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TV Guide Awards
Reuters/Variety - March 5, 2000
By Bob Tourtellotte
LOS ANGELES, March 5 (Reuters) - Readers of TV Guide magazine chose "ER" as their favorite television
drama and "Everybody Loves Raymond" as favorite comedy at the 2nd Annual TV Guide awards on Sunday.
Unlike other award shows, many of which are handed out by industry academies, press groups, or critics, TV Guide
trophies go to audience favorites, and winning one is considered a good measure of TV viewer interest.
"Everybody Loves Raymond" star Ray Romano said the show's award was the first "award of this
caliber" for his critical and commercial hit. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which hands out the
Emmys each September, has overlooked the CBS show.
Several winners acknowledged the fact that TV Guide's awards are voted on by TV viewers, and that distinction gives
industry watchers a strong sign about what TV watchers enjoy.
"Because it's a viewers award...it's an indication of how a show is going," veteran Martin Sheen told
reporters backstage after being named favorite actor in a new series for playing the U.S. president in NBC's rookie
drama "The West Wing."
This year's winners were chosen from some 1.5 million ballots mailed in to TV Guide, one of the TV industry's oldest
magazines since its launch in 1953.
It has a weekly readership of 34 million and in recent years has expanded with TV program listings on the TV Guide
Channel, which is seen in 33.9 million homes each month, as well as with TV Guide Online and TV Guide Interactive.
In two indications of just how far TV Guide readers can stray from industry voters, "JAG" star David James
Elliott was named favorite actor in a drama beating out Dennis Franz of "NYPD Blue," David Duchovny of
"The X-Files" and Sam Waterston of "Law & Order.
Melina Kanakaredes from NBC hit "Providence" took home the award for favorite actress in a drama over top
actresses like "ER's" Julianna Margulies and "X-Files"' Gillian Anderson.
However, TV Guide's readers can be very much in tune with critics, and that happened in the favorite comedic actor
group where "Frasier's" David Hyde Pierce took the award. Pierce has won numerous other honors including
an Emmy, but he still says he never tires of the acknowledgment
"I have a lot of them, and I don't mind," he told reporters backstage as he gripped his new gold statuette
topped by the TV Guide logo. "We've been on the air so long, it's great people still like it."
Jenna Elfman of "Dharma & Greg" was named favorite actress in a comedy. She called the honor "the
coolest" one for her because she works for her fans' enjoyment, and she said the award is a show of their
approval.
CBS' rookie drama, "Judging Amy," about a woman who returns to her hometown to live with her mother
and take a judgeship, was a big winner with two trophies for best new drama and favorite actress in a new series for
its star, Amy Brenneman.
TV Guide's editors also gave a special Editor's Award to the cast of NBC's longtime hit comedy "Friends."
They also choose the "Best Show You're Not Watching," which went to ABC's critical favorite but relatively
low-rated comedy/drama, "Sports Night."
Other winners were "Days of Our Lives," favorite soap opera, and smash hit "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire" as best game show. "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" was named best daytime talk series, and
"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" was best late-night program.
Finally, Veteran sports broadcaster Bob Costas took the trophy for favorite sportscaster and ABC's Peter Jennings
claimed the honor of favorite news personality.
The 2nd Annual TV Guide awards aired on Sunday night on the Fox Broadcasting network.
Complete List of TV Guide Awards:
Editors' Award: Cast of Friends (NBC)
Best Show You're Not Watching: Sports Night (ABC)
Favorite Actor in a New Series: Martin Sheen, The
West Wing (NBC)
Favorite Actress in a New Series: Amy Brenneman,
Judging Amy (CBS)
Favorite Actor in a Comedy: David Hyde Pierce,
Frasier (NBC)
Favorite Actress in a Comedy: Jenna Elfman, Dharma
& Greg (ABC)
Favorite Actor in a Drama: David James Elliott, JAG
(CBS)
Favorite Actress in a Drama: Melina Kanakaredes,
Providence (NBC)
Favorite New Series: Judging Amy (CBS)
Favorite Comedy Series: Everybody Loves Raymond
(CBS)
Favorite Drama Series: ER (NBC)
Favorite Soap Opera: Days of Our Lives (NBC)
Favorite Sportscaster: Bob Costas (NBC)
Favorite Daytime Talk Show: The Rosie O'Donnell
Show (Synd.)
Favorite Game Show: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
(ABC)
Favorite News Personality: Peter Jennings (ABC)
Favorite Late-Night Show: The Tonight Show With
Jay Leno (NBC)
(Winners from TV Guide Online Voting)
Favorite Sci-Fi — Fantasy Show: Buffy the Vampire
Slayer (WB)
Favorite Reality TV: The Real World (MTV)
Favorite TV Pet: Eddie, Frasier (NBC)
Favorite TV Movie or Miniseries: Annie (ABC)
Favorite News Program: Entertainment Tonight
(Synd.)
Favorite Music Show: Total Request Live (MTV)
Favorite Children's Show: Rugrats (Nick)
(Winner from AOL Keyword TV Guide Exclusive
Category)
Favorite Teen Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(WB)
Copyright © 2000 Reuters/Variety. All rights reserved.
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