The National Television Award for Returning Drama is an annual category presented by the National Television Awards. Established in 1995, the award is determined by public vote. The award has previously been known as the National Television Award for Most Popular Drama and later merely Drama, before its name change in 2021.
Winners and nominees
1990s YearShow 1995 Soldier Soldier (ITV) Casualty (BBC One) Band of Gold (ITV) Heartbeat (ITV) 1996 The Bill (ITV) Band of Gold (ITV) Heartbeat (ITV) London's Burning (ITV) 1997 Reckless (ITV) ER (Channel 4/NBC) London's Burning (ITV) A Touch of Frost (ITV) 1998 Jonathan Creek (BBC One) Ballykissangel (BBC One) Kavanagh QC (ITV) Where the Heart Is (ITV) 1999 Goodnight Mister Tom The Bill (ITV) A Touch of Frost (ITV) Where the Heart Is (ITV)
2000s YearShow 2000 Bad Girls (ITV) The Bill (ITV) A Touch of Frost (ITV) Where the Heart Is (ITV) 2001 Bad Girls (ITV) The Bill (ITV) A Touch of Frost (ITV) Always and Everyone (ITV) 2002 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (BBC One) Bad Girls (ITV) Casualty (BBC One) A Touch of Frost (ITV) 2003 A Touch of Frost (ITV) Bad Girls (ITV) Cutting It (BBC One) The Bill (ITV) 2004 The Bill (ITV) Bad Girls (ITV) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Five\CBS) Footballers' Wives (ITV) 2005 Doctor Who (BBC One) Bad Girls (ITV) Desperate Housewives (Channel 4\ABC) The Bill (ITV) 2006 Doctor Who (BBC One) Bad Girls (ITV) Desperate Housewives (Channel 4\ABC) Lost (Channel 4/ABC) 2007 Doctor Who (BBC One) The Bill (ITV1) Shameless (Channel 4) Life on Mars (BBC One) 2008 Doctor Who (BBC One) The Bill (ITV1) Shameless (Channel 4) Desperate Housewives (Channel 4/ABC)
2010s YearShow 2010 Doctor Who (BBC One) The Bill (ITV1) Casualty (BBC One) Shameless (Channel 4) 2011 Waterloo Road (BBC One) Doctor Who (BBC One) Merlin (BBC One) Sherlock (BBC One) 2012 Downton Abbey (ITV) Doctor Who (BBC One) Merlin (BBC One) Waterloo Road (BBC One) 2013 Downton Abbey (ITV) Doctor Who (BBC One) Merlin (BBC One) Sherlock (BBC One) 2014 Doctor Who (BBC One) Downton Abbey (ITV) Call the Midwife (BBC One) Broadchurch (ITV) 2015 Downton Abbey (ITV) Cilla (ITV) Doctor Who (BBC One) Sherlock (BBC One) 2016 Downton Abbey (ITV) Broadchurch (ITV) Casualty (BBC One) Doctor Who (BBC One) 2017 Casualty (BBC One) Cold Feet (ITV) Game of Thrones (Sky Atlantic/HBO) Happy Valley (BBC One) The Night Manager (BBC One) 2018 Doctor Foster (BBC One) Casualty (BBC One) Call the Midwife (BBC One) Game of Thrones (Sky Atlantic/HBO) Liar (ITV) 2019 Peaky Blinders (BBC Two) Call the Midwife (BBC One) Casualty (BBC One) Doctor Who (BBC One) Our Girl (BBC One)
2020s YearShow 2020 Peaky Blinders (BBC Two)Call the Midwife (BBC One) Casualty (BBC One) Killing Eve (BBC One/BBC America) Line of Duty (BBC One) 2021 Line of Duty (BBC One)Call the Midwife (BBC One) The Crown (Netflix) Unforgotten (ITV) 2022 Peaky Blinders (BBC One)Call the Midwife (BBC One) Bridgerton (Netflix) The Split (BBC One) 2023 Happy Valley (BBC One)Call the Midwife (BBC One) Stranger Things (Netflix) Vera (ITV) 2024Bridgerton (Netflix)Call the Midwife (BBC One) The Crown (Netflix) Trigger Point (ITV1) Vera (ITV1)
Multiple wins 6 wins Doctor Who (5 consecutive)
4 wins Downton Abbey
3 wins Peaky Blinders 2 wins Bad Girls (consecutive) The Bill
Multiple nominations 12 nominations Doctor Who (11 consecutive)
10 nominations The Bill (3 consecutive)
8 nominations Casualty
7 nominations Bad Girls (consecutive) Call the Midwife (consecutive)
6 nominations A Touch of Frost
5 nominations Downton Abbey (consecutive)
3 nominations Desperate Housewives Merlin Shameless Sherlock Where the Heart Is
2 nominations Band of Gold Broadchurch Game of Thrones Heartbeat London's Burning Waterloo Road Bridgerton Line of Duty Happy Valley Vera The Crown
References