate Best Comic and Best Character Comic categories. I mean, how can you choose between someone who undertakes their chosen comedy format, be it as a stand-up, presenter or chairing a panel show as themselves versus someone permanently acting out a character?


So what of the nominations themselves?

It seems lazy at best. For the most part, we are just being drip-fed the same things each year. Yes, we remember those shows, now how about nominating something different for us?

Not to detract at all from the efforts of the repeated nominations, I mean who doesn't love the likes of TV Burp and Horrible Histories, but there are also plenty of new things which are equally as deserving.

There are a couple of minor irritations amidst, too. For example, how could Alan Partridge be nominated as a New Comedy? Officially, of course, it is because of being on a new channel but does that make a difference? Maybe it should simply be an award for Best New Sky One Comedy? Again, this is no derision of the show itself; I quite enjoyed the new series, but it was nothing new.
Another annoyance would be the Best Actor/Actress categories. It seems logical to me that an award for acting should cover every role the person plays, yet in this case it is character-based meaning that someone displaying the ability to play more than one role brilliantly is nominated twice. This makes no sense and does smack of laziness in finding other people worthy of nomination.

The thing which bothered me most about the whole event is the King/Queen of Comedy. Again, I wouldn't want to detract from those nominated because all have worked hard to get where they are, but why should they be nominated at all? I would like to see an award voted for by the people with a completely open forum allowing real comedy fans to vote for whoever they choose. Not that I know who I would vote for, but regardless at least it allows for those who actually love pure comedy to have something of a say before those who like their laughs neatly packaged in mainstream boxes to make their selections. Of course, the television audience will always beat the true fans of fun and laughter in the long run, but at least we can feel we have contributed something.

Stay tuned for an analysis after the event. Hopefully it won't be too much of a ranty one!