It was another unexpected night at the BAFTA TV awards this year as Channel 4’s teen drama Skins was voted as the most popular show by the viewers even though it wasn’t shortlisted for any other award. Comedians Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders were also honoured with the BAFTA Fellowship for their service to television as an influential double act.
Channel 4 and BBC Sweep Drama Awards
Channel 4 continued their tradition of quality, hard-hitting dramas as Stephen Dillane picked up the award for best actor for his mesmerising turn in the dramatised events of an activist killed inPalestine The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall and best actress was Anna Maxwell Martin for Poppy Shakespeare.
The award for best continuing drama category (aka the soap award), which was notable in Corrie being absent, went to The Bill. Pause for breath there. Things must really be bad in the soap world for that to even get a nod never mind to walk away with it.
Wallander, the BBC’s adaptation of Henning Mankell’s series of novels, managed to beat the popular Doctor Who to the prize of best drama series. The Beeb also scored two more drama awards for Criminal Justice in best drama serial and White Girl in the single drama categories, with former head of BBC Drama Jane Tranter receiving the Special Award.
The X Factor gets Best Entertainment and Harry Hill gets Second Gong
The X Factor somehow won the entertainment programme award over stronger competition such as QI and Harry Hill’s TV Burp, but thankfully Simon Cowell’s waistband didn’t turn up to collect it. Harry Hill can’t feel too hard done by as he still came way with the award for entertainment performer for the second year running and, as ever, gave the best acceptance speech of the night.
Despite being one of their weaker shows together Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse won comedy programme for the aptly named Harry and Paul. Graham Lineham's The IT Crowd got the award for best sitcom, beating the likes of The Inbetweeners and Peep Show but David Mitchell did come away with best comedy performance.
Overall there were a few surprises but most of the winners were fully deserved. Graham Norton was about as good as he could have been as host with reactions to his jokes delving from quiet sniggers to awkward silences. Rob Brydon however was in fine form as he presented the award for comedy programme. Maybe he should do it next time.
The Full List of BAFTA Television Awards 2009 Winners
- Best Actor – Stephen Dillane - The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall (Channel 4)
- Best Actress – Anna Maxwell Martin - Poppy Shakespeare (Channel 4)
- Best Entertainment Performance – Harry Hill - Harry Hill's TV Burp (ITV1)
- Best Comedy Performance – David Mitchell - Peep Show (Channel 4)
- Best Single Drama – White Girl (BBC Two)
- Best Drama Serial – Criminal Justice (BBC One)
- Best Drama Series – Wallander (BBC One)
- Best Continuing Drama – The Bill (ITV1)
- Best Factual Series – Amazon with Bruce Parry (BBC Two)
- Best Entertainment Programme – The X Factor (ITV1)
- Best Situation Comedy – The IT Crowd (Channel 4)
- Best Comedy Programme – Harry and Paul (BBC One)
- Best Single Documentary – Chosen (Channel 4)
- Best Feature – The Choir: Boys Don't Sing (BBC Two)
- Best International Show – Mad Men (BBC Four)
- Best Specialist Factual – Life in Cold Blood (BBC One)
- Best Current Affairs – Saving Africa's Witch Children - Dispatches (Channel 4)
- Best News Coverage – News at Ten - Chinese Earthquake (ITV1)
- Best Sport – ITV1 F1: Brazilian Grand Prix (ITV1)
- Best Interactivity – Embarrassing Bodies Online (Channel 4)
- Audience Award – Skins (Channel 4)
- Special Award – Jane Tranter
- BAFTA Fellowship – French and Saunders
Steven Cookson - Steven Cookson is a writer and attempted journalist based in Howden. Originally from Chester, that Hollyoaks place in North-West of ...
