NTA:

Both approaches are equally valid, just as both approaches to telly are equally valid. On paper, What's On TV and the Guardian Guide do the same thing, they're both TV guides and use the same source material, but they promote and champion very different programmes suitable for their audience.

If you want to know what programmes you think the programme makers themselves consider are the best, watch the BAFTAs, if you want to know what the mass ITV-watching audience likes, watch the NTAs.

The votes for the NTAs aren't just from ITV viewers, one of the main places where the votes come from are readers of Radio Times.

And this is what happens when you put the two together.

As low brow as it seems in recent years, at least we have not seen a repeat of what happened just over 16 years ago....


(And yes I'm aware it was an accident!)

For me the difference between the NTAs now and then is the blatant begging for votes. Yes, the NTAs have always been about popularity rather than quality and they contrast with the BAFTAs nicely in that regard but it should feel like it's about the show that actually is the most popular, not the show that runs the most desperate campaign. To me that makes the likes of Mary Berry and Emmerdale more worthy winners than This Morning and The Chase, even though I'd have probably picked the latter two in their categories anyway. I just see the victories as a bit hollow when you're begging for votes everyday during your broadcast.

Loose Women started all that campaigning ****. I remember them even begging in air for votes for the prestigious "TV Choice awards".

and now even BBC Breakfast does it on air, plus of course everyone does it on social media.

Disgusting

Well at least they waited until they were short listed I suppose unlike GMB who campaigned on air for weeks after being long listed and still didn't get nominated for the show.
SAD!

Or arguably look at who wins the RTS awards. In some ways they are more 'industry' than BAFTA.

I agree it was great to see Emmerdale win Serial Drama for the very first time. This is also the first time Emmerdale have won an NTA since 1998 when Anna Brecon won the newcomer award, they don't get anywhere near the recognition they deserve so im pleased they are finally winning some awards. Ive voted Emmerdale over Corrie for the last 2-3 years despite always being a bigger Corrie fan.

I also agree the NTAs aren't anywhere near as prestigious as they once were when at the Royal Albert Hall and presented by Trevor Mcdonald. However I do prefer Dermot O Leary as a host rather than Philip Schofield or Ant and Dec.

The ways things are with social media these days the NTAs have had to move with the times I guess.