TV Times Awards Favourite Entertainment Programme Nominees
The One Show
After all the presenter kerfuffles this was the year that BBC1's teatime favourite settled into its stride. Matt Baker twinkled his way from Strictly Come Dancing to share The One Show hot seat with Alex Jones, and the show hasn't looked back. The only blip: a fire alarm in February that briefly forced the team to flee the studio!
The Cube
It always looks so simple before they step inside, doesn't it? Just seven easy games and then a tasty £250,000 jackpot. But something happens when a contestant enters The Cube - legs go to jelly and straightforward tasks suddenly take on a whole new level of complexity. And that's what we love about this ultra tense series. The biggest puzzle, of course, has yet to be solved. Who is The Body? And when will she do a Stig and sell her story?
Antiques Roadshow
"Antiques Roadshow isn't just about antiques," says Fiona Bruce. "It's history, beauty and drama all wrapped up in one." Yes, like the drama of watching people's faces fall when they realise that their prized ancestral cheese dish is only worth a tenner. But of course everyone loves a success story, too - and no series does it better than Antiques Roadshow. One of this year's best: the '£10' brooch that viewer Jill Cousins saw displayed on the show - and managed to sell for £31,000.
Who Do You Think You Are?
One of the great things about this ancestral history strand is that it never feels tired or faddish, even after eight series. And that's because the stories are always human, relevant and surprising. This year's series has been no different. Emotion was in thick supply as JK Rowling learned that her great-grandfather had been awarded a French medal for bravery, while June Brown discovered some unlikely links to the Spanish Inquisition... and bare-knuckle boxing.
Benidorm
Our favourite Costa-del-comedy continued to do the business for ITV, pulling in some of its best ever ratings. Always outlandish and colourful - from Madge's antics to Mateo's swimwear - the show excels at finding unlikely celebrities to perform outrageous cameos. Two of this year's best were Cilla Black as the irate owner of a swanky seaside pad ('Costa-bob-or-two') and a brilliant turn from Melvyn Hayes as a ludicrous debt enforcer called Mr Pink.
Countryfile
Countryfile has become a Sunday evening favourite, providing a much needed source of news and pride for anyone with an interest in the great British countryside. It's a perfect mix of gentle items and serious pieces about the future of farming.
