Mr Bates and Mr Loverman win multiple awards at the TV BAFTAs

Jason Korsner

A year before Adolescence became the TV show that prompted the Prime Minister to get involved, his predecessor was doing likewise with the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office – which has won two BAFTAs at the biggest night for honouring British TV.

It was named the Best Limited Drama, as well as securing a special award for the impact it had beyond the TV screen. At the awards ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London, its producer, Patrick Spence, said the show didn’t change the law – the people of the nation did that, by showing that they “could not abide liars and bullies.”

But the show’s star, Toby Jones,  who played the eponymous Alan Bates, missed out on the prize for the best actor in a drama; that went to Lennie James, for Mr Loverman, about an elderly man whose marriage breaks down after he admits to having had a long affair with a male friend. Ariyon Bakare, who played his lover, was named the best supporting actor.

Jones’ co-star in Mr Bates, Monica Dolan, also missed out in her category of best actress in a drama, to Industry’s Marisa Abela. Best supporting actress went to Jessica Gunning for Baby Reindeer.

The Best Drama Series went to the Northern Ireland police show Blue Lights, EastEnders won the Best Soap award and Alma’s Not Normal was named the Best Scripted Comedy.

Danny Dyer won the best comedy actor award for Sky Comedy’s Mr Bigstuff. “My acting was so bad, it was funny,” he joked as he collected his BAFTA. Ruth Jones won the best comedy actress prize for the final episode of Gavin and Stacey.

Other winners included Channel 4’s Jury: Murder Trial for reality series and Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder’s Grand Tour of Italy won the factual entertainment prize. Would I Lie To You? was named best entertainment programme and the only award of the night chosen by viewers – for the most memorable moment – went to the blind comedian Chris McCausland, for his waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone on Strictly Come Dancing.And here is the full list of winners:
Drama series

Limited drama

Scripted comedy

  • WINNER: Alma’s Not Normal (BBC Two)

Leading actress

  • WINNER: Marisa Abela – Industry (BBC One)

Leading actor

  • WINNER: Lennie James – Mr Loverman (BBC One)

Supporting actress

  • WINNER: Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Supporting actor

  • WINNER: Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman (BBC One)

Female performance in a comedy

  • WINNER: Ruth Jones – Gavin & Stacey: The Finale (BBC One)

Male performance in a comedy

  • WINNER: Danny Dyer – Mr Bigstuff (Sky Comedy)

Soap

  • WINNER: EastEnders (BBC One)

Entertainment programme

  • WINNER: Would I Lie To You? (BBC One)

Entertainment performance

  • WINNER: Joe Lycett Late Night Lycett – (Channel 4)

Factual entertainment

  • WINNER: Rob And Rylan’s Grand Tour (BBC Two)

Reality

  • WINNER: The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4)

Daytime

  • WINNER: Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure (BBC Two)

International

  • WINNER: Shōgun (Disney+)

Live event coverage

  • WINNER: Glastonbury 2024 (BBC Two)

Current affairs

  • WINNER: State of Rage (Channel 4)

Single documentary

  • WINNER: Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods (BBC Two)

Factual series

  • WINNER: To Catch A Copper (Channel 4)

Specialist factual

  • WINNER: Atomic People (BBC Two)

News coverage

  • WINNER: BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special (BBC News/BBC One)

Sports coverage

  • WINNER: Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC Sport/BBC One)

Memorable moment

  • WINNER: Strictly Come Dancing – Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell Waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone (BBC One)

Short form

  • WINNER: Quiet Life (BBC Three)

Children’s: Scripted

  • WINNER: CBeebies As You Like It At Shakespeare’s Globe (CBeebies)

Children’s: Non-scripted

  • WINNER: Disability And Me – FYI Investigates (Sky Kids)