Séamas O'Reilly: Presenting the first annual Séamie Awards for telly excellence

"...I’ve taken it upon myself to conceive a brave new series of gongs to restore small screen achievements to their rightful place in the cultural firmament..."

Séamas O'Reilly: sanctioning body and presenter of the Annual Séamie Awards. Picture: Orfhlaith Whelan

Is it possible we undervalue TV? In the last two decades, cinema has seen its status as the primary venue for cutting-edge drama wane, and its primacy in the field of documentary — and, most strikingly, comedy — wholly vaulted by its televisual competitors.

Despite this, the Oscars remain a cultural tentpole with little equal in the cultural calendar. Neither you nor I can name a single winner from the Emmy Awards.