Next up we have the Best New & Returning Comedy categories. There have been some brilliant shows this year to make you laugh, from wonderfully ridiculous superpowered people to spooks on both sides of the Atlantic, to funny and heartfelt stories, comedy this year has been a broad church. Here are the nominees.
Best New Comedy
Nominees: Am I Being Unreasonable, Season 1 – BBC One; Black Ops, Season 1 – BBC Three; Changing Ends, Season 1 – ITV; Colin from Accounts, Season 1 – BBC; Everyone Else Burns, Season 1 – Channel 4; Extraordinary, Season 1 – Disney+; Ghosts US, Season 1 – BBC Three/iPlayer; Juice, Season 1 – BBC One/Three; Not Dead Yet, Season 1 – Disney+; Our Flag Means Death, Season 1 – BBC; Queen Of Oz, Season 1 – BBC; Shrinking, Season 1 – Apple TV+; Still Up, Season 1 – Apple TV+
Bronze: Ghosts US, Season 1 – BBC
Silver: Am I Being Unreasonable, Season 1 – BBC
Gold Winner: Colin from Accounts, Season 1 – BBC
The BBC were knocking it out of the park with their new comedy line-up this year, taking all three of the top spots (they actually took the fourth place too with ‘Our Flag Means Death’!). However, the show which took the gold was ‘Colin from Accounts‘, the series Set in Sydney, Australia, which centred on Ashley (Harriet Dyer) and Gordon (Patrick Brammall), two singles who are brought together by a car accident and an injured dog. Ashley and Gordon are flawed, funny people who choose each other after being brave enough to show their true selves, scars and all, as they navigate life together. It’s a modern-day romantic love story.
For those of you who don’t click on iPlayer all that much and enjoy comedy, it might be worth taking a look. And whoever is head of comedy acquisition at the Beeb needs a raise!
Best Returning Comedy
Nominees: Barry, Season 4 – Sky Comedy; Brassic, Season 5 – Sky Max; Breeders, Season 4 – Sky Comedy; Ghosts (UK), Season 5 – BBC One; Ghosts (US), Season 2 – BBC Three; Only Murders In The Building, Season 3 – Disney+; Sex Education, Season 4 – Netflix; Starstruck, Season 3 – BBC Three; The Bear, Season 2 – Disney+; The Cleaner, Season 2 – BBC One; The Great, Season 3 – LIONSGATE+; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 5 – Prime Video; Upload, Season 3 – Prime Video; What We Do In The Shadows, Season 5 – Disney+; Young Sheldon, Season 6 – E4
Bronze: Sex Education, Season 4 – Netflix
Silver: Young Sheldon, Season 6 – E4
Gold Winner: Ghosts (UK), Season 5 – BBC One
Unlike the new series, the top three for returning comedy were a lot more spread out across broadcasters. However, the BBC comes out top again, taking gold for the fifth and final season of ‘Ghosts‘. I don’t think it should come as a huge shock that the beloved supernatural comedy took the top spot. The creative partnership of Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond has been a joy to watch over the years from ‘Horrible Histories’ through ‘Yonderland’, and now ‘Ghosts’. The show came to a close with a beautiful and funny episode on Christmas day, but we can’t wait to see what the ‘Ghosts’ gang decide to tackle next.
