Matthew Panter: Some great television winners but you've lost me on the comedy front

And that makes it the perfect companion when sitting down to catch up with The National Television Awards.

It’s the night of the year when television royalty gathers together to celebrate, apparently, the best in British television, but, I’ll be honest, I can think of better ways to spend two and a half hours.

I’ve not watched the awards in full since the days when Robson Green, John Thaw and David Jason battled it out for best actor for roles in Soldier Soldier, Inspector Morse and a Touch of Frost.

Yet, I still like to know who is winning awards – it’s important to keep up with trends and know the kind of programmes which appeal to the masses, and the actors and actresses who are capturing the public’s attention.

Flicking through this year’s awards, it raised a few questions for me. Like, why do you all keep voting for Ant and Dec to win best TV presenter? I understand they are popular but it’s been 23 years! Doesn’t anyone want to see someone else step up on stage at collect that particular gong? I’m not one for change myself – give me continuity any day – but even I find the constant success boring. It’s worse than Manchester City’s dominance of the Premier League.

The awards also beg the question, who finds Mrs Brown’s Boys the funniest? You clearly all do but Mon dieu! as Del Boy would say, I can’t understand how anyone can. And winning best sitcom ahead of Ghosts too. I’m clearly out of the loop. I’ll go back to watching Gold.

On the plus side, Sort Your Life Out won best reality show and that sounds like the kind of advice I could do with right now. Anyone got Stacey Solomon’s number?

Sir David Attenborough won the expert award, though Martin Lewis and Caleb Cooper were also worthy nominees.

And what the National Television Awards do highlight is that, for all of the dross that can be produced on the small screen, there’s also some fantastic stuff, which can have a huge influence.

It was only right that Mr Bates vs The Post Office should win three awards. The ITV drama which renewed attention on the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal, picked up the new drama prize and the Impact award as well as an individual gong for the outstanding Toby Jones.

As Jones said, after winning his acting accolade for portraying Sir Alan Bates, “It’s a great opportunity to renew the pressure on the Government, the new Government, to recompense the postmasters before the end of the year.”

A Coronation Street storyline was also deserving of a national accolade and received one. I have to admit, having watched the soap with family over the years, I stopped when it turned into a cross between The Bill – more scenes in the police station than The Rovers – and early Hollyoaks, with lots of teenage angst.

But I had caught up with some of the performances delivered in building on the work of the likes of Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield in raising the profile of motor neurone disease, its terrible impact and the need to keep pushing for a cure.

Peter Ash was deservedly honoured for his portrayal of Street favourite Paul Foreman and his deterioration as he battled with MND, with the character recently dying.

Likewise it was great to Clarkson’s Farm – though not winning – in the running for awards, championing the importance of our farmers.

As Ludlow farmer Graham Price, NFU Shropshire chair, said recently “I think he has done a great job bringing a further understanding to people about many of the issues we face as we go about our jobs producing food.”

So television can still be great and, when it makes an impact, it’s a truly wonderful thing.

Anyway, what’s on now? Mrs Brown’s Boys, you say? Quickly get my hand down the side of the couch and find that remote!