Tony Hutchinson - Reception

Reception

Pickard was nominated at the 2001 British Soap Awards for "Best Comedy Performance". The following year Pickard was nominated in the "Best Actor" and "Best Comedy Performance" category. In 2002 Pickard was nominated for "Best TV Personality" at the Liverpool Echo Awards. At the 2010 Inside Soap Awards Tony's wedding to Cindy was nominated for "Best Wedding". At the 2013 National Television Awards Pickard was nominated in the category of "Serial Drama Performance".

Tony was listed in "The Top 100 Soap Hunks of All Time" by What's on TV. What's on TV also listed Tony and Mandy at number 9 in "The Top 10 Soap Love Affairs of All Time" before they listed the couple's wedding in "The 50 top weddings of all time". In a 2009 poll by Loaded magazine, Tony was voted eighth in the "Top Soap Bloke of all time". The character was selected as one of the "top 100 British soap characters" by industry experts for a poll to be run by What's on TV, with readers able to vote for their favourite character to discover "Who is Soap's greatest Legend?"

In her book Soap Stars, Debbie Foy refers to Tony as having lived through several dramatic episodes. Foy went onto describe Tony as being famous for his "many on-screen relationships, affairs and engagements" but always has plenty of heartache. The Daily Star described Tony as going "through more women than he’s served hot meals in his restaurant Gnosh" before adding that he is a "loser-in-love". They went onto commented that after dumping Cindy "this time he’s only got himself to blame". On the character Sky said: "Tony Hutchinson is our fave character on the show. Probably because he's been on it the whole time since it started in 1995". An Inside Soap critic responded negatively to a plot centring around Tony catering for the college ball saying "Just who do the Hollyoaks writers think they are catering for with a plot like this? Do us a favour and serve up something decent!" The Liverpool Echo's Caroline Corcoran reviewed Hollyoaks: Movin' On saying the spinoff provided "an insight in to Tony's character that we don't get in Hollyoaks, and I actually found myself feeling for a character that is normally written to be deliberately irritating". Another critic for Inside Soap felt Hollyoaks was back to a high standard before adding that "Tony Hutchinson has been on fine comedy form following the disastrous transformation of his garden by 'Charlie Dimmock'". Inside Soap's Lucy said that "You've got to feel sorry for Hollyoaks's Tony Hutchinson ... Give the man a break!" Following Tony's relationship with Mandy becoming troubled. Lucy's colleague Sam also reviewed the storyline saying: "Feel sorry for Tony? Oh get over it! He deserves everything he's got coming to him. What is Mandy doing with him anyway? He's far too old, a total fuddy duddy, and has had the same naff hairstyle for seven years!" While reflecting on "some of soap's more memorable business ideas", an Inside Soap writer, on Tony's business ideas, said: "Tony Hutchinson, is not so much the king of money-making schemes - more of an old skin-flint ... he came up with the idea of recycling all his guest's used water ... When his recycling racket was discovered, his claims that it was just an innovative method of being environmentally friendly wouldn't wash - we all knew it was just his cheap-skate way of reducing his water bill! However, to this day his roses continue to bloom strangely well". Inside Soap critic Sam expressed disinterest in a storyline in which Tony and Ruth kiss, questionning if they have "gone back in time or something?" Merle Brown of the Daily Record bemoaned the lack of realism in Tony's storylines saying: "why on earth would Izzy go out with Tony? Yes, she's slightly irritating, but in the real world would a man like Tony honestly have a constant stream of girlfriends?" Jaci Stephen of the Daily Mail felt that "Asking Tony for guidance is the equivalent of asking the obese for dieting tips, such a fat lot of good he is". Stephens later said Tony has "enjoyed the company of as many women as Hugh Hefner". During the Enjoy The Ride storyline, Inside Soap's Sarah said "there are standout performances from some of my all-time favourite Hollyoaks stars" which she said included Pickard.

Hollyoak's series producer Jo Hallows described Tony as a "fantastic" character and opined that Pickard had made the role his own. She went on to say that Tony is "easy to write for, because you can throw any story at him, both serious and frivolous, and you know that Nick will make a good job of it. He'll make you laugh and he'll also make you cry". Hallows opined that Pickard is "probably the person I've cried at the most, some of the more difficult stories he's done, even though you know the story that's coming up, you can't help but have a lump in your throat". Another series producer Bryan Kirkwood praised Pickard's acting skills, stating that he felt Pickard is a "brilliant" actor. He said he was "particularly pleased in moving Tony away from the buffoon he had become over the years into heartbreaking stories such Grace's death and his relationship with Jacqui. He's a touching and sensitive actor who's always over-looked". Series producer Paul Marquess praised Pickard, saying he felt that "there's only so many daft Tony stories you can do. He's so key to the show and so able and adept". Pickard's colleague Gemma Merna praised Pickard saying Pickard has "had some great storylines", adding that if she was "half as successful as Nick is on the show and liked as much then I would love to stay".