2008 CableFAX Program Awards
"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 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, 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 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
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
