TV Times Awards Favourite Drama Nominees
Casualty
Officially The Longest Running Emergency Medical Drama in world TV, Casualty notched up another amazing statistic this year when it celebrated its 25th birthday. Emotional scenes and great characters (not to mention that iconic, electronic music intro) have kept the show in viewers' affections.
Doc Martin
The picture-perfect seaside village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, took a deep breath earlier this year as Doc Martin rolled back into town. Every two years, the idyllic home of fictional Port Wenn becomes flooded with visitors - many from overseas - hoping to snatch a sight of this hugely popular ITV drama. And who can blame them? Grumpy Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) and his quirky little hometown have become one of the most successful double acts on TV.
Scott and Bailey
This sparkling new cop drama bucked a few trends. For one thing, it was all about a pair of female police officers - the shock! The characters sucked us in from episode one, when we first met poor Bailey (Suranne Jones) as she was being dumped by her boyfriend. As she threatened to explode all over the ensuing case (which involved a wayward husband), Scott (Lesley Sharp) did her level best to reign her in. The tension between the two characters was highly watchable.
Downton Abbey
Who would have thought that a drama about posh Edwardians and their servants could take over the world? But that's exactly what happened when Julian Fellowes' Downton juggernaut hit the screens and had everyone talking, from Spain to America. Series two is providing just as many talking points as the Abbey opens its doors to convalescing soldiers.
New Tricks
TV's favourite dino-cops continue to delight us with their curmudgeonly crime solving. No wonder the show has been running for so long. Jack, Gerry, Brian and Sandra have now been entertaining us for an incredible seven years, eight series and nearly 70 episodes. All those big-name cameos can't be wrong, either. The most recent run featured everyone from Paul McGann (as Sandra's old flame) to Sheila Hancock (as her gloriously difficult mum).
Waterloo Road
When the BBC's axe hovered over some of its longest running dramas earlier this year, some wondered if Waterloo Road might be for the chop, too. Thankfully for its many fans, it lives to fight another (school) day and it's proved as popular as ever.
