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TV Tonight Awards 2023: Best Free to Air Network

Plus Story of the Year, Most Underrated Performer of 2023.

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Readers have voted ABC as the Best Free to Air Network of 2023 in the annual TV Tonight Awards.

The broadcaster took out the award for the fourth year running ahead of Networks 10, Seven, SBS and Nine.

Chris Oliver-Taylor, ABC Chief Content Officer said, “The ABC is thrilled to win Best FTA Network for the fourth year running, as voted by the readers of TV Tonight.

“Many of us at the ABC are avid readers of the site and know how vital it is for all of us who work in the industry, it also allows us all to get a real sense of how Australia audiences are feeling about the shows they watch, programming changes or new things that we are all announcing.

“To be voted Best FTA Network for so many years in a row is testament to the many thousands of people that work at the ABC, across our News and Content teams and our world class local production sector. This combination of talent, generating some of the best content in Australia, from the 7pm News, Four Corners, Australian Story to Back Roads, Landline and Gardening Australia and Grand Designs Australia, Fisk, Bluey and The Newsreader is the reason why we all should be proud that Australia has such a strong National Broadcaster.

“Thank you to the wonderful readers of TV Tonight.”

Netflix was again voted Best Subscription Service.

Sam Pang, already voted Favourite Male, also took out the Most Underrated Performer of 2023.

Seven’s sensational FIFA Women’s World Cup ratings took out the Story of the Year while the International Show We Need to See was a melting pot of ideas, narrowly won by UK sitcom Big Boys -with a lot of other close contenders.

* denotes runaway winner

Best Free to Air Network : ABC
10
Seven
SBS
Nine
(2022: ABC)

Best Subscription Service : Netflix
Foxtel
Stan
Disney+
Binge
(2022: Netflix)

Most Underrated Performer : Sam Pang
Aaron Chen, Jackie Woodburne, Tom Cashman
Sarah Harris.
(2022: Aaron Chen / Sam Pang tie)

International Show We Need to See on Aussie TV : Big Boys
Big Brother UK, General Hospital
Found, Hollyoaks, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here UK, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Mr Bates v the Post Office, The Golden Bachelor, The Woman in the Wall.
(2022: The Kelly Clarkson Show)

Story of the Year : FIFA Women’s World Cup ratings *
US Actors, Writers strikes
Death of Brian Walsh, Barry Humphries, Jock Zonfrillo, Cal Wilson, Johnny Ruffo
Lisa Wilkinson / 10 vs Bruce Lehrmann trial
Death of Matthew Perry
(2022: Coverage of death of Queen Elizabeth II)

There were just under 400 surveys completed, down slightly on 2022.

90% voted the site ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’, with just 1% choosing ‘Disappointing’ – the same result as 2022.

64% visit ‘More than Once a Day’ or ‘Once a Day’.

Thanks again to all who participated!

David

18 Responses

  1. I don’t agree that Sam Pang is underrated because he has appeared on HYBPA and The Front Bar as a regular presenter. But have to say, I consider underrated stars like Guy Montgomery, Mel Tracina, Jason Leong, just to name a few. Give others a chance.

  2. Pang is going to become overrated pretty soon he already is. Kitty deserves to win the award of underrated performer. She doesn’t get the recognition she deserves for Fiske!

  3. People are so biased towards the ABC. I don’t agree with it doing first at all. SBS is far superior!! It should have been number one as far as I’m concerned.

    What’s with TT obsession with Sam Pang? I’m probably the only one who doesn’t like him except for in Fiske.

  4. I find it odd that International versions of reality shows aren’t shown here. We all know about the inbuilt audience for shows such as Big Brother. Chuck the UK version on a multichannel and it would do consistent numbers surely?

  5. ITV’s Mr Bates v The Post Office is looking set to go down as one of the most impactful dramas in recent history, in terms of it resulting in action on that long running shocking scandal.

    1. There has been investigative journalism, a book and a radio drama over the last 14 years. But the TV drama led to 1m people signing an online petition calling on Vennells to hand back her CBE, which she did the following week. Sunak then announced yet another exoneration and compensation scheme the day after that. But I doubt the problems with corporate contracts undying it all will be fixed.

    2. It also did not screen in 2023, so isn’t eligible for entry. The first episode screened 1/1/24 in the UK (January 2nd in Australia due to the time difference).

  7. Show we need to see has to be the final season of Breeders on Disney+… I can’t believe I’m still waiting for it.
    I finished Big Boys on Paramount+. What an incredible show. It depicted depression perfectly. There’s a scene where Danny is having very dark thoughts and he hallucinates Jack who tells him don’t leave us … Danny then replies simply “I don’t want to leave you, I want to leave me”. One of those moments that made me cry because it is so real and cuts deep with me personally. Jon Pointing gives one of the best performances of last year as Danny. What a show. Do yourself a favour if you haven’t gotten around to it. I thought I’d finalised my list of best shows for 2023… then comes along Big Boys and it slots in the top 5 very nicely.

  10. I think it might be the point at which Sam Pang is no longer underrated. Sam is already a regular on HYBPA? and The Front Bar. I think of underrated as being stars like Aaron Chen or Mel Tracina. Stars that could grow in their careers and could even be TV hosts.

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