Has It Been A Good Year For British Comedy Then?

The British Comedy Awards really are unique in that their televisation represents the only time anything funny is ever actually shown on ITV - even if they are second hand clips from superior stations.  The nominations for this year's ceremony, to take place on December 12th with Jonathan 'Don't mention the granddaughter' Ross back in charge after a self-imposed suspension, were announced this morning with some interesting choices surrounding the reassurance that ITV1's only foray into chuckledom is a dumbed-down Harry Hill show where he mimics soap operas in front of an audience that have clearly been locked up since Game For A Laugh last hit our screens.

Topping the list of nominations is BBC1's Outnumbered written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin of Drop the Dead Donkey fame and starring Claire Skinner, Hugh Dennis and their three children who give the series its title.  It's perhaps the largely improvised performance from the chilldren - Ramona Marquez, Daniel Roche and Tyger Drew-Honey - that has seen all three of them receive newcomer nominations.  In fact, we should spare a thought for Dennis as the only main cast member without a solo nomination.

Whether the intention was to irk Charlie Brooker by sticking the rubber-faced 38 year old, a television veteran of nearly a decade, into a category with a nine and a thirteen year old, I'm sure it has worked.  'Comedy Newcomer' refers more to that performers arrival in the nation's consciousness and Brooker's work on Channel 4's You Have Been Watching, a rare terrestrial outing for Screenwipe, the brilliant Newswipe and various republications of his popular musings from The Guardian sees him deservedly nominated.

Elsewhere, Michael McIntyre's amiability and Alan Carr's...errr...teeth get them three nominations each, both vying with Harry Hill in the "entertainment" categories which, largely, have as much to do with comedy as World Wrestling Entertainment has to do with wrestling.

Looking elsewhere on the list, there are deserved nods for Psychoville and Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (sadly the latter is, for the second year in a row, a nominated BBC show that has failed to be recommissioned - following last year's excellent The Peter Serafinowicz Show) and a must-win in a weak film category for the hilarious In The Loop.  Despite strong competition from Have I Got News For You and QI, the massively popular Mock the Week is a shoo-in for best panel show while the beleagured sketch show category edges closer to retirement with the patchy Mitchell and Webb Look heading a truly terrible set including the deeply unfunny Kevin Bishop and the long gone to seed Harry and Paul.

FULL NOMINATIONS LIST:
Best Comedy Entertainment Personality: Alan Carr, Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Open Mike Productions for Channel 4); Harry Hill, Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Avalon for ITV1); Michael McIntyre, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (Open Mike Productions Manchester for BBC1)

Best Comedy Entertainment Programme: Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (Open Mike Productions Manchester for BBC1); The Sunday Night Project (Princess Productions for Channel 4); Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Avalon for ITV1)

Best Television Comedy Actor: Rob Brydon, Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special (Baby Cow for BBC1); Simon Bird, The Inbetweeners (Bwark for E4); Robert Webb, Peep Show (Objective Productions for Channel 4)

Best Television Comedy Actress: Ruth Jones, Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special (Baby Cow for BBC1); Claire Skinner, Outnumbered: Series 2 (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1); Katherine Parkinson, The IT Crowd (talkbackTHAMES for Channel 4)

Best New British Television Comedy: Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Open Mike Productions for Channel 4); Ladies of Letters (Tiger Aspect for ITV3); Psychoville (BBC Productions fo/r BBC2)

Best Television Comedy Drama: Dead Set (Zeppotron for E4); Psychoville (BBC Productions for BBC2); Pulling: Special (Silver River for BBC3)

Best Live Stand-Up Performer: Michael McIntyre, Live at the Apollo; Frankie Boyle, Live at the Hackney Empire; Stewart Lee, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
 
Best Male Comedy Newcomer: Daniel Roche, Outnumbered: Series 2 (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1); Tyger Drew-Honey, Outnumbered: Series 2 (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1); Charlie Brooker, You Have Been Watching (Zeppotron for E4)

Best Female Comedy Newcomer: Rebekah Staton, Pulling: Special (Silver River for BBC3); Ramona Marquez, Outnumbered: Series 2 (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1); Tanya Franks, Pulling: Special (Silver River for BBC3)

Best Comedy Panel Show: Have I Got News for You (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1); Mock the Week (Angst Productions for BBC2); QI (talkbackTHAMES for BBC1)

Best Sitcom: Peep Show (Objective Productions for Channel 4); The IT Crowd (talkbackTHAMES for Channel 4); Outnumbered: Series 2 (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1)

Best Sketch Show: The Kevin Bishop Show (Objective Productions for Channel 4); That Mitchell and Webb Look (BBC Productions for BBC2); Harry & Paul: Series 2 (Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC1)

Best Comedy Film: Bruno (Universal Pictures); In the Loop (Optimum Releasing: Peter Capaldi/ Tom Hollander/ Gina McKee/ James Gandolfini); The Hangover (Warner Bros: Bradley Cooper/ Ed Helms/ Zac Galifianakas)