TV Tonight Awards 2024: Best Free to Air Network
Plus: Best Subscription, Story of the Year, Most Underrated Performer.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News, Top Stories
Readers have voted ABC as the Best Free to Air Network for the fifth year running in the 2024 TV Tonight Awards.
Netflix again took out Best Subscription Service while “Toxic workplaces across TV industry: bullying, sexism, racism” has been deemed 2024’s Story of the Year.
ABC Chief Content Officer Chris Oliver-Taylor said, “I am delighted that ABC TV has, once again won the best Free to Air Network in Australia. The ABC is for all Australians and I am incredibly proud that our broad range of Australian content, commissioned across every genre, has connected with the readers of TV Tonight.
“In 2024 the ABC commissioned some of the most impactful programs in global television, often in partnership with our amazing independent production sector, just some highlights of over 100 shows commissioned in 2024 included Total Control, Austin, Return to Paradise, I Was Actually There, Better Date Than Never, The Assembly, the number one comedy of the year, Fisk and of course the biggest Kids show in the world, Bluey.
“Look out for an inspiring slate of content in 2025 where new shows like The Piano, Portrait Artist of the Year, Optics and The Family Next Door will always be available, for free on ABC TV and ABC iview. Wishing all of your readers a wonderful 2025.”
Aaron Chen, who featured on Fisk, Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey, topped the list of Most Underrated Performer -he has previously tied for the award.
There was no clear winner in International Show We Need to See on Aussie TV but Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage / I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here UK / Ludwig tied in first place. Ludwig will screen soon on Seven.
Best Free to Air Network: ABC *
10
Seven
SBS
Nine
(2023: ABC)
Best Subscription Service: Netflix *
Disney+
Stan
Foxtel
Binge
(2023: Netflix)
The Story of the Year: Toxic workplaces across TV industry: bullying, sexism, racism *
Alan Jones charged
Bruce Lehrmann loses defamation case
Paris Olympics / Paralympics
Ratings revamp by OzTAM
(2023: FIFA Women’s World Cup ratings)
Most Underrated Performer: Aaron Chen
Sam Pang / Tom Cashman
Kitty Flanagan
Tim McDonald
(2023: Sam Pang)
International Show We Need to See on Aussie TV: Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage / I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here UK / Ludwig
St Denis Medical / The Floor
(2023: Big Boys)
* denotes runaway winner
There were just under 300 surveys completed. 88% voted the site “Excellent” or “Very Good” with just 1% choosing “Disappointing.”
63% visit the site “More than Once a Day” or “Once a Day.”
Thanks again to all who participated!
David
8 Responses
Yeah, I think it was pretty much inevitable that “Toxic workplaces across TV industry: bullying, sexism, racism” would be deemed 2024’s Story of The Year. Similarly, the ABC and Netflix continuing their long reigns as voters favourite FTA Network and Subscription Service respectively.
Although most titles Chris Oliver-Taylor cited as 2024 highlights for the ABC aren’t any major surprise, I wouldn’t have thought “Better Date Than Never” was likely to get a mention on the basis of not really making a splash in either viewership numbers or social media buzz.
Mind you, the ABC scheduling Better Date Than Never to air around the same time as MAFS (both in 2024 and 2023, IIRC) also set it up for failure. At least both seasons of Love On The Spectrum were mostly scheduled away from the major commercial network reality franchises, putting aside the likely uncoincidental scheduling by Nine of an ACA MAFS Wedding Event on the same night as LOTS:AU’s Season 1 premiere in 2019.
I wish an Australian network would show recent seasons of Race Across the World. Channel 9 haven’t aired any since the covid pandemic stopped production of the show.
Yes I enjoyed this one, heaps!
I love this site also – and thrilled ABC won. There are so many top productions which ABC airs. Great job by them
Who the heck could find this site disappointing …and why are they even here and filling out the survey?
Thanks Maev…. thankfully it’s only about 1% every year. I’ve even seen some people vote “Disappointing” at the same time as choosing “Visit More than Once a Day.” It does beggar belief, especially given a free site.
I’m only disappointed when you are on hiatus, but respect you need a break and all the other workers on your site must too ;)
I guess you sometimes have to move your fingers from the keyboard before you giggle and roll yours eyes!