Comedy.co.uk Awards 2009 results

Armando Iannucci's political satire The Thick Of It was named the Comedy Of The Year. Whilst Psychoville, Peep Show, Mitchell & Webb, and QI were amongst the other winners. Meanwhile down the other end of the list, the voting showed that viewers hated Big Top and Horne & Corden.

Best New TV Sitcom: Psychoville

Psychoville. Image shows from L to R: Joy Aston (Dawn French), Oscar Lomax (Steve Pemberton), Robert Greenspan (Jason Tompkins), Mr Jelly (Reece Shearsmith), David Sowerbutts (Steve Pemberton), Maureen Sowerbutts (Reece Shearsmith). Copyright: BBC

In a year of ups-and-downs for new TV sitcoms, this was a particularly close-run category, with Psychoville jostling Miranda right up until the close of voting, for the coveted 'Best New TV Sitcom' award. We're aware that some controversy has been stirred in the past over the classification of Pyschoville as a sitcom at all, but in the end the comic-thriller did edge ahead to grasp the title.

Best Returning TV Sitcom: Peep Show

Peep Show. Image shows from L to R: Jeremy Usbourne (Robert Webb), Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell). Copyright: Objective Productions

2008 saw Peep Show lose out on the 'Best Returning TV Sitcom' spot to the equally brilliant Outnumbered - and by only 6 votes! But with Outnumbered offering only a single Christmas special in 2009, Peep Show took its chance and ran to the finish line once again, having previously taken the title in 2007. Political satire The Thick Of It came in a rather close second place, with E4's hit sitcom The Inbetweeners 3rd in the voting.

Best Radio Sitcom: Bleak Expectations

Bleak Expectations. Image shows from L to R: Pippa Bin (Susy Kane), Hardthrasher (Geoffrey Whitehead), Aunt Lily (Celia Imrie), Young Pip (Tom Allen), Mr Gently Benevolent (Anthony Head), Sir Philip Bin (Richard Johnson), Harry Biscuit (James Bachman). Copyright: BBC

Having claimed our Editors' Award in 2008, we're thrilled to see Mark Evans' excellent Bleak Expectations grab the 'Best Radio Sitcom' gong. The superb cast and sharp writing in the 3rd series evidently captivated you as much as it did us! Coming in second place was Andy Hamilton's long-running Hell-set series Old Harry's Game, and the often befuddled Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! in a very close third place.

Best TV Sketch Show: That Mitchell And Webb Look

That Mitchell And Webb Look. Image shows from L to R: Robert Webb, David Mitchell. Copyright: BBC

Perhaps unsurprisingly, That Mitchell And Webb Look tickled you most in 2009. The powerhouse pairing of David Mitchell and Robert Webb continues to be a winning formula, with a third series more or less maintaining the same level of quality as the first two.

The Armstrong & Miller Show was voted as the second best TV sketch show, and that is also set to return in 2010. The three episodes of BBC Four's Cowards grabs third place - an impressive achievement for the low-key comedy.

Best Radio Sketch Show: That Mitchell & Webb Sound

That Mitchell & Webb Sound. Image shows from L to R: David Mitchell, Robert Webb. Copyright: BBC

It would appear you couldn't get enough of Robert and David in 2009! Series 4 of their radio show introduced some great new sketches (for example, an office with a portal to an alien world). In 2nd place (although it was a way behind) was the high-speed and often inspired Bigipedia, which made its debut in 2009. A close third place went to last year's winner, Laura Solon: Talking And Not Talking.

Best TV Panel Show: QI

QI. Image shows from L to R: Alan Davies, Stephen Fry. Copyright: TalkbackThames

The intellectual juggernaut that is all things 'quite interesting' took an early lead in this category, and maintained that momentum right through the close of voting - despite only broadcasting a handful of new episodes during 2009. Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe strand grabbed second place (it should be noted that this also includes the Gameswipe and Newswipe spin-offs), with Harry Hill's TV Burp and Mock The Week coming third and fourth in the poll.

Best Radio Panel Show: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. Image shows from L to R: Graeme Garden, Barry Cryer. Copyright: BBC

Broadcasting both its 51st and 52nd series in 2009, the long-running and always-popular 'antidote to panel games' is perhaps an unsurprising recipient of this award. This award comes following its hiatus from the airwaves after the death of the beloved original host Humphrey Lyttelton, suggesting fans are happy with new host Jack Dee. The News Quiz was voted as second best, with The Unbelievable Truth and last year's winner, The Now Show, in an equal third place.

Comedy Of The Year: The Thick Of It

The Thick Of It. Image shows from L to R: Glenn Cullen (James Smith), Oliver Reeder (Chris Addison), Nicola Murray (Rebecca Front), Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), Terri Coverley (Joanna Scanlan). Copyright: BBC

At the end of our poll we presented voters with a list of every comedy which had at least one new episode transmitted on TV or radio in 2009. There were 252 different shows to choose from! Armando Iannucci's political satire The Thick Of It was the show that more people picked than any other in this overall category as their top favourite, thus we name it here 'Comedy Of The Year' for 2009.

Returning for its third - and first full-length - series in 2009, the political satire sitcom gained widespread approval from critics and audiences alike (a fairly rare occurrence these days, it seems), so was clearly going to be many people's overall favourite. The sweary antics of PR monster Malcolm Tucker (played to perfection by Peter Capaldi) clearly appealed to many, as the frustrations of the Government's spin-machine played out to a highly appreciative nation in sitcom format. So kids, in summary, don't listen to your parents; it seems that swearing is big and clever after all (or, at very least, it'll win you a Comedy.co.uk Award)!

Editors' Award: Horrible Histories; Sorry, I've Got Not Head

Horrible Histories and Sorry, I've Got No Head

This is the award the Editors of British Comedy Guide handed to the show, person, channel, or indeed anything else comedy related they thought deserved some extra recognition.

In the 2008 awards we highlighted the cult radio sitcom Bleak Expectations, which went on to garner more mainstream awareness in 2009 and win the Best Radio Sitcom award this time around. In 2009 we're going for a sketch-show double-whammy...

Horrible Histories (Top); Sorry I've Got No Head (Bottom)

Horrible Histories / Sorry, I've Got No Head

We've picked these two kids' sketch shows as we think they've dramatically raised the standard of childrens' comedy. In our opinion, not since 1967's Do Not Adjust Your Set has sketch comedy for children been so clever or funny.

Very similar in style and tone as each other, both shows bring a touch of clever 'adult' comedy to the nation's children. They're also fun for adults to watch too, and despite being on at 4:30pm in the afternoon boast writing and acting teams that are better that most prime-time sketch shows: David Armand, Anna Crilly, Justin Edwards, Simon Farnaby, Mel Giedroyc, Sarah Hadland, Nick Mohammed, Jim Howick and Ben Willbond are just some of the comic actors who take part.

(For the record, the other shows we considered for our Editors' Award this year included Getting On, Mark Steel's In Town, Moving Wallpaper, Radio 2's Comedy Documentaries, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Would I Lie To You? and You Have Been Watching)

Thanks to everyone who cast their vote, and congratulations to all the winners.

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