British Comedy Awards: Tube Talk verdict

There was a real sense of a changing of the guard at the 2011 British Comedy Awards. Miranda Hart only won her first award in 2010 and The Inbetweeners' Simon Bird in 2009, and yet they are already polished performers. But more important perhaps than the comedians themselves was the disturbance in the balance of power between the main comedy broadcasters. The BBC is stumbling quite badly, while Sky goes from strength to strength.

There was embarrassment for the BBC as Psychoville and Shooting Stars won three awards between them, and yet were axed earlier this year. Sarah Solemani, who guest-starred in Psychoville, said she was "devastated", while the League of Gentleman-allied Horrible Histories boys were "gutted". Jack Whitehall said he was "really upset" about the loss of Shooting Stars.



Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle won two awards, but BBC Two dumped his last series from 10pm into the 11.20pm graveyard slot. Dan Skinner's character Angelos Epithemiou has already done a pilot with Channel 4. Twenty Twelve won 'Best Sitcom', but the Olympic comedy can hardly keep going past August. Even Miranda won't have new episodes on air until autumn next year. The Corporation's cupboard is starting to look alarmingly bare.

This is far from the first year that the BBC have axed shows that have gone on to win comedy awards - hello, the much-lamented Pulling - but it is the first year that Sky has a comedy budget with enough firepower to start picking up disillusioned talent.

Sky took home the gongs for 'Best Comedy Actor' and 'Actress', with Darren Boyd winning for Spy and Victoria Wood for her Angina Monologues, both on Sky 1.

And what's most noticeable is that comedians seem happy there. Both Boyd (a refugee from the BBC's axed Whites) and Alan Partridge writer Armando Iannucci were keen to say how content they were at the broadcaster. It doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility that Stewart Lee could join them some time soon.

This poses something of a problem for the awards, which are enormously popular exactly because comedy brings people together like no other genre. It's hard to see that applying to shows going out on niche channels.

But with nominations for An Idiot Abroad and This Is Jinsy, and with The Cafe, Gates and Mount Pleasant also showing potential, it's something that everyone is going to have to start getting used to.



Elsewhere, the winners proved to be a remarkably uncontroversial bunch, particularly with Sarah Millican topping off a stellar year by picking up her crown as 'Queen of Comedy' – a less divisive winner than Miranda Hart last year. Her new chatshow next year should help cement that populist reputation.

There was little surprise in a CBBC show winning an award after the Horrible Histories boys set their own precedent last year, even if it is still a remarkable achievement to win 'Best Sketch Show'. And there were wins for the old guard too. Graham Norton took 'Best Comedy Entertainment Personality', Have I Got News For You won the 'British Comedy Academy Lifetime Achievement Award' and Lee Evans was given the 'Special Contribution to Comedy'.

At least Fresh Meat brought a breath of fresh air with it's win for 'Best New Comedy Programme', as heralded by the cast yelling their plans to alternate the champagne with water to try and make the night last longer. At least Jack Whitehall was looking alert - even if it was only to deny rumours he's got potential projects in Hollywood.

In short, it was a rather strange year for the British Comedy Awards, and it seems unlikely that anyone will really work out what to make of it until we see what comes of comedy in 2012. One thing's for sure, though: Miranda Hart can expect plenty of calls from BBC bosses to make sure she's going to make her autumn deadline...