The British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Programme is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry. According to the BAFTA website, the category "includes quizzes, game shows, talent shows, music specials and all general entertainment programmes."
The category has been through several name and category changes: From 1958 to 1970 it was presented as an individual award named Best Light Entertainment. In 1971 the name was changed to Best Light Entertainment Programme and in 1992 it was changed again to Best Light Entertainment Programme or Series. Since 2000 the category is presented under the name of Best Entertainment Programme.
Winners and nominees 1950s Best Light Entertainment Year Recipient(s)1958 Brian Tesler1959 Joan Kemp-Welch
1960s Best Light Entertainment Year Recipient(s) Title1960 Bill Ward1961 Ned Sherrin1962 George Inns1963 Duncan Wood1964 Colin Clews1965 Francis Essex1966 Joe McGrath Not Only... But AlsoThe Big Noise Ken Carter The Benny Hill ShowThe Lance Percival Show Terry Henebery Jazz 625Torme's Back in TownElla FitzgeraldJazz Scene USACommonwealth Jazz Club Dennis Main Wilson Scott on BirdsScott on MoneyThe Roy Castle ShowHere I Come Whoever I AmTill Death Do Us Part 1967 Ned Sherrin, John Bird1968 Ned Sherrin1969 Dennis Main Wilson MartyTill Death Do Us Part
1970s Best Light Entertainment Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster1970 Just Pet Yvonne Littlewood BBCPlease Sir! Mark Stuart ITV Bobbie Gentry: The Price of Fame Stanley Dorfman BBC The World of Beachcomber Duncan Wood Dad's Army David Croft BBC One Monty Python's Flying Circus John Howard Davies, Ian McNaughton Not in Front of the Children Graeme Muir
Best Light Entertainment Programme Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster1971 Dad's Army David Croft and team BBC One The Benny Hill Show John Robins ITV The Morecambe and Wise Show John Ammonds Monty Python's Flying Circus Ian McNaughton BBC One Up Pompeii! David Croft1972 The Benny Hill Show John Robins, David Bell ITV The Goodies John Howard Davies BBC Two The Two Ronnies Terry Hughes BBC One The Comedians Johnny Hamp ITV1973 Monty Python's Flying Circus Ian McNaughton and the production team BBC One Dave Allen at Large Peter Whitmore BBC Two The Two Ronnies Terry Hughes BBC One1974 The Stanley Baxter Big Picture Show David Bell ITV Dave Allen at Large Peter Whitmore BBC Two The Morecambe and Wise Show John Ammonds ITV The Two Ronnies Terry Hughes BBC One1975 The Stanley Baxter Moving Picture Show David Bell ITV The Two Ronnies Terry Hughes BBC One The Benny Hill Show John Robins, Mark Stuart ITV Monty Python Ian MacNaughton BBC Two1976 The Two Ronnies Terry Hughes BBC One The Stanley Baxter Moving Picture Show Part III Jon Scoffield ITV Dave Allen at Large Peter Whitmore BBC Two The Goodies Jim Franklin 1977 The Muppet Show Production Team ITV The Two Ronnies Terry Hughes BBC One The Morecambe and Wise Show Ernest Maxin Mastermind Bill Wright 1978 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show Ernest Maxin BBC One The Muppet Show Jim Henson ITV The Two Ronnies Peter Whitmore BBC One Mike Yarwood in Persons John Ammonds1979 The Kenny Everett Video Show David Mallet ITV The Two Ronnies Peter Whitmore BBC One The Good Life (Special) John Howard Davies The Muppet Show Jim Henson ITV
