★★★★ The BAFTA TV Awards
BBC1, Sunday 12 May, 7pm
As you can see in the Interview (page 36), comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett are rightly back as hosts of British TV’S most prestigious awards, after doing a sterling job last year. The ceremony takes place at the Royal Festival Hall, London, and there will be performances from Rambert Dance Company in a segment from the Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby show, and Ella Eyre singing her new single. Among the big nominees are Happy Valley, Succession, and The Crown, and Floella Benjamin will get the BAFTA Fellowship. Here are our predictions for the main categories.
BEST DRAMA SERIES
■ THE GOLD (BBC1)
■ HAPPY VALLEY (BBC1)
■ SLOW HORSES (APPLE TV+)
■ TOP BOY (NETFLIX)
AND THE WINNER IS…
All these shows were great, but Happy Valley is one of the finest TV drama achievements of the last decade, so it must win!
LIMITED DRAMA
■ BEST INTERESTS (BBC1)
■ BLACK MIRROR: DEMON 79 (NETFLIX)
■ THE LONG SHADOW (ITV1)
■ THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT (BBC1)
AND THE WINNER IS…
This is a tough one to call, with Black Mirror recently beating The Sixth
Commandment in the TV Drama Writing BAFTA, but we reckon the latter will triumph here.
LEADING ACTOR
■ BRIAN COX, SUCCESSION
■ DOMINIC WEST, THE CROWN
■ KANE ROBINSON, TOP BOY
■ PAAPA ESSIEDU, THE LAZARUS PROJECT
■ STEVE COOGAN, THE RECKONING
■ TIMOTHY SPALL, THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
AND THE WINNER IS…
Kudos to BAFTA for nominating Coogan for his performance as Jimmy Savile, but surely Timothy Spall’s massively moving work in The
Sixth Commandment will win.
LEADING ACTRESS
■ ANJANA VASAN, BLACK MIRROR
■ ANNE REID, THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
■ BELLA RAMSEY,
THE LAST OF US
■ HELENA BONHAM CARTER, NOLLY
■ SARAH LANCASHIRE, HAPPY VALLEY
■ SHARON HORGAN, BEST INTERESTS
AND THE WINNER IS…
Does anyone stand a chance against the powerhouse performance by the brilliant Sarah Lancashire as Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley? We’d say probably not.
SCRIPTED COMEDY
■ BIG BOYS (CHANNEL 4)
■ DREAMING WHILST BLACK (BBC1)
■ EXTRAORDINARY (DISNEY+)
■ SUCH BRAVE GIRLS (BBC3)
AND THE WINNER IS….
These four shows are all excellent, but if we have to pick a winner, Jack Rooke’s hugely funny and truly emotional Big Boys will be the one.
P&O CRUISES MEMORABLE MOMENT
■ BECKHAM: DAVID TEASES VICTORIA ABOUT HER “WORKING CLASS” UPBRINGING (NETFLIX)
■ DOCTOR WHO: NCUTI GATWA REVEALED AS THE 15TH DOCTOR (BBC1)
■ HAPPY VALLEY: CATHERINE CAWOOD AND TOMMY LEE ROYCE’S FINAL KITCHEN SHOWDOWN (BBC1)
■ THE LAST OF US: BILL AND FRANK’S STORY (SKY ATLANTIC)
■ THE PIANO: 13-YEAROLD LUCY STUNS COMMUTERS (CHANNEL 4)
■ SUCCESSION: LOGAN ROY’S DEATH (SKY ATLANTIC)
AND THE WINNER IS…
This is the only category voted for by members of the public and we would guess that from this list, Doctor Who has the biggest fanbase. Plus, the arrival of Ncuti was magnificent.