Channel Of The Year


Award sponsored by


Shortlisted


BBC Three In a good year for factual, BBC Three stood out, airing one of its most acclaimed and inno- vative documentaries, Our War, which earned a BBC One transfer. Also notable were Kids Behind Bars and series two of Junior Doctors, which delivered record ratings for a documen- tary series. A Bringing Up Britain season brought a record number of 16-34s to the channel. Meanwhile, Russell Howard’s Good News continued to be on target for the demo- graphic, with a 15.5% share of young viewers.


BBC Four


the world of astrophysics or the secret life of the National Grid, BBC Four always goes that little bit further to provide intel- ligent programming for its audience. Acquisitions are undoubtedly impor-


W


tant to the channel and now have a regular home on Saturday nights. Bafta winners The Killing and Borgen sit alongside The Bridge and French crime thriller Spiral, winning over cult audi- ences who keep coming back for more. Contrary to Holy Flying Circus’ imag-


ined version of BBC Four’s controller demanding “a three-part series about canals, a documentary about Scandina- vian jazz and some old footage of a barge”, under Richard Klein, variety is as integral to the channel as depth. The judges loved the experimental


approach to its science output, ranging from biology in the form of Afterlife: The Strange Science Of Decay to physics in Jim Al-Khalili’s Shock And Awe: The Story Of Electricity.


www.broadcastnow.co.uk


hether it’s moody Scandina- vian drama or quirky British comedy, investigations into


In history, it has uncovered new areas


of interest such as Lucy Worsley’s inves- tigation of domestic life over the past 1,000 years in If Walls Could Talk. In comedy, it offers some of the most


acclaimed series in recent years, such as Twenty Twelve (pictured), which trans-


‘Under Richard Klein, variety is as integral to the channel as depth’


ferred to BBC Two. BBC Four has also excelled at original drama, ranging from the adaptation of Douglas Adams’ ‘holis- tic detective’ Dirk Gently to Hattie, its biopic of Carry On actress Hattie Jacques. But it may well be that music is the


channel’s heartland, with Friday nights dedicated to everything from Scrapheap Orchestra to The Story Of Musicals and even Public Enemy: Prophets Of Rage. BBC Four always tops the corporation’s


list for audience appreciation but this year, it gained more than 17% of the weekly available share.


E4 Despite waving goodbye to Friends and Glee, 2011 was E4’s biggest year yet. Misfits and Skins returned with strong viewing figures, while Hollyoaks and Beaver Falls helped cement its reputation within drama. Original commissions PhoneShop and Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy gave a strong British flavour to its comedy output, while acquisitions such as The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother hit their stride. The channel also flexed its structured reality muscles Made In Chelsea and Desperate Scousewives.


Discovery Channel The pay-TV channel had its best year since 2006, growing its audience by 13%. What made Discovery stand out was the breadth of shows, ranging from Stephen Hawking: Did God Create The Universe? and Curiosity: Why Is Sex Fun? to Norway Massacre: The Killer’s Mind and Mega- quake: The Hour That Shook Japan. Discovery also focused on strong UK commissions, such as Alone In The Wild, Unstoppable: The James Cracknell Trilogy and Walking The Amazon.


History History was the fastest-growing documentary channel of last year, launching 11 new series, compared with just one in 2010. Investment in content has led to growth in both US acquisi- tions (critically acclaimed series such as Pawn Stars and Deadliest Roads) and UK commis- sions (Mud Men, Seeking Salvage). History recorded its highest average ratings in 2011, with adult viewing up 27% and the channel rising 13 places on the most-watched lists.


MTV UK Last year, MTV achieved the highest ratings in its history, thanks to original commission Geordie Shore. But it wasn’t all about the lads and lasses of Newcastle, with the original Jersey Shore, 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom also drawing a crowd. Meanwhile, the MTV EMAs, held in Belfast, had its biggest audience since 2003. The broadcaster also launched its on-demand service, which has notched up more than 250,000 views to date.


22 June 2012 | Broadcast Digital Awards | 27


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28