Tonight sees the best of British television recognised in this year’s BAFTA Television Awards ceremony.
Once again, this year’s remarkable crop of talent celebrates hit series from Bad Sisters and Derry Girls, to Sherwood and This is Going to Hurt.
Additionally, a lot of prestige stars are nominated for various awards including Ben Whishaw, Billie Piper, Cillian Murphy, Daisy May Cooper, Daniel Radcliffe, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Kate Winslet, Lesley Manville, Martin Freeman, Sarah Lancashire, Taron Egerton, and even Paddington Bear.
Check out my winner predictions below!
BEST DRAMA SERIES
BAD SISTERS
THE RESPONDER
SHERWOOD
SOMEWHERE BOY
WILL WIN? – SHERWOOD – A tough call but the fact-based BBC crime drama was lauded by critics and audiences and kept us on the edge of our seats throughout its six episodes.
SHOULD WIN? – THE RESPONDER – Conceived by former bobby Tony Schumacher, the Liverpool-based crime thriller was another big hit for the BBC and has deservedly been given the green light for a second series.
IGNORED? – SLOW HORSES – The Apple TV+ spy drama performed well in terms of acting and production nominations yet failed to land a mention here.
BEST MINI-SERIES
MOOD
A SPY AMONG FRIENDS
THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND THE CANOE
THIS IS GOING TO HURT
WILL WIN and SHOULD WIN? – THIS IS GOING TO HURT – The powerful NHS-based mini-series brilliantly captured the struggles of life in an overburdened hospital and recently bolstered its BAFTA chances with three wins at the Craft Awards.
IGNORED? – ANNE – Aside from a deserving Lead Actress nod for Maxine Peake, the harrowing Hillsborough-based mini-series was harshly ignored here alongside other categories.
BEST SINGLE DRAMA
THE HOUSE
I AM RUTH
LIFE AND DEATH IN THE WAREHOUSE
WILL WIN? – I AM RUTH – The latest installment of the female-led anthology series was a hit with critics and audiences and also did a terrific job of focusing on the challenges of social media.
SHOULD WIN? – LIFE AND DEATH IN THE WAREHOUSE – A tough watch, but an important one for a one-off special that was inspired by the stories of overwhelmed warehouse workers.
IGNORED? – THEN BARBARA MET ALAN – With only three nominations in this category, the disability rights drama should have been nailed on for a nod. My Name is Leon can also count itself unlucky to miss out too.
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Sarah Lancashire, JULIA
Vicky McClure, WITHOUT SIN
Maxine Peake, ANNE
Billie Piper, I HATE SUZIE TOO
Imelda Staunton, THE CROWN
Kate Winslet, I AM RUTH
WILL WIN? – Kate Winslet – After a close loss here last year, the three-time BAFTA film winner could finally get her due on the small-screen with her powerful role as a single mum struggling to deal with her daughter’s social media obsession.
SHOULD WIN?– Maxine Peake – The experienced Bolton actress was mesmerising as Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams and is well overdue for a BAFTA win. Alternatively, Billie Piper’s effective return as self-destructive celebrity Suzie Pickles would also be a deserving one.
IGNORED? – Emily Blunt (THE ENGLISH) – Her acclaimed performance as a vengeful Englishwoman wasn’t enough to secure her a nomination despite being mentioned in other categories.
BEST LEADING ACTOR
Taron Egerton, BLACK BIRD
Martin Freeman, THE RESPONDER
Cillian Murphy, PEAKY BLINDERS
Gary Oldman, SLOW HORSES
Chaske Spencer, THE ENGLISH
Ben Whishaw, THIS IS GOING TO HURT
WILL WIN? – Ben Whishaw – The two-time BAFTA winner could make it a hat-trick of successes with his fictionalised portrayal of Dr. Adam Kay. The overwhelming acclaim for the series itself should also work in his favour in a very competitive category.
SHOULD WIN? – Martin Freeman – The former Sherlock and Hobbit star delivered a riveting turn as a troubled policeman and managed to win over many Liverpudlians with his masterful scouse accent.
IGNORED? – Lewis Gribben (SOMEWHERE BOY) – In such a stacked category of recognisable names, it’s a shame to see the young Scottish actor miss out for his impactful role as a secluded teenager struggling to settle into life in the outside world.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Adelayo Adedayo, THE RESPONDER
Anne-Marie Duff, BAD SISTERS
Saffron Hocking, TOP BOY
Jasmine Jobson, TOP BOY
Lesley Manville, SHERWOOD
Fiona Shaw, ANDOR
WILL WIN and SHOULD WIN? – Anne-Marie Duff – Hoping to make it third time lucky with BAFTA, her powerful performance as fragile housewife Grace was relatable to many though the character did get the satisfying conclusion she deserved. There may be some doubt given that fellow nominees Adedayo and Hocking portray similarly-vulnerable women but the overdue factor could work in Duff’s favour. However, Manville is another experienced name looking to finally break her duck with BAFTA.
