The National TV Awards' shortlist has been announced and there are, as usual, some exciting nominations in the key categories. BBC1 holds the cards in the best New Drama category with Poldark up against Ordinary Lies, Doctor Foster and Channel 4 sci fi thriller Humans.
In a departure from previous years, factual programmes have been pitted against entertainment shows in a new all-embracing category TV Presenter, so perennial Entertainment Presenter champions Ant and Dec ill face contenders like Mel and Sue from The Great British Bake Off, Graham Norton and the ubiquitous Rylan Clark.
New category Live Magazine Show features four shows that make headlines day in and day out: BBC Breakfast, Loose Women, The One Show and This Morning.
The Challenge Show category finds celebrities taken out of their comfort zone in Bear Grylls: Mission Survive, Claude Littner joining Lord Sugar on The Apprentice, Simon Wood taking home the MasterChef trophy and The Great British Bake Off.
Serial Drama will be as keenly contested as ever - EastEnders went live twith Who Killed Lucy, Coronation Street’s Kylie bludgeoned Callum in another live special, a helicopter crash caused mayhem in Emmerdale and Hollyoaks marked its 20th anniversary by unmasking the Gloved Hand Killer.
The contenders for Serial Drama Performance include EastEnders' Rakhee Thakrar and Danny Dyer, Corrie’s Alison King and Emmerdale's Michael Parr.
The Newcomer category is almost as hotly contested. Gemma Atkinson has caused chaos in Emmerdale as scheming Carly and Parry Glasspool’s Harry on Hollyoaks has been getting Ste hot under the collar. And switching careers from music to acting has definitely paid dividends for Richard Blackwood (EastEnders) and Shayne Ward (Coronation Street).
In the Drama category, BBC1's medical staple Casualty makes the shortlist in its 30th anniversary year, while Broadchurch gets a nod for its second series. Downton Abbey and Doctor Who complete the nominees.
The Factual Entertainment category features DIY SOS: the Big Build – in which Princes William and Harry memorably helped renovate homes for war veterans – against Gogglebox, Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs and Top Gear.
The Drama Performance category pitches David Tennant (Broadchurch), against Sheridan Smith (Black Work), Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster) and Aidan Turner (Poldark).
Ant and Dec are once again up against…Ant and Dec! Yes, in the Entertainment Programme category, Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway will be competing against I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! But they’ll face stiff competition from Friday-night favourite The Graham Norton Show and the gloriously filthy Celebrity Juice.
ITV says it’s the UK’s favourite TV awards ceremony and they're the awards that listen to you, the viewing public. You can vote for your favourite stars and shows in the 2016 National TV Awards HERE.
Alternatively, you can also vote by phone 0905 647 2016. Calls cost 25p per minute, plus your network access charge, and should last no longer than seven minutes.
Voting for the National TV Awards closes at noon on Wednesday, January 20.
