THE RAGGEYS 2013
THE WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED
Regular web visitors will know that at this time each year we award the Raggeys, our very own entertainment awards. Okay, so our awards are a bit on the virtual side. We don't have celebrities to present the awards. Or goody bags with which to lavish them. We don't actually have a trophy either, but then we don't actually hold a ceremony. Or have any golden envelopes to open. And no-one is going to get a better contract out of winning one. On the other hand, we like to give credit where it's due so, just to get in the spirit of it, here they are: The Raggeys 2013.
TELEVISION SPORTS EVENT OF THE YEAR
Winner: The Olympics & Paralympics
There's pretty much no competition for this one. It is, after all, the biggest sporting event on the planet. But London 2012 was much more than that. It was, after all, an entire nation completely entranced by the endeavours of one team. It had everything. From the fastest man on earth to the dancing horses. We laughed, we cheered, we yelled, we grimaced, we jumped for joy and we even cried, quite a lot actually. What could possibly be more entertaining?
THE ULTIMATE ALTOGETHER NOW MOMENT
Winner: The Diamond Jubilee (Sky News)
It was the summer we rediscovered our community. It was the summer we huddled under an umbrella too, but at least we learned to do that together! Granted, some of the coverage was a bit off-point. The BBC's decision to allow the anodine Matt Baker to anchor great lumps of it didn't help but Sky News' excellent coverage more than made up for it. And we secretly loved their slightly cummudgeonly and rather rain-soaked Eamon Holmes' failing attempts at maintaining optimism as the rain fell. Overall, Sky had it covered and really captured the mood of the weekend.
THE EVERYBODY LOVES IT AWARD FOR MUST-SEE TELEVISION
Winner: Downton Abbey
For several years now, Downton Abbey has been the series we all love to watch. Thank goodness we all have access to recording machines because, without them, we'd certainly be rearranging all manner of family gatherings. Once you've watched Downton, you never want to not watch it. Even though last year's series was filled with tragedy and disaster, we remained hooked. And we did get Mr Bates back!
CHARACTER WITH CONSISTENTLY THE BEST LINES IN TELEVISION
Winner: The Dowager Duchess, Downton Abbey
Hands down the winner. Was there ever any doubt? Just about every week the line of the episode goes to this lady. Sharp writing aside, we have to congratulate Dame Maggie Smith for the perfection of her delivery. Great lines or not, they could easily be wasted in the hands of a lesser performer.
FILM OF THE YEAR
Winner: Skyfall
The latest James Bond film is, in our humble opinion, the best ever. Hardly surprising, given that Daniel Craig is pretty much the best Bond too! A blond, rugged Bond? Who would have thought it? But now, we'd have it no other way. And Skyfall has everything. A brilliant pre-titles sequence. Fantastic acting. Intrigue, drama, tears and brilliant Bond one-liners. Visually stunning (and we don't just mean Daniel Craig), fast-paced, thoughtful, a new Q, a weird and wonderful villain, glamourous Bond girls, chases, fire, ice, explosions. Oh, and a perfect theme song by Adele. Utter cinematic perfection.
MOST RELIABLE
Winner: Lewis
When we 'lost' Inspector Morse, we all feared that we'd never see it's like again. And then some bright spark decided to take us back to the dreaming spires of Oxford to catch up on the now Inspector Lewis and his new sidekick, Hathaway. And it's proved a perfect partnership. There's a lot more understanding, and open affection, between Lewis and Hathaway and a lot less Wagner but it carries the spirit of Morse along and the stories are every bit as complex and intriguing. By all accounts the series is drawing to a close and we're certainly going to miss it.
BEST NEW TREND
Winner: Charming, quirky, 'nice' telly.
With Sky One really spreading it's wings with it's own original programming, we've seen a raft of new whimsical comedy-dramas on air. Two of our favourites are Starlings (which we promise we love for many reasons, and not just for it's beautiful Derbyshire scenery) and The Cafe. Thank goodness someone has, at last, seen fit to screen lovely, charming, mellow programming.
NEWBIE OF THE YEAR
Winner: Ripper Street.
While there were lots of potential winners in this category, we've plumped for this fairly recent drama. It's a clever, and surprising, mix of costume drama and modern allegory. And, although it might be set in Victorian Whitechapel, there's more than a touch of the Wild West about it. And, unlike so many costume dramas, it's fairly unflinching in its depiction of the squalor of life in the Victorian East End of London.
SADDEST FAREWELLS
Winner: The Ponds, Doctor Who
Without doubt it was the saddest farewell of one, or in this case two, of The Doctor's companions. Zapped back in time to live out their lives without the influence of that mad man in a box. It was bittersweet, too, because they finally got to spend their years together. When I was a child, I would watch Doctor Who with a big comforting cushion beside me. Now, I fear, I may need to watch with a big box of tissues at my side …
Special Mention: Matthew Crawley and Lady Sybil, Downton Abbey
Well, those folks at Downton Abbey really did it to us this year, didn't they? Not one, but two, tragic and unexpectedly shocking deaths in the family. Just when everything seemed so settled. That'll teach us.
BRAVEST STORYLINE OF THE YEAR
Winner: Coronation Street and the Kirsty-Tyrone Domestic Violence story.
What will happen, we still don't know. For months we've worried about poor Tyrone, living in fear of his explosively violent fiancee. And now Kirsty has most of the Street believing that she is the victim of violence at the hands of the gentle Tyrone. Coronation Street is very good at the slow-burning storyline and, unlike EastEnders, when it does tackle a topical or controversial subject, you don't get the impression you're being lectured at. These characters feel like real people going through real issues, not a public information film.
THE "WOW" MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Winner: HMQE2 PLUS 007 EQUALS 2012
What else but Her Majesty's perfectly-delivered: "Good evening, Mr Bond" could we choose as the essence of the last 12 months? Millions of households up and down the country tuned in. And gasped when the Queen, the real Queen turned towards the camera. And gasped again when she delivered that line. Fab-u-lous! We'll never top that!