Best of 2016 Awards: The Winners (Part 2)
Connor Johnston presents the second set of results from Doctor Who TV’s annual awards.
BEST GUEST ACTOR
Winner: Logan Hoffman – Young Grant
Throughout the Moffat era specifically, Doctor Who has continued to be a launching platform in which to showcase and advertise some of the most promising young talents in the industry with great success. This is why it comes as no surprise to see Logan Hoffman claim victory as 2016’s ‘Best Guest Actor’ with 21.43% of the vote, for his portrayal of Young Grant in “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”. For an actor of any age to perform on par with Peter Capaldi in a one on one sequence is incredibly rare and impressive – but for someone as inexperienced as Hoffman to make such a strong impression on the audience to claim victory in not only this poll, but also with yesterday’s ‘Best Pre-Title Sequence’ is remarkably special.
Runner-Up: Aleksandar Jovanovic – Dr Sim
Continuing on from his victory in the best villain category announced with yesterday’s results, Aleksandar Jovanovic earns himself yet another special mention coming in second place with 14.37% of the poll. As mentioned in yesterday’s results, Jovanovic’s portrayal of Dr Sim was without question one of the biggest points of appeal for the episode, maintaining a sense of sinister mystery to the character.
BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR
Winner: Jordan Renzo – Matteusz Andrzejewski
Claiming Class’ first win for the year with 34.78% of the vote is Jordan Renzo with his faultless portrayal of Matteusz. Essentially the show’s sixth lead, Renzo’s work really was as crucial to the show’s success as much as anyone else’s – often being solely responsible for many of the show’s emotional climaxes. Without question, a great deal of Matteusz’s worth was derived from how brilliantly and realistically his relationship with Charlie was handled, both by Patrick Ness and Renzo, by avoiding any of the tropes and stereotypes that have haunted both the representation of gay relationships and young relationships for so long. If Class was to continue into a second series, I cannot stress enough how strongly the show would benefit from upgrading Renzo to a lead role and exploring more of what the character and the actor has to offer.
Runner-Up: Matt Lucas – Nardole
I’m sure most of you can sympathise the feelings of utter disbelief and apathy I originally felt when Matt Lucas’ return to the show was announced last year. I must admit, while I am still not convinced of Nardole’s worth to the show, Matt Lucas did do enough to, at the very least, reopen discussions about his character – proved today with his second place ranking claiming 32.08% of the vote. While he maintained the same comedic value as last year’s special, the strongest hint of potential came instead through the more down to Earth moments; especially in regards to his final scene pledging to aid the Doctor through his grief. I do believe that if the potential witnessed in “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” is anything to go by, Lucas will continue to surprise further in Series 10.
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR
Winner: Charity Wakefield – Lucy Fletcher
With every Christmas special there comes a time in which characters are divided silently into those that are tracked and reflected upon, versus characters that will remain forever as “The one from the Christmas Special” with no other description necessary. Without question, it seems fair to say that Charity Wakefield’s role as Lucy Fletcher in “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” embodies such an overwhelming amount of confidence and ability that will ensure it is a performance that is remembered outside of the success of her episode, claiming victory in this poll with 57.7% of the poll. Whether it be working undercover as an unforgiving journalist, coming home to her role as a mother, slowly realising her feelings for Grant or hysterically interrogating the Doctor with help from a squeeze toy, there is such a strong level of charm and charisma to Wakefield’s performance unseen in other areas.
Runner-Up: Pooky Quesnel – Dorothea Ames
In second place with 35.44% of the vote, earning yet another special mention for her character, is Pooky Quesnel’s portrayal of Headmistress Dorothea throughout the second half of Class’ first series. As I mentioned yesterday, Dorothea will remain as one of Class’ most successful exports, and the fact that the character could make such a strong impression in such a short amount of time is really a product of an impeccable script, but moreso the watertight ability of Quesnel.
BEST LEAD MALE ACTOR
Winner: Peter Capaldi as the Doctor
I don’t believe there will come a time that Peter Capaldi will be beaten in a ‘Lead Actor’ poll, though that isn’t to say his victory is superficial in the slightest – just that even in one episode he can omit such an infectious energy that reaffirms how much of an asset he is to Doctor Who. With the first few moments of “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”, It was clear how much Peter Capaldi had missed the show throughout the year, fitting back into the role with ease. One of the most impressive aspects of the special was how it subtly touched on the Doctor’s grief following the death of River Song in a way that didn’t overpower the episode, but still had an influential effect on the Doctor’s character. It was this emotional journey that Capaldi captured so well. With only one series left of Peter’s Doctor, it seems more fitting than ever before that we savour and reward each and every performance by this incredible actor, doing so today with 78.92% of the vote.
Runner-Up: Greg Austin – Charlie Smith
Leading the charge for Class and second place overall is Greg Austin and his portrayal of Charlie Smith, achieving 12.6% of the vote. Making arguably the strongest initial impression against his peers, Charlie very quickly became a fan favourite. Throughout the series Austin’s portrayal continued to grow, working hand-in-hand with Patrick Ness’ scripts to go from a ‘quirky alien boy’ to an incredibly layered and complex character dealing with all things from his how he interacts with others to the morality of genocide in order to spare millions… Some interesting parallels to someone else we know perhaps?
BEST LEAD FEMALE ACTOR
Winner: Katherine Kelly as Miss Quill
Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one, it is Katherine Kelly’s remarkable performance as Miss Quill that claims victory in the best lead female actor category with 71.19% of the vote. From her first moments onscreen it was clear that Class had secured something truly special in casting Kelly as one of the most well-received characters of any spin-off ever. Again it is truly a testament to both Ness and Kelly that over the course of the series we saw Quill grow from a quick witted caricature to something truly special. Whether it be mourning the loss of her people, her thirst for revenge, the longing for comradely, or her desperation to reclaim her own freedom – it wasn’t just Kelly’s impeccable comic timing that ensured she was such a hit among viewers, but also her ability to make the audience connect to her character on a much deeper emotional level.
Runner-Up: Sophie Hopkins as April MacLean
Regardless of the somewhat divided personal opinion on Class as a whole, one thing that is seemingly unanimous is the praise for the incredibly talented young cast that exhibited not one hint of inexperience throughout the entire series. This can be no truer than for both the striking and relatable portrayals of Vivian Oparah and Sophie Hopkins as Tanya and April respectfully – the latter receiving enough votes in this poll to claim second place with 20.75% of the vote. Hopkins no doubt earned every morsel of this praise, with her character having to deal with a number of significant hurdles that tested her ability greatly, which she handled with no visible strain. From her damaged relationship with her father to her complicated romance with Ram, the chaos of sharing a heart with a murderer to making the ultimate sacrifice in the series’ conclusion – with April, Hopkins left such a monumental mark on the larger narrative of Class, and an obvious impression on the audience simultaneously.
Could Patrick Ness have done enough in 8 episodes to steal the best writer award away from Steven Moffat himself? Find out tomorrow as we conclude the results of Doctor Who TV’s “Best of 2016” Awards.
