Office collects yet another award

The Office has added to its collection of awards, picking up another for best sitcom.

Its Christmas specials won the category at the Royal Television Society awards on Tuesday, ahead of nominees Marion and Geoff and Peep Show.

Judges said: "The problem of writing a final episode of a much-loved comedy was fully resolved. Tim gets Dawn. Dawn gets her oil paints. Brent gets the girl and we are carried along with it all. Perfection!"

Meanwhile, Little Britain won two awards on the night: for best entertainment show and for best comedy performance for its stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

Judges said the show had "wonderful invention in writing and performance [that] brought great originality to the potentially dated television form of sketch comedy.".

Walliams and Lucas had been entered separately but the judges re-united them as one entry "on account of their joint success".

The citation said: "They gave us narrative drive, memorable characters and a real breakthrough from a digital channel."

They were up against Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and Bo' Selecta! in the entertainment category and Ricky Gervais and 3 Non Blondes' Jocelyn Jee Esien for their individual performance.

Jonathan Ross was named best entertainment performer for his Friday-night BBC1 talk show, beating his perennial rivals Ant and Dec, but also surprise nominee Mark Steel

And Comic Relief 2003 was named the TV event of the year.

Published: 17 Mar 2004