BAFTAs 2009: TV Winners
Ooops. The Bill wins a BAFTA Award just weeks after being slashed by cash-strapped ITV.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
The Bill has won BAFTA’s Continuing Drama award at a star-studded ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall, just after it had been cut back to once a week by ITV.
One show source said: “It is pretty embarrassing to axe something that seems to be performing at its peak.
“Some of the stars that helped win this BAFTA will be sacked soon.”
It was a first win for The Bill in its 25-year history in the category, beating Casualty, EastEnders and Emmerdale.
Wallander won Best Drama ahead of Doctor Who, Spooks and Shameless. Skins won an audience award.
The night is being touted as a triumph for Sir David Attenborough who received the BAFTA for the best specialist factual programme for Life in Cold Blood – the eighth time his wildlife programmes have been honoured at the awards since 1961. Jonathan Ross lost in the entertainment performance category, after a three month suspension from the BBC for his part in the Andrew Sachs phone calls scandal.
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders were jointly given the academy fellowship, and Saunders said in her acceptance speech: “This is a huge honour and after 30 years it’s kind of like the cherry on the icing on the cake.”
After accepting the award from Dame Helen Mirren, Saunders joked that though she and French were retired as a comedy duo, they were available for work in her “award-winning films”.
Mad Men won an international award over over The Wire, Dexter and The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.
The full list of winners are:
Actor Stephen Dillane – The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall( Channel 4)
Actress Anna Maxwell Martin – Poppy Shakespeare ( Channel 4)
Entertainmentperformance Harry Hill – Harry Hill’s TV Burp ( ITV1)
Comedy Performance David Mitchell – Peep Show ( Channel 4)
Single Drama White Girl ( BBC2)
Drama Series Wallander ( BBC1)
Drama Serial Criminal Justice ( BBC1)
Continuing Drama The Bill ( ITV)
International Mad Men ( BBC4)
Factual Series Amazon with Bruce Parry ( BBC2)
Specialist Factual Life In Cold Blood (BBC1)
Single Documentary Chosen ( True Stories) ( Channel 4)
Features The Choir: Boys Don’t Sing ( BBC2)
Current Affairs Saving Africa’s Witch Children ( Dispatches) ( Channel 4)
News Coverage News At Ten on theChina Earthquake ( ITV1)
Sport F1: Brazil Grand Prix ( ITV1)
Entertainment Programme X Factor ( ITV1)
Comedy Programme Harry and Paul ( BBC1)
Situation Comedy The IT Crowd ( Channel 4)
Special Award Jane Tranter
Academy Fellowship Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
Share
- Tagged with BAFTA Awards, Casualty, Dexter, Doctor Who, Eastenders, Emmerdale, Life in Cold Blood, Shameless, Skins, Spooks, The Bill, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Wire, Wallander
One Response
I can’t believe the Bill’s been cut back, and am dreading when we reach those ónce a week’ eps over here. After the brief ‘soapy’ period of 2003, The Bill has come back better and stronger than ever. I hope this is simply a lull and the show doesn’t fizzle out – it’s too much of an institution to die a slow, painful death.