BAFTA / Charlie Gray

Television Awards Round-Up 2008

28 December 11

Funny-man Harry Hill and the hit comedy series Gavin & Stacey both claimed double victories at this year’s British Academy Television Awards supported by Sky+.

Hosted by Graham Norton, a star-studded audience watched the glittering ceremony from the London Palladium. They witnessed Harry Hill’s TV Burp pick up a BAFTA mask in the Entertainment Programme category (beating Strictly Come Dancing, Have I Got News For You and Britain’s Got Talent) and in the Entertainment Performance category.

James Corden won the Comedy Performance BAFTA for his role as Smithy in the quirky comedy Gavin & Stacey. The show proved its popularity by also scooping the Sky+ Audience Award, the only Award voted for by the Public.

A Night of Firsts

BAFTA / Richard KendalIn other categories it was a night of firsts. First-time nominee Andrew Garfield won the prestigious Actor Award for his moving portrayal of a juvenile child-killer haunted by the actions of his past in Boy A. In the Actress category, Eileen Atkins – last nominated 39 years ago – won for her performance in Cranford. She denied screen sister Dame Judi Dench her twelth BAFTA win – one of the first times the actress has come away empty handed.

Among the thirteen first-time winners was hospital saga Holby City which won the hotly-contested Continuing Drama battle against Eastenders, The Bill and Emmerdale. Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares came out on top in the Features category and the mischievious Fonejacker scooped the Comedy Programme Award. It was also a first for Heroes which was victorious in the International category.

After two previous nominations, Peep Show picked up the award for Situation Comedy, although the show’s star David Mitchell lost out to James Corden for the Comedy Performance BAFTA.

A Dramatic Night

BAFTA / Richard KendalJimmy McGovern’s passionate and compelling drama The Street picked up the Drama Series for the second year running while The Mark of Cain was victorious in the Single Drama category for its depiction of the harsh realities of the Iraq war. Channel Four’s coverage of the conflict, Iraq - The Surge, lost out to Sky News in the News Coverage category for the Glasgow Airport Attack.

Peter Kosminsky’s powerful drama about Muslims in post 7/7 Britain gave Britz the coveted prize for Drama Serial beating Cranford, Five Days and Murphy’s Law.

The Tower: A Tale of Two Cities received the BAFTA for Factual Series while Andrew Marr triumphed in Specialist Factual for his eponymous History of Modern Britain. The Single Documentary Award went to Lie of the Land and Current Affairs was claimed by China’s Stolen Children: A Dispatches Special.

In the hard-fought Sport category ITV1’s Formula One Team celebrated a consecutive win for the Canadian Grand Prix Live while Spooks Interactive won the Interactivity Bafta (awarded for the best use of interactivity and new media).

In the battle of the broadcasters Channel Four came out on top with eight wins whilst BBC One followed up with five victories. ITV1 picked up three wins, BBC Two came away with two and BBC Three and SKY 1 both claimed victory in a single category.

A Special Night

BAFTA / Richard KendalThis year’s Special Award - given in honour of Alan Clarke and presented on the night by John Hurt - went to documentary film-maker Paul Watson. Often described as the founding father of “fly-on-the-wall” television with his ground-breaking The Family series, his other credits include Sylvania Waters, Rain In My Heart and the two heart-rending documentaries about Malcolm & Barbara charting the painful journey of Malcolm Pointon’s descent into, and death from, Alzheimers. Malcolm and Barbara: Love’s Farewell was pipped to the post in the Single Documentary Category by Channel 4’s Lie of the Land.

The final honours of the evening went to Bruce Forsyth who received the Fellowship from huge fan Paul Merton. The Palladium proved a fitting arena for Bruce to receive the Academy’s highest honour as he was thrust into its spotlight from virtual obscurity when he hosted Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium back in 1958. Since then, Bruce’s prodigious credits include Beat the Clock, The Bruce Forsyth Show, The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, and most recently the huge Saturday night ratings-winner Strictly Come Dancing.

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