Somehow managed to find ourselves at The Royal Television Society Awards on Saturday night, as you do!!… anyway it was a ticketed posh do, for about 500, held at The Sage, Gateshead, to acknowledge the contributions and achievements made by the regions, television, film and digital media players over the past 12 months.
As you know, there’s obviously a bit of talent in this corner of the country and the region has done well in attracting TV dramas like Vera, Inspector Gently and Tracey Beaker Returns. It’s also  good to see that since the BBC’s widely publicised decision to move some of its operations to their new state of the art, Salford studios, the gradually and surprising reality that creative industries can not only survive, but actually flourish north of the Watford Gap.
The event was hosted by Aled (walking in the air) Jones, who attempted to engage the audience with his patter, for a long 2 hour ceremony. Highlight, and much needed light relief was provided by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. The elephant in the room was MTV’s Geordie Shore. (So successful, apparently that it’s coming back for a second series). I was dead impressed by Mr Rich and The Terriers and the work of legendary sound recordist Chris Watson, who picked up a special award. Also some great student work from the University of Sunderland (4 awards in total.) Slightly disappointed though, that Newcastle’s, Ubisoft Reflections narrowly missed out on an Innovation award for their top game, Driver San Fransciso.
Lowlights… its got to be said the food was shocking. One of the worst meals I think I’ve had. A self serve bowl of chicken in a wine sauce with some spuds and limp veg. Nowhere near enough to feed a table of eight. They actually said they’d bring back some more food, but they never did. We had to buy kebabs on the way home.

Anyway here’s a  list of the runners and riders that picked up, what Vic Reeves described as the lovely Perspex awards.

Category 1A: 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
Category 1B: BEST BROADCAST FACTUAL/FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT/FEATURES PROGRAMME
MR RICH AND THE TERRIERS — Produced by Livia Russell, BBC 1, North East & Cumbria
Category 2: BEST DRAMA PRODUCTION
TRACEY BEAKER RETURNS — Produced by Gina Cronk, Line Producer Alan Fairholm, BBC Children’s
Category 3: BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMME
SOUTHERN CROSS — Produced by Matt Bardo, Inside Out, BBC North East & Cumbria
Category 4: BEST PROMOTION OR COMMERCIAL
SAVE OUR SEAFARERS — Produced by Matthew Newman, Co-directed by Kevin Owens and Nathan Newman, YourFilm Ltd
Category 5: INNOVATION
TIME MACHINE — Produced by Hollie McGuire and Ian Fenton for The Tyneside Cinema
Category 6: SCOOP OF THE YEAR
THE STORY OF JOHN DARWIN — Producer Jane Bolesworth, ITV Tyne Tees & Border
Category 7: REGIONAL NEWS PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
LOOK NORTH, 18th August 2011 — Producer Julie Stewart, BBC North East & Cumbria
Category 7A: SPECIAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMEDY ACHIEVEMENT
VIC REEVES and BOB MORTIMER
Category 8: JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
SHARON BARBOUR — BBC North East & Cumbria
Category 9: PRESENTER OF THE YEAR
PHILIPPA TOMSON — ITV Tyne Tees & Border
Category 10A: PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE — PHOTOGRAPHY
STEVE PATON
Category 10B: PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE — PRODUCTION
JON ROBERTS
Category 10C: PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE — POST PRODUCTION
ANDY LUDBROOK
Category 11: BEST NEWCOMER
ADELE ROBINSON — BBC North East & Cumbria
Category 12A: AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
JANE BOLESWORTH — Programme Editor, ITV Tyne Tees & Border
Category 12B: THE CENTRE AWARD
CHRIS WATSON
REGIONAL STUDENT AWARD WINNERS:
Category S1: STUDENT AWARDS – BEST FACTUAL PRODUCTION
CONFIDO — Produced by Steven Hinde & Neil Dempsey, University of Sunderland
Category S2: STUDENT AWARDS – BEST ANIMATION
WALK — Produced by Toby Bowery, University of Sunderland
Category S3: STUDENT AWARDS – BEST ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION
TURN OF THE SCREW — Produced by Christopher Lavelle, University of Sunderland
Category S4: STUDENT AWARDS — BEST FICTION PRODUCTION
BASIN STREET — Produced by Hannah Green, Demian Lovett, Mark Scott,
Stewart Grayson and Rachel Hawthorn, University of Sunderland

By Dave on February 20, 2012