October 30, 2008

2008 CableFAX Program Awards

Our first annual salute to cable's best programming.

"How did you judge this contest?" As with our other awards programs, this is what entrants want to know most. While we are not able to reveal the identities of the judges, we will say that the majority of them were cable industry programming executives, supplemented by a few CableFAX editorial staffers. Judges that we felt had conflicts with a particular category or entrant did not adjudicate in that part of the contest. The results of their work, done last summer — far before the Emmys — is what you will find here. If you agree with their picks, you’ve been validated. If you don’t, let the debate begin.
                                                                                                                                             
We also present the first inductees in our cable programming Hall of Fame. And to see the issue in all its full-color glory, click here.

CableFAX Program Award Winners
Best Cable Program: Planet Earth, Discovery Channel

Programming Executive of the Year: Robert Greenblatt, Showtime Networks

Best New Cable Program: Mad Men, AMC

Best Director: Ryan Murphy, nip/tuck, FX Networks

Best Actress in Cable: Glenn Close, Damages, FX Networks

Best Actor in Cable: Jon Hamm, Mad Men, AMC

Best Writer (co-winner): Tom Kapinos, Gina Fattore and Eric Weinberg, Californication, Showtime;
(co-winner): Matthew Weiner, Mad Men, AMC

Best Show or Series, Animals/Nature: Meerkat Manor, Animal Planet

Best Show or Series, Animated: Classical Baby (I'm Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show, HBO

Best Show or Series, Children's: The Sunny Side Up Show, Sprout

Best Show or Series, Education/Instructional/Family Friendly: When Weather Changed History, The Weather Channel

Best Show or Series, Fitness/Health: Healthline, Retirement Living TV

Best Show or Series, Food: Top Chef, Bravo

Best Show or Series, Music: The HDNet Concert Series, HDNet

Best Show or Series, News: Dan Rather Reports, HDNet

Best Show or Series, Public Affairs: It's Your Call With Lynn Doyle, Modern Day Slavery EP, CN8, The Comcast Network

Best Show or Series, Reality/Game Show: How to Look Good Naked, Lifetime Television

Best Show, Comedy (co-winner): The Colbert Report, Comedy Central;
(co-winner): 10 Items or Less, TBS

Best Show or Series, Sports: Triumph and Tragedy: The Ray Mancini Story, ESPN Classic

Best Show or Series, Talks Show/Commentary: The Suze Orman Show, CNBC

Best Show or Series, Regional: CenterStage, YES Network

Best Show or Series, Other: Life After People, History

Best Show or Series, Family Friendly: Ernest Borgnine, A Grandpa for Christmas, Hallmark Channel

Best Actor/Actress/Host, Animals/Nature: Eugene Cussons, Escape to Chimp Eden, Animal Planet

Best Actor/Actress/Host, News: Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN

Best Actor/Actress/Host, Reality TV/Game Show: Niecy Nash, Clean House, The Style Network

Best Actor/Actress/Host, Sports: Rece Davis, Host/Anchor, ESPN

Best Actor/Actress/Host, Talk Show: Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show, BBC America

Best Actor/Actress/Host, Other: Bear Grylls, Man vs. Wild, Discovery Channel

Most Consciousness-Raising Content: HDNet World Report: A Silent War, A Violent Peace: Uganda's Child Soldiers, HDNet

Best Opening Sequence: David Beckham Open, ESPN

Best Surprise Ending: Vince McMahon's Limo Explosion, WWE

Most Unrealistic Scene That Was Most Entertaining: 10 Items or Less: Mooshi, TBS

Best Use of HD Technology: The NHL on HDNet, HDNet

Best Producer: Sharon Liese, High School Confidential, WE tv

Online/Mobile Extras for a Linear Show: Most Haunted Live, Travel Channel

Best Online-Only/Mobile-Only Show: Green Porno, Sundance Channel

Best VOD Program/Special: Carolina on Demand: High School Sports, Time Warner Cable

2008 Hall of Fame Inductees
Chris Berman, ESPN
Vince McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainment
Sheila Nevins, HBO
E! True Hollywood Story, E
Larry King Live!, CNN
The Shield, FX Networks
The Sopranos, HBO

Community Service Award
Florence Henderson, Retirement Living TV

Also in This Issue
Editor's Note: Cable's Banking Crisis
Cable by the Numbers: 2008 CableFAX Program Awards Edition