Vic and Bob receive RTS honour
North East comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer picked up the Royal Television Society award for Special Achievement in Comedy at the society’s North East and the Border Awards in Gateshead on Saturday night.
BBC North director Peter Salmon presented the duo with the award at the 25th anniversary of the event, which was hosted by TV presenter Aled Jones.
“Vic and Bob are true local heroes. They have become one of the most successful comedy double acts in the history of British light entertainment,” said Salmon.
“Their surreal and anarchic creations have also led them from stand-up into drama and of course game shows such as Shooting Stars.”
“It’s the first and last time we’ll receive a life time achievement award – we’ll certainly not win another,” quipped Mortimer, who is also patron of Northern Film & Media’s Jesting About comedy initiative with the BBC.
Other winners on the night were Newcastle-based BBC Childrens’ series Tracy Beaker Returns (Best Drama), Philippa Tomson of ITV Tyne Tees (Best Presenter) and Sharon Barbour of BBC Look North (Best Journalist).
The Life of Mammals and Frozen Planet sound recordist Chris Watson received the RTS Centre Award whilst Jane Bolesworth won a Special Achievement Award for her work over the past three decades on programmes such as Ant and Dec and The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Students from the University of Sunderland swept the board in all four Student categories, with Confido (Factual), Turn of the Screw (Entertainment), Basin Street (Fiction) and Walk (Animation) caching the eye of the judging panel.
Celebrity guests included Kate Adie, BBC Breakfast presenter Stephanie McGovern, Horrible Histories creator Terry Deary and ITV agony aunt Denise Robertson alongside stars from Inspector George Gently, Vera, Geordie Shore and Geordie Finishing School for Girls.
“This was a brilliant showcase for television and digital media production from this part of the UK,” said Agnes Wilkie, RTS North East and the Borders’ chair of judges and Northern Film & Media’s creative director.
“Our judging panels included influential and respected television professionals from right across the country. I am delighted they were introduced to such great work through the judging process.”
The winners:
BEST NON BROADCAST FACTUAL/FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT/FEATURES PROGRAMME
AS LONG AS IT TAKES — Produced by Bev Fox and Ian Mclaughlin, Magic If Films for Action For Children
BEST BROADCAST FACTUAL/FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT/FEATURES PROGRAMME
MR RICH AND THE TERRIERS — Produced by Livia Russell, BBC 1, North East & Cumbria
BEST DRAMA PRODUCTION
TRACY BEAKER RETURNS — Produced by Gina Cronk, Line Producer Alan Fairholm, BBC Children's
BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMME
SOUTHERN CROSS — Produced by Matt Bardo, Inside Out, BBC North East & Cumbria
BEST PROMOTION OR COMMERCIAL
SAVE OUR SEAFARERS — Produced by Matthew Newman, Co-directed by Kevin Owens and Nathan Newman, YourFilm Ltd
INNOVATION
TIME MACHINE — Produced by Hollie McGuire and Ian Fenton for The Tyneside Cinema
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
THE STORY OF JOHN DARWIN — Producer Jane Bolesworth, ITV Tyne Tees & Border
REGIONAL NEWS PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
LOOK NORTH, 18th August 2011 — Producer Julie Stewart, BBC North East & Cumbria
SPECIAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMEDY ACHIEVEMENT
VIC REEVES and BOB MORTIMER
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
SHARON BARBOUR — BBC North East & Cumbria
PRESENTER OF THE YEAR
PHILIPPA TOMSON — ITV Tyne Tees & Border
PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE — PHOTOGRAPHY
STEVE PATON
PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE — PRODUCTION
JON ROBERTS
PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE — POST PRODUCTION
ANDY LUDBROOK
BEST NEWCOMER
ADELE ROBINSON — BBC North East & Cumbria