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
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