A jury of some 700 grade school students, with help from Shaw Communications, last night handed the Shaw Rocket Prize and $50,000 to Life with Derek — giving the series by Shaftesbury Films that airs on Family Channel top marks as the year’s best in children’s programming.

‘I loved Life with Derek for a million reasons, but then the whole page would be full of compliments on why this is the best show on almost all channels,’ said one student juror. ‘This show was entertaining and any family would flick the channel until they found Life with Derek!’

The annual prize was also overseen by an international jury, which selected a shortlist of three Canadian programs, which also included the animated Johnny Test, produced by Cookie Jar Entertainment for Teletoon, and Roll Play by Sinking Ship Entertainment for Treehouse TV and Radio-Canada.

The half-hour comedy about a modern blended family, which has forced together two willful teenagers, ‘is one of those really well-crafted funny live-action shows that the market is looking for,’ added CBeebies exec Michael Carrington, one of the international jurors, in a statement. ‘It’s a well-written, well performed show that really makes you giggle.’

The prize was presented Wednesday night in Toronto.