1980s Best Light Entertainment Programme Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster1980 Ripping Yarns Alan Bell, Jim Franklin BBC Two The Kenny Everett Video Show David Mallet ITV The Muppet Show Jim Henson The Two Ronnies Peter Whitmore BBC One1981 Not the Nine O'Clock News John Lloyd, Sean Hardie, Bill Wilson BBC Two The Kenny Everett Video Show David Mallet ITVAn Audience with Dame Edna Everage Alasdair Macmillan The Two Ronnies Michael Hurll, K Paul Jackson BBC One1982 The Stanley Baxter Series David Bell, John Kaye Cooper ITV The Two Ronnies Paul Jackson BBC One The Kenny Everett Video Show Royston Mayoh ITV Wood and Walters Peter Eckersley, Stuart Orme1983 Three of a Kind Paul Jackson BBC One Not the Nine O'Clock News John Lloyd, Sean Hardie BBC Two The Two Ronnies Paul Jackson BBC One The Stanley Baxter Hour John Kaye Cooper ITV1984 Carrott's Lib Geoff Posner BBC One The Kenny Everett Television Show Bill Wilson ITV The Two Ronnies Marcus Plantin BBC One Three of a Kind Paul Jackson1985 An Audience with Dame Edna Everage Richard Drewett ITV The Hot Shoe Show Tom Gutteridge BBC One Yes, Minister (Special: Party Games) Peter Whitmore BBC Two Spitting Image Jon Blair, Tony Hendra, John Lloyd ITV1986 Victoria Wood As Seen On TV Geoff Posner BBC Two Spitting Image John Lloyd ITV Alas Smith and Jones John Kilby, Jimmy Mulville BBC Two Treasure Hunt Peter Holrnans, Malcolm Heyworth Channel 41987 Victoria Wood As Seen On TV Geoff Posner BBC Two Spitting Image John Lloyd, Geoffrey Perkins ITV Clive James on Television Nicholas Barrett Alas Smith and Jones John Kilby BBC Two Entertainment USA Gordon Elsbury Who Dares Wins Denise O'Donoghue, Andy Hamilton BBC One1988 Victoria Wood On TV Special Geoff Posner BBC Two Alas Smith and Jones John Kilby, Jamie Rix BBC Two Spitting Image Geoffrey Perkins ITV The Dame Edna Experience Richard Drewett, Judith Holder1989 An Audience With Victoria Wood David G. Hillier ITV French and Saunders Geoff Posner, Kevin Bishop BBC Two The Lenny Henry Show Geoff Posner BBC One Spitting Image Geoffrey Perkins ITV
1990s Best Light Entertainment Programme Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster1990 Clive James on the '80s Elaine Bedell, Richard Drewett ITV Whose Line Is It Anyway? Dan Patterson, Chris Bould Channel 4 The Dame Edna Experience Claudia Rosencrantz, Alasdair Macmillan ITV Victoria Wood Geoff Posner, Kevin Bishop BBC One1991 Whose Line Is It Anyway? Dan Patterson, Chris Bould Channel 4 French and Saunders Jon Plowman, Bob Spiers BBC Two Mr. Bean John Howard Davies ITV Spitting Image Bill Dare
Best Light Entertainment Programme or Series Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster1992 Have I Got News for You Harry Thompson BBC Two Spitting Image Bill Dare, Steve Bendelack, Andy De Emmony ITV Julie Walters and Friends Alasdair Macmillan, Nicholas Barrett Whose Line Is It Anyway? Dan Patterson, Chris Bould Channel 41993 Noel's House Party Michael Leggo BBC One Harry Enfield's Television Programme Geoffrey Perkins, Geoff Posner Have I Got News for You Harry Thompson BBC Two Whose Line Is It Anyway? Dan Patterson, Chris Bould Channel 41994 Rory Bremner... Who Else? Geoff Atkinson, Elaine Morris, Steve Connelly, Tom Poole Channel 4 Barrymore Maurice Leonard, John Gorman ITV French and Saunders Jon Plowman, Bob Spiers BBC One Noel's House Party Michael Leggo, Jonathan Beazley1995 Don't Forget Your Toothbrush Lisa Clark, Stephen Stewart Channel 4 Knowing Me, Knowing You... With Alan Partridge Armando Iannucci, Dominic Brigstocke BBC Two Rory Bremner... Who Else? Geoff Atkinson, Elaine Morris, Steve Connelly, Juliet May Channel 4 Smashie and Nicey: The End of an Era Alison Owen, Daniel Kleinman BBC One1996 The Mrs Merton Show Peter Kessler, Pati Marr, Dominic Brigstocke BBC Two Have I Got News for You Colin Swash, John FD Northover BBC Two Shooting Stars Alan Marke, Mark Mylod Rory Bremner... Who Else? Geoff Atkinson, Elaine Morris, Steve Connelly, David Crean Channel 41997 Shooting Stars Alan