Line of Duty, Coronation Street and Ant & Dec were the big winners at the Freesat TV Awards in London on Tuesday night.
Marking the best television available across the free spectrum in the UK, the sixth annual Freesat Awards (in association with TV Times) were hosted by comedian Marcus Brigstocke and Freesat's managin director Emma Scott said: “This year in particular has been a truly amazing one for TV drama, so we’re particularly proud to see Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor and Line of Duty recognised as our winners from a fantastically strong field."
BBC Two’s cult hit police thriller Line of Duty was named Freesat Best TV Drama, with star Keeley Hawes taking to the stage to collect the award. The judges said that the show had featured ‘breathtaking performances’ and that ‘in a world of box sets, we enjoyed watching TV in the usual way, staying in every Wednesday night to find out what would happen next.’
In addition to winning the publically voted Personality of the Year, Ant and Dec’s hugely popular Saturday Night Takeaway won Best Live TV Proramme or series, which the judges said delivered ‘extraordinary ambition, week after week’.
BBC Two won the Freesat Channel of the Year award, with judges praising the channel for ‘firing on all cylinders; with strong dramas, great comedy and expertise in every territory from science to history’. As well as Line of Duty, BBC Two also won for Best TV Sitcom, with James Corden and Mathew Baynton’s The Wrong Mans.
Best News channel was awarded to BBC Radio 5 Live and Scripps Networks’ The Travel Channel took home the prize for best Specialist Channel. Channel 4’s documentary series Educating Yorkshire won Best Factual TV Programme or Series.
Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor was named Best of British TV programme or series.
The full list of Freesat Free TV Awards 2014 winners:
Freesat Channel of the Year – BBC Two
Highly Commended – CBeebies
Best of British: TV Programme or Series – Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor (BBC One)
Best Factual TV Programme or Series – Educating Yorkshire (Channel 4)
Best TV Sitcom – The Wrong Mans (BBC Two)
Best TV Drama – Line of Duty (BBC Two)
Best Live TV Programme or Series – Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV)
Highly Commended – Winter Olympics (BBC Two)
Best Children’s TV Programme or Series – Katie Morag (CBeebies)
Best Digital Radio Channel – Absolute 80s
Best Specialist Channel – The Travel Channel
Best News Channel – Radio 5 Live
Personality of the Year – Ant and Dec (ITV)
Best British TV Soap – Coronation Street (ITV)
