In a particularly strong night for the BBC and Channel 4, Wolf Hall, Peter Kay’s Car Share and This is England 90 are the only shows to come away from the BAFTA TV Awards with more than one prize, at a ceremony that saw the honours shared among many of Britain’s most acclaimed television programmes.
Mark Rylance was named the Best Actor for Wolf Hall, which also won Best Drama Series in 2016. The director of last year’s historical literary adaptation, Peter Kosminsky, received a standing ovation when he used his acceptance speech to issue a full-throated support of the BBC against what he saw as the latest threat from the Culture Secretary John Whittingdale.
This Is England 90 won the award for Best Mini-Series and one of its stars, Chanel Cresswell, took home the Best Supporting Actress prize.
Peter Kay’s Car Share was the most successful show in the comedy categories; the star won the award for the Best Male Performance in a Comedy, while the show itself was named the Best Scripted Comedy.
Other winners included Suranne Jones, who took the Best Actress trophy for Doctor Foster, Sir Tom Courtenay, who secured one of only two awards for ITV as the Best Supporting Actor for Unforgotten and Michaela Coel, whose turn in Chewing Gum earned her the prize for the Best Female Performance in a Comedy.
Leigh Francis beat the award ceremony’s host Graham Norton to the Best Entertainment Performance Award for his Celebrity Juice show, Strictly Come Dancing won the Best Entertainment Programme prize, Have I Got News for You was the Best Comedy, First Dates took the Reality category and The Great British Bake Off, which had audiences hooked last autumn, was named the Best Feature in 2016. Don’t Take My Baby was the Best Single Drama and the award for the Best Soap Opera went to EastEnders.
Transparent was named the Best International programme and Poldark won the Radio Times Audience Award.
The chair of BAFTA, Anne Morrison, told the audience of TV stars and executives that the industry in Britain was the envy of the world and should not be taken for granted. “What ever changes lie ahead, and change is inevitable, we have to ensure the range and quality is preserved,” she enthused.
THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
Drama series
Wolf Hall (BBC2)
Mini-series
This is England 90 (Channel 4)
Leading actor
Mark Rylance – Wolf Hall (BBC2)
Leading actress
Suranne Jones – Doctor Foster (BBC1)
Supporting actor
Sir Tom Courtenay – Unforgotten (ITV)
Supporting actress
Chanel Cresswell – This is England ‘90 (Channel 4)
Male performance in a comedy programme
Peter Kay – Peter Kay’s Car Share (BBC iPlayer)
Female Performance in a Comedy Programme
Michaela Coel – Chewing Gum (E4)
Entertainment programme
Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1)
Comedy and comedy entertainment programme
Have I Got News for You (BBC1)
Scripted comedy
Peter Kay’s Car Share (BBC iPlayer)
Entertainment performance
Leigh Francis – Celebrity Juice (ITV2)
Single drama
Don’t Take My Baby (BBC3)
Soap and continuing drama
EastEnders (BBC1)
Features
The Great British Bake Off (BBC1)
Factual Series
The Murder Detectives (Channel 4)
Specialist factual
Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners (BBC2)
Single Documentary
My Son The Jihadi (Channel 4)
Reality and constructed factual
First Dates (Channel 4)
News Coverage
Channel 4 News: Paris Massacre (Channel 4)
Current Affairs
Outbreak: The Truth About Ebola (BBC2)
Sport
The Ashes (Sky Sports)
Live Event
Big Blue Live (BBC1)
International
Transparent (Amazon Prime)
Radio Times audience award (voted for by members of the public)
Poldark (BBC1)
BAFTA Fellowship
Ray Galton and Alan Simpson
Special Award
Sir Lenny Henry
NUMBER OF WINNERS BY BROADCASTER:
BBC – 14
Channel 4 – 7
ITV – 2
Sky Sports – 1
Amazon Prime – 1