Marke, Mark Mylod BBC Two Rory Bremner... Who Else? Geoff Atkinson, Elaine Morris, Steve Smith, Steve Connelly Channel 4 The Fast Show Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Sid Robeson, Mark Mylod BBC Two Ruby Wax Meets Clive Tulloh, Don Boyd BBC1998 The Fast Show Charlie Higson, Paul Whitehouse, Mark Mylod BBC Two Harry Enfield and Chums Sophie Clarke-Jervoise, Dominic Brigstocke BBC One Harry Hill Charlie Hanson, Robin Nash Channel 4 Have I Got News for You Colin Swash, Richard Wilson BBC Two1999 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Paul Smith, Guy Freeman, Martin Scott ITV Big Train Sioned Wiliam, Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews BBC Two Goodness Gracious Me Anil Gupta, Nick Wood Rory Bremner... Who Else? Geoff Atkinson, Jon Magnusson, Geraldine Dowd, Henry Murray Channel 4
2000s Best Entertainment Programme Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster2000 Robbie The Reindeer: Hooves of Fire BBC One So Graham Norton Graham Stuart, Jon Magnusson, Steve Smith Channel 4 Have I Got News for You Colin Swash, Richard Wilson, Giles Pilbrow BBC Two Robot Wars Tom Gutteridge, Stephen Carsey, Bill Hobbins2001 So Graham Norton Graham Stuart, Jon Magnusson, Steve Smith Channel 4 Have I Got News for You Giles Pilbrow, Colin Swash, Richard Wilson BBC One Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Paul Smith, Colman Hutchinson ITV The Weakest Link David Young, Ruth Davis, Richard Valentine BBC Two2002 Pop Idol Claire Horton, Ken Warwick, Jonathan Bullen ITV Have I Got News for You Colin Swash, Richard Wilson, Nick Martin, Paul Wheeler BBC One Parkinson Beatrice Ballard, Stuart McDonald Room 101 Richard Wilson, Victoria Payne, Geraldine Dowd BBC Two2003 I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ITV Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Suzi Aplin, Mick Thomas, Jonathan Ross BBC One Test the Nation Nichola Hegarty, John Kaye Cooper, Simon Staffurth The Kumars at No. 42 Lissa Evans, Richard Pinto, Sharat Sardana BBC Two2004 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Addison Cresswell, Suzi Aplin, Mick Thomas BBC One Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway James Sunderland, Chris Power ITV Pop Idol Richard Holloway, Claire Horton, Jonathan Bullen Have I Got News for You Richard Wilson, Nick Martin, Steve Doherty BBC One2005 I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ITV Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Addison Cresswell, Suzi Aplin, Mick Thomas BBC One Strictly Come Dancing Karen Smith, Richard Hopkins, Izzie Pick QI John Lloyd, Ian Lorimer BBC Two2006 The X Factor ITV Friday Night with Jonathan Ross BBC One Have I Got News for You Richard Wilson, Nick Martin, Jo Bunting Strictly Come Dancing Karen Smith, Richard Hopkins, Sam Donnelly2007 The X Factor Richard Holloway, Claire Horton, Andrew Llinares, Siobhan Greene ITV Derren Brown: The Heist Derren Brown, Simon Mills, Andy Nyman, Ben Caron Channel 4Dancing on Ice ITVHow Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? BBC One2008 Harry Hill's TV Burp Spencer Millman, Peter Orton, Harry Hill ITV Britain's Got Talent Richard Holloway, Andrew Llinares, Ben Thursby, Georgie Hurford-Jones ITV Have I Got News for You Jo Bunting, Nick Martin, Richard Wilson BBC One Strictly Come Dancing Martin Scott, Sam Donnelly, Clodagh O'Donoghue2009 The X Factor Richard Holloway, Andrew Llinares, Siobhan Greene, Mark Sidaway ITV Friday/Sunday Night Project Dean Nabarro, Richard Ackerman, Henrietta Conrad, Andrew Westwell Channel 4 Harry Hill's TV Burp Harry Hill, Peter Orton, Spencer Millman ITV QI John Lloyd, Piers Fletcher, Ian Lorimer BBC One
2010s