The 48th edition of the Rose d’Or Festival of Lucerne,
Switzerland closed with the presentation of the coveted eight Golden Roses Awards. They were presented to the winners by leading Swiss personalities, including Freddy
Burger, chairman of Freddy Burger Management, which owns the rights to the Rose d’Or Festival, and Swiss-native Kiera Chaplin, granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, who presented the award for Best Entertainer. Well-known Dutch comedian and musical virtuoso Hans Liberg hosted the evening.

Urban Frye, festival director, presented Ben Silverman, co-chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, with the 2008 Honorary Rose. “The winner of this award is carefully considered by the Rose d'Or organization and presented to someone who is renowned in the industry for their contribution to television,” Frye said. “ Ben Silverman has transformed the television business model and is continually pushing the boundaries of this ever-expanding medium. Ben personifies this award and I am delighted to present him with the 2008 Honorary Rose.”

The Festival received a new record of 402 programs, entered by 181 companies across 34 countries. From these, a pre-selection jury nominated 75 programs from 55 companies and 19 countries to compete in their respective categories.

A high-profile group of 19 jury members narrowed this field to the top winners in each of the following eight categories: Arts Documentary, Comedy, Drama, Sitcom, Entertainment, Game Show, Performing Arts, and Reality. Special Awards were presented for Best Entertainer and Best of 2008.

“This year's programs were of exceptional quality, which presented our international jurors with a challenging task. However, the caliber of entries proves not only that the Rose d'Or is back at the heart of European creativity, but also that it is possible to create programs with cross-cultural and cross-generational appeal,” Frye added.

The winners are as follows:

ARTS DOCUMENTARY
“Strictly Bolshoi” (76-minute documentary film)
Production Company: Ballet Boyz Productions Ltd. - UK
Broadcaster/Distributor: Channel 4 – UK
This intimate and thrilling film follows the world’s most sought-after ballet choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, as he becomes the first Englishman to be invited to create a new work for the legendary Bolshoi Ballet.

COMEDY
“Kombat Opera Presents…” (30-minute comedy series)
Production Company: Avalon Television - UK
Broadcaster/Distributor: BBC – UK
“Kombat Opera Presents…” is a cross-genre format in which a cast of opera singers parody major television formats. It's an inspired idea that opens the door to a whole new genre: culture-clash TV.

DRAMA
“Skins” (60-minute series)
Production Company: Company Pictures / Storm Dog Films - UK
Broadcaster/Distributor: E4 – UK
“Skins” is an offbeat comedy/drama series about a group of teenagers who push boundaries, both at home and abroad. The action is enhanced by an irreverent comedic approach, which in no way reduces its emotional impact.

SPECIAL MENTION
In the drama category a special mention was given to:
“The Street II” (60-minute series)
Production Company: Granada Productions - UK
Broadcaster/Distributor: BBC - UK
“The Street II”, now in its second season, follows the lives of the various residents of one street in the northern English city of Manchester.

ENTERTAINMENT
“Hider In The House” (60-minute series)
Production Company: Eyeworks - NL
Broadcaster/Distributor: BBC 2 – UK
“Hider In The House” is a hilarious and engaging children's hidden-camera show. The series pits the wits of children against their parents as they attempt to hide a celebrity in their house for an entire weekend.

GAME SHOW
“Power Of 10” (43-minute game show)
Production Company: Embassy Row - US
Broadcaster/Distributor: Sony Pictures Television Int. – UK
"Power of 10" is a high stakes, adrenaline-filled game show that tests contestants’ knowledge of public thinking and opinion. This primetime studio game show uses questions based on large-scale professional polling results on a range of issues from politics to pop culture.

PERFORMING ARTS
Mozart’s Magic Flute-Onstage and Backstage (207-minute special)
Production Company: tpc tv productioncenter zurich - CH
Broadcaster/Distributor: SF Schweizer Fernsehen (Swiss Television) - CH
An innovative television program, the action centres on a performance of Mozart’s Magic Flute, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and directed by Marin Kusej at Zurich Opera House shows. The show is aired live from two parallel perspectives, simultaneously on two different TV channels: front stage on SF 1 and backstage on SF 2.

REALITY
“The Phone” (40-minute film)
Production Company: Park Lane TV Productions - NL
Broadcaster/Distributor: Park Lane TV Productions - NL
The Phone is a movie — a movie played in daily life, with daily people who compete unknowingly, but willingly. The plot features two protagonists caught in a world no one knew existed; a parallel world that is all around us, but only visible to those who pick up `The Phone`.

SITCOM
“The IT Crowd” (25-minute series)
Production Company: talkbackTHAMES - UK
Broadcaster/Distributor: Channel 4 – UK
An office IT department is the setting of this sitcom. But far from being the second-class citizens of the corporate world, these IT guys are the heroes of this business.

In addition, special prizes were also awarded to:

BEST ENTERTAINER
“Peter Serafinowicz” (30-minute)
The Peter Serafinowicz Show
Production Company: Objective Productions/Hey Hey Hey Ltd. - UK
Broadcaster/Distributor: BBC - UK
Star of “The Peter Serafinowicz Show”, Peter is well-known UK comic actor, voice artist and composer. Through his impressions of familiar faces, Peter creates a world in which the likes of Al Pacino and Simon Cowell mingle with his own quirky creations, such as an impressively incompetent private investigator.

BEST OF 2008
“Kombat Opera Presents…” (30-minute comedy series)
Production Company: Avalon Television - UK
Broadcaster/Distributor: BBC – UK
“Kombat Opera Presents…” is a cross-genre format in which a cast of opera singers parody major television formats. It's an inspired idea that opens the door to a whole new genre: culture-clash TV.