So last night the cream of television got dolled up and sat clapping graciously as their rivals were awarded with the prestigious TV BAFTA. The nominees in each category showcased a strong year of TV, but the winners actually proved more surprising than I’d expected. The winners are in RED.

Leading Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock

Toby Jones – Marvellous

James Nesbitt – The Missing

Jason Watkins – The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies –

This was the most pleasant surprise. The Last Honour of Christopher Jeffries was superb and it was nice to see Jason Watkins up there to accept the award.

Leading Actress

Keeley Hawes – Line of Duty

Sarah Lancashire – Happy Valley

Sheridan Smith – Cilla

Georgina Campbell – Murdered By My Boyfriend

Whilst it’s always nice to see a younger actress win, and nobody could say Georgia’s performance wasn’t incredible, I just wanted to see Sarah Lancashire win for Happy Valley. For me that was the performance and drama of 2014 and I had assumed Lancashire would be a shoe-in.

Supporting Actor

Adeel Akhtar – Utopia

James Norton – Happy Valley

Ken Stott – The Missing

Stephen Rea – The Honourable Woman 

Similarly this should’ve gone to newcomer James Norton who’s haunting performance in Happy Valley was a huge part of what made the show so memorable. The Honourable Woman may’ve been critically praised, but it won’t linger in the memory as long as Happy Valley.

Male Performance in a Comedy Programme

Hugh Bonneville – W1A

Tom Hollander – Rev

Brendan O’Carroll – Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special

Matt Berry – Toast of London

Whilst I appreciate Berry’s comedic creation I would’ve loved to have seen this go to Tom Hollander for Rev.

Single Drama

A Poet In New York

Common

Murdered By My Boyfriend

Marvellous 

Marvellous was a warm, moving and memorable piece of TV drama, but I would’ve loved to have seen BBC Three’s  Murdered by My Boyfriend win this. It was a truly important piece of television that had long lasting effect on those who saw it. It also would’ve been nice to see a piece of BBC Three drama win such an important award.

Soap & Continuing Drama

Casualty

EastEnders

Hollyoaks

Coronation Street 

Admittedly I’m not a Corrie viewer, but EastEnders had such a transformative  year it’s almost unthinkable that they lost this award. I can’t say Coronation Street didn’t have a strong year, but compared to EastEnders I’ve not heard anything about the goings on in Weatherfield. With the Who Killed Lucy story proving one of the most engrossing soap storylines in recent memory I’m amazed they lost out here.

International

The Good Wife

House of Cards

Orange Is the New Black

True Detective

I understand True Detective was critically well received, but I’d love to see The Good Wife get the recognition it is so richly deserving of.  

Features

George Clark’s Amazing Places

The Great British Bake Off

Long Lost Family

Grand Designs

Just goes to prove that BAFTA doesn’t go for the popular vote. The Great British Bake Off was a ratings juggernaut for the BBC last summer whereas Grand Designs has been quietly ticking along on Channel 4 since 1999.  

Radio Times Audience Award (Voted for by members of the public)

Cilla

EastEnders

Game of Thrones

The Great British Bake Off

The Missing

Strictly Come Dancing

Sherlock 

This is normally scooped by Game of Thrones. It’s always an odd mix of populist shows and I had hoped the buzz that has surrounded EastEnders or perhaps even The Missing would win out over a cult favourite like eventual winner Sherlock. Controversially I felt this most recent series of Sherlock fairly forgettable and a little to self aware, but you can’t keep Cumberbatch’s fans from voting!

Mini-Series

Cilla

Our World War

Prey

The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies

Drama Series

Line of Duty

The Missing

Peaky Blinders

Happy Valley

Entertainment Performance

Ant & Dec – Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway

Leigh Francis – Celebrity Juice

Graham Norton – The Graham Norton Show

Claudia Winkleman – Strictly Come Dancing

Entertainment Programme

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway 

Dynamo: Magician Impossible

Strictly Come Dancing

The Voice

Female Performance in a Comedy Programme

Olivia Colman – Rev

Tamsin Greig – Episodes

Jessica Hynes – W1A

Catherine Tate – Catherine Tate’s Nan

Comedy And Comedy Entertainment Programme 

Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe

The Graham Norton Show 

Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle

Would I Lie to You?

Situation Comedy

Detectorists 

Harry & Paul’s Story of the Twos

Moone Boy

The Wrong Mans

Factual Series

15,000 Kids and Counting

Educating the East End

Life and Death Row

Protecting Our Parents

Reality & Constructed Factual

The Apprentice

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

The Island with Bear Grylls

The Undateables

Current Affairs

Children of the Frontline – Dispatches

Ebola Frontline – Panorama

Inside Kenya’s Death Squads – al Jazeera Investigates

Terror at the Mall – This World

Specialist Factual

David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies

Grayson Perry: Who Are You?

The Great War: The People’s Story

Our Gay Wedding: The Musical

Single Documentary

Baby P: The Untold Story

Children of Syria

The Miners Strike and Me

The Paedophile Hunter

News Coverage

BBC News at Ten

Channel 4 News – Inside Gaza: Children Under Fire

ITV News at Ten

Sky News Live at Five: Ebola

Sport & Live Event

2014 FA Cup Semi final Hull City v Sheffield United

Monty Python (Mostly) Live: One Down, Five To Go

Tour de France

WW1 Remembered – From the Battlefield & Westminster Abbey