Cult TV Awards 2005

Last Alteration: Thursday 03 November 2005

The twelfth annual Cult TV festival took place on 28th -31st October 2005. The star-studded awards ceremony was on Saturday 29th, with awards nominated by (a few months earlier) and voted for by the attendees. This year's Cult TV was the first for which Doctor Who was a current series, and it was no surprise at all that it emerged the overall winner, positively trouncing the "opposition".

Winners

• Best returning terrestrial series: Doctor Who. New series director Brian Grant accepted the award.
• Best guest appearance: Richard Wilson, with Anne Robinson also nominated.
• Breakthrough performance: Billie Piper. Brian Grant accepted the award.
• Best new title sequence: Doctor Who. That busy Brian Grant accepted the award again.
• Cult Personality 2005: Andrew Marr. I assume that his appearance in Doctor Who swung it his way. A message of thanks from Andrew was read out.
• Hall of fame - actor: Christopher Eccleston, with Patrick Troughton also nominated. Brian Grant again accepted the award..
• Hall of fame - actress: Jean Marsh. Her acceptance speech was read out.
• Hall of fame - director: Christopher Barry. Joe Ahearne and Keith Boak were also nominated.
• Hall of fame - producer: Philip Hinchcliffe. Phil Collinson was also nominated.
• Hall of fame - writer: Russell T Davies, and Robert Holmes was also nominated. Brian Grant accepted the award..
• Hall of fame - villain: the Cybermen. Carole Ann Ford and William Russell accepted the award (I expect Brian Grant needed a rest).
• Hall of fame - special effects: David Houghton. Brian Grant accepted the award (having had his rest).
• Hall of shame - worst line of dialogue: "And now on ITV1, Celebrity Wrestling". I suppose this was voted for by Who fans(?).
• Hall of shame - worst special effect: The dinosaurs in Invasion of the Dinosaurs. The Dalek Saucer in The Dalek Invasion of Earth was also nominated.
• There was also a Golden Screen award for the winner that received the most votes: Doctor Who, as best returning terrestrial series.

Nominated, but not winners

• Hall of fame - costumes: Lucinda Wright, Rupert Jarvis and Daphne Dare, all for their work on Who.
• Hall of shame worst continuity clanger: the Cybermen recognising the TARDIS in Earthshock.

Winners with Doctor Who connections

• Best television special: Casanova, starring David Tennant. Blackpool and Quatermass 2005, both also featuring Tennant, were nominated. Best repeat series: Day of the Triffids, which was directed by David Maloney.
• DVD presentation: The Strange Report, which included Anneke Wills.
• Hall of fame - animated character: Parker from Thunderbirds, who was voiced by David Graham.

Not a bad haul then, and it was good to see that the 1963-1989 series won a few. Carole Ann Ford, William Russell, Annette Badland, Brian Grant, George Sewell and David Graham were all guests over the weekend. The thirteenth Cult TV will be on 20th -23rd October 2006. The Web site is www.cult.tv.

Dave Parsons