‘Big events, big shows and big brave programming bets have never felt so vital’
A challenging year off screen was balanced out by some stellar shows on it in 2023, as outstanding new arrivals rubbed shoulders with returning (and, in some cases, departing) giants.
So it was farewell to Logan Roy and Catherine Cawood, the central characters in Succession and Happy Valley, and hello to hapless cops Dom and Kay (Gbemisola Ikumelo and Hammed Animashaun) in BBC One’s Black Ops, and the quirky and eccentric Jamma (Mawaan Rizwan) in BBC Three’s Juice.
Those shows won and were Highly Commended respectively in a Best Comedy Programme category in which every shortlisted title was a new series rather than a returner.
That injection of fresh energy complements other Broadcast Awards 2024 winners, such as C4/Love Productions’ innovative format The Piano, which combines great warmth with a playful twist, and BBC2’s impeccable Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland – “possibly the best doc series I’ve ever seen”, according to one very senior industry judge.
All of which dovetails perfectly with a resurgence in mainstream, popular programming, with BBC One winning Channel of the Year and The Traitors producer Studio Lambert landing Best Independent Production Company. Big events, big shows and big brave programming bets have never felt so vital.
- Chris Curtis is the editor in chief of Broadcast
No comments yet