Jane Tranter, the British TV executive behind many iconic shows of the last 20 years, including Gavin & Stacey, has won a BAFTA Special Award.
Tranter began her career as a secretary, working her way up to become one of the most influential figures in British TV. Her body of work includes award-winning dramas, including Spooks, State Of Play, Bleak House, Life On Mars and Gavin & Stacey.
John Willis, chair of the BAFTA Television Committee, described Tranter as “one of the most gifted television executives of her generation”. The Special Award recognises her outstanding creative contribution to the TV industry.
A creative innovator
Tranter’s joined the BBC in in 1985 as a secretary in the BBC Radio drama department. Two years later she switched to TV, working as a floor manager on dramas such as EastEnders and Bergerac. Her next move was to Carlton Television as drama script editor. Here, she oversaw popular ITV dramas Bramwell and Frank Stubbs Promotes.
Returning to the BBC in 1997 as Head of Drama Serials, Tranter commissioned and oversaw an array of BBC-produced dramas. Her credits include Warriors, The Way We Live Now, Wives and Daughters, Babyfather and Crime & Punishment.
Her outstanding body of work saw Tranter promoted to Controller of Drama Commissioning. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the whole of the BBC’s drama output across all its channels. This saw her at the helm of a string of hit shows, including Waking the Dead, Doctor Who, Spooks and Bleak House. A creative innovator, she also transformed Casualty and Holby City into year-round dramas.
