The names were familiar, and the faces, too, and for a while you pinched yourself to make sure that you were not watching the Star Awards for TV 2000 edition or the year before that or the year before that.
In short, there was hardly any suspense at all; it was all too predictable.
The winners as Best Magazine Show? Of course, Probe Team, like last year and the year(s) before that.
The winner as Best Variety Show? You guessed it: Eat, Bulaga!, like the past six years.
The winner as Best Celebrity Talk Show Host? None other than, you’re right, Mel Tiangco!
And the Best Station? Yes: GMA 7, the 12th time around (rival station ABS-CBN has bagged the plum four times).
Are we going through the same déjà vu experience next year and the year after that and the year after that...?
The PMPC should get an award for "consistency," shouldn’t it?
The final score: GMA got 49 trophies, ABS-CBN got 16, RPN 9 got two and IBC 13 got one.
As in the past four years or so, ABS-CBN ignored the awards night.
Another déjà vu experience, that!
• Best Children Show Host – Five & Up Kids (Five & Up/GMA 7)
• Best Educational Program – Knowledge Power (ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Educational Program Host – Ernie Baron (Knowledge Power/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Lifestyle Show – Beauty School Plus (RPN 9)
• Best Lifestyle Show Host – Ricky Reyes (Beauty School Plus/RPN 9)
• Best News Program – Frontpage Ulat ni Mel Tiangco (GMA 7)
• Best Female Newscaster – Mel Tiangco (Frontpage Ulat ni Mel Tinagco/GMA 7)
• Best Male Newscaster – Henry Omaga Diaz (TV Patrol/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Magazine Show – The Probe Team (GMA 7)
• Best Magazine Show Host – Che Che Lazaro and Co. (The Probe Team/GMA 7)
• Best Morning Show – Unang Hirit (GMA 7)
• Best Morning Show Host – Arnold Clavio, Lyn Ching, Miriam Quiambao, Suzie Entrata, Rhea Santos, Martin Andanar, Ivan Maryina, Hans Montenegro and Co. (Unang Hirit/GMA 7)
• Best Public Service Program – Imbestigador (GMA 7)
• Best Public Service Program Host – Mike Enriquez (Imbestigador/GMA 7)
• Best Public Affairs Program – Debate With Pare and Mare (GMA 7)
• Best Public Affairs Program Host – Winnie Monsod and Oscar Orbos (Debate With Pare & Mare/GMA 7)
• Best Documentary Show – I -Witness (GMA 7)
• Best Celebrity Talk Show – Partners Mel & Jay (GMA 7)
• Best Celebrity Talk Show Host – Mel Tiangco and Jay Sonza (Partners Mel & Jay/GMA 7)
• Best Showbiz-Oriented Show –The Buzz (ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Female Showbiz-Oriented Show Host – Kris Aquino (The Buzz/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Male Showbiz-Oriented Show – Boy Abunda (The Buzz/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Youth-Oriented Show – Tabing Ilog (ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Game Show – Digital LG Quiz (GMA 7)
• Best Game Show Host – Paolo Bediones and Regine Tolentino (Digital LG Quiz/GMA 7)
• Best New Female Personality – Yam Ledesma (Lunch Break/IBC 13)
• Best New Male Personality – Aljo Bendijo (TV Patrol/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Gag Show – Bubble Gang (GMA 7)
• Best Comedy Show – Idol Ko Si Kap (GMA 7)
• Best Comedy Actress – Ai Ai Delas Alas (1 For 3/GMA 7)
• Best Comedy Actor – Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. (Idol Ko Si Kap/GMA 7)
• Best Horror/Fantasy - Wansapanataym (ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Docu-Drama Program – Kasangga (GMA 7)
• Best Drama Series – Pangako Sa’Yo (ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Drama Anthology – Maalaala Mo Kaya (ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Drama Mini-Series – Pira-Pirasong Pangarap (GMA 7)
• Best Drama Actress – Eula Valdez (Pangako Sa’Yo/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Drama Actor – John Lloyd Cruz (Tabing Ilog/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Musical Special – Pops A Summer Sail (ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Variety Show – Eat Bulaga (GMA 7)
• Best Musical Variety Show – S.O.P. (GMA 7)
• Best Female Host – Pops Fernandez (A.S.A.P./ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Male TV Host – Joey de Leon (Eat Bulaga/GMA 7)
• Best Single Performance By An Actress – Mona Lisa (GMA Telesine: Pariwara/GMA 7) and Princess Ann Shuck (Pirapirasong Pangarap: Uling/GMA 7)
• Best Single Performance By An Actor – Michael de Mesa (Parol: Maalaala Mo Kaya/ABS-CBN 2)
• Best Movie For Television – Umaga, Tanghali, Gabi (GMA Telesine/GMA 7)
• Best Station - GMA 7
Special awards:
• Nora Aunor – Ading Fernando Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement
• Female Star of the Night – Judy Ann Santos
• Male Star of the Night – Dingdong Dantes
• Skin Care Beauty – Melanie Marquez