‘Killing Eve’ triumphs at BAFTAs

BBC America spy thriller Killing Eve was the big winner at last night’s BAFTA Television Awards, winning three prizes for drama series, leading actress for Jodie Comer and supporting actress for Fiona Shaw.

Comer took the lead actress prize ahead of her Killing Eve co-star Sandra Oh, who was also nominated in the category.

Produced by Sid Gentle Films, Killing Eve’s prizes came after BAFTA allowed the drama to be nominated despite its rules saying shows must have been broadcast in the UK first. Killing Eve premiered in the US on BBC America last April, five months before it arrived on BBC One.

Patrick Melrose, based on Edward St Aubyn’s semi-autobiographical novels, followed with two BAFTAs: one for mini-series and another for Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the titular character. It was the first BAFTA of Cumberbatch’s career for leading actor, and he fended off stiff competition from Hugh Grant for his role in A Very English Scandal.

HBO’s Succession won the international BAFTA, beating off competition from MGM’s acclaimed adaptation The Handmaid’s Tale and documentaries 54 Hours: The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis and Reporting Trump’s First Year: The Fourth Estate.

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! won the reality and constructed factual category, an impressive achievement for a show that is now in its 18th series. The last series of the ITV Studios-produced format consolidated with a 11.8m viewers and a 45% share of viewing in the UK, making it the most watched series ever.

The BAFTA for Entertainment Programme was awarded to Britain’s Got Talent for the second year running, and A League of Their Own received the award for Comedy Entertainment Programme.

Louis Theroux’s Altered States took the prize for Factual Series, while Gun No. 6 won Single Documentary and Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley won Specialist Factual.

The Special Award was presented to Red Production’s Nicola Shindler in recognition of her contribution to the television industry. Since 1998, Red has produced shows including Clocking Off, Happy Valley, the Emmy Award-winning Queer As Folk and most recently Trust Me for BBC One, starring Jodie Whittaker.

BAFTA 2019 winners in full:

Comedy Entertainment Programme

A League Of Their Own David Taylor, Jack Shillaker, Ish Kalia, Murray Boland – CPL Productions / Sky One

Current Affairs

Myanmar’s Killing Fields (Dispatches) Evan Williams, Patrick Wells, Eve Lucas, Dan Edge – Evan Williams Productions / Mongoose Pictures / Channel 4

Drama Series

Killing Eve Production Team – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Entertainment Performance

Lee Mack Would I Lie To You? – Zeppotron / BBC One

Entertainment Programme

Britain’s Got Talent Charlie Irwin, Amelia Brown, Nigel Hall, Dawn Gray – Thames / Syco Production / ITV

Factual Series

Louis Theroux’s Altered States Production Team – BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit / BBC Two

Features

Who Do You Think You Are? Colette Flight, Sarah Feltes, Anna Kirkwood, David Vincent – Wall to Wall Media / BBC One

Female Performance In A Comedy Programme

Jessica Hynes There She Goes – Merman / BBC Four

International

Succession Production Team – HBO Entertainment / Project Zeus / Gary Sanchez Productions / Sky Atlantic

Leading Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch Patrick Melrose – Two Cities / SunnyMarch TV / Little Island Productions / Sky Atlantic

Leading Actress

Jodie Comer Killing Eve – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Live Event

The Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

Male Performance In A Comedy Programme

Steve Pemberton Inside No. 9 – BBC Studios / BBC Two

Mini-Series

Patrick Melrose Production Team – Two Cities / SunnyMarch TV / Little Island Productions / Sky Atlantic

News Coverage

Cambridge Analytica Uncovered Production Team – ITN / Channel 4

Reality & Constructed Factual

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Production Team – ITV Studios / ITV

Scripted Comedy

Sally4ever Production Team – Various Artists / Hush Ho Productions / Sky Atlantic

Short Form Programme

Missed Call Production Team – Field Day Productions / Little Dot Studios / Real Stories

Single Documentary

Gun No. 6 James Newton, Zac Beattie, Georgina Cammalleri, Rupert Houseman – The Garden Productions / BBC Two

Single Drama

Killed By My Debt Joseph Bullman, Tahsin Guner, Chris Clough, Aysha Rafaele – BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit / BBC Three

Soap & Continuing Drama

Eastenders Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One

Specialist Factual

Suffragettes With Lucy Worsley Production Team – Brook Lapping / BBC One

Sport

2018 World Cup Quarter Final: England V Sweden Production Team – BBC Sport / BBC One

Supporting Actor

Ben Whishaw A Very English Scandal – Blueprint Pictures / BBC One

Supporting Actress

Fiona Shaw Killing Eve – Sid Gentle Films / BBC One

Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment (Voted For By The Public)

Bodyguard Julia Montague assassinated – World Productions / BBC One