IGNORED? – Ambika Mod (THIS IS GOING TO HURT) – The most baffling snub of this year’s nominations, the rising comedian actress went against type with her powerful role as a young nurse pushed to breaking point. At least, the Broadcasting Press Guild and Royal Television Society groups were good enough to reward her!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Adeel Ahktar, SHERWOOD
Samuel Bottomley, SOMEWHERE BOY
Salim Daw, THE CROWN
Josh Finan, THE RESPONDER
Jack Lowden, SLOW HORSES
Will Sharpe, THE WHITE LOTUS
WILL WIN? – Adeel Ahktar – As a troubled man driven towards a reckless act, Ahktar could help himself to another BAFTA win several years after his previous success for Murdered by My Father. A recent victory at the Royal Television Society certainly bolstered his chances!
SHOULD WIN? – Josh Finan – The young Wirral actor stole a number of scenes as dim drug-dealer Marco in the BBC crime thriller and it would be nice to see another Merseyside star get their due at BAFTA.
IGNORED? – Stephen Merchant (FOUR LIVES) – In an against-type role, the renowned comedian actor produced a menacing turn as real-life serial-killer Stephen Port in a series dogged by an ongoing injunction.
BEST SCRIPTED COMEDY
AM I BEING UNREASONABLE?
BIG BOYS
DERRY GIRLS
GHOSTS
WILL WIN? – BIG BOYS – Jack Rooke’s autobiographical Channel 4 comedy scored well with many and is deservedly returning for another series.
SHOULD WIN? – DERRY GIRLS – The beloved Irish-based comedy ended on a high with its third and final series and could prevail after creator Lisa McGee’s recent Best Writer: Comedy win at the Craft Awards.
IGNORED? – MOTHERLAND – The hit BBC comedy received strong praise from critics and audiences for its riotous yet devastating Christmas special only to be left out. Thankfully, it did manage to score a nod for Best Writing (Comedy).
BEST FEMALE COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Taj Atwal, HULLRAISERS
Lucy Beaumont, MEET THE RICHARDSONS
Daisy May Cooper, AM I BEING UNREASONABLE?
Natasia Demetriou, ELLIE & NATASIA
Siobhán McSweeney, DERRY GIRLS
Diane Morgan, CUNK ON EARTH
WILL WIN? – Daisy May Cooper – Though she has already won here before, the This Country star is on a roll and would be a worthy double winner for her role in the dark comedy series.
SHOULD WIN?– Diane Morgan – Her return as naive documentary presenter Philomena Cunk continues to attract fans and has benefitted even more from Cunk on Earth being an unlikely worldwide hit.
IGNORED? – Anna Maxwell Martin (MOTHERLAND) – The two-time BAFTA winner delivered her most effective turn yet in the hit sitcom as her beloved character Julia endured a tragic loss in the poignant Christmas special.
BEST MALE COMEDY PERFORMANCE
Matt Berry, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
Joseph Gilgun, BRASSIC
Stephen Merchant, THE OUTLAWS
Jon Pointing, BIG BOYS
Daniel Radcliffe, WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVIC STORY
Lenny Rush, AM I BEING UNREASONABLE?
WILL WIN? – Lenny Rush – Stealing scenes from Daisy May Cooper is not an easy feat, but the teenage child actor did just that in his riotous turn as Ollie. Victory here would also make him the youngest actor to win a TV BAFTA.
SHOULD WIN? – Jon Pointing – The former Plebs star provided a variety of laughs as cheeky chappie Danny and would be a strong alternative to Rush. An overdue win for Joseph Gilgun would also be welcoming!
IGNORED? – Dylan Llewellyn (BIG BOYS) – Between this and his farewell appearance as James in Derry Girls, the Surrey native was unlucky to miss out on a nomination here even if he was overshadowed by co-star Pointing.
P&O CRUISES MEMORABLE MOMENT
DERRY GIRLS (The finale – the people of Northern Ireland vote overwhelmingly for peace)
HEARTSTOPPER (Nick and Charlie’s first kiss)
PLATINUM JUBILEE: PARTY AT THE PALACE (Paddington meets The Queen)
THE REAL MO FARRAH (Sir Mo Farrah revealing he was illegally trafficked to the UK)
STRANGER THINGS (Lucas, Dustin and Steve rush to save Max from the clutches of Vecna by playing Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’)
THE TRAITORS (The final round table)
WILL WIN and SHOULD WIN? – PLATINUM JUBILEE -The joyful meeting between Paddington Bear and HLM Queen Elizabeth II captured the hearts of many and would be a fitting choice given the latter’s passing. However, the die-hard fanbases of Heartstopper and Stranger Things could rally towards their respective moments taking the crown.
IGNORED? – BAD SISTERS (Grace strangles JP) – A very satisfying moment that saw 2022’s most-hated TV villain get his comeuppance at the hands of his own wife.
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