The BBC One drama series Cranford has dominated the shortlist for the 34th annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, picking up six nominations in four categories. The highly-prized BPG awards are selected by journalists who write about TV and radio – correspondents, critics and previewers.
Cranford has been nominated for best drama series, best actor (twice – Michael Gambon and Philip Glenister), best actress (also twice – Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench) and the writer’s award (Heidi Thomas).
Three Channel 4 dramas have been shortlisted for the best single drama award: Boy A, Britz and The Mark of Cain. They will compete against ITV1’s My Boy Jack and BBC Two’s Maxwell.
Dame Eileen (also nominated for Ballet Shoes) and Dame Judi will compete for the best actress award with Dame Maggie Smith – nominated for her role in Capturing Mary on BBC Two – and Gina McKee, who won the BPG award ten years ago. That was for Our Friends in the North; this time she has been shortlisted for The Street on BBC One and The Old Curiosity Shop on ITV1.
Challenging Gambon and Glenister for the best actor award are David Suchet (Maxwell) and Andrew Garfield (Boy A and Freezing). Gambon’s nomination is for Joe’s Palace and Celebration, as well as Cranford, while Glenister is also nominated for Life on Mars.
The Extras Christmas Special on BBC One is up for the best comedy/ entertainment award, competing with Armstrong & Miller, Gavin & Stacey and Strictly Come Dancing. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have also been shortlisted for the writer’s award.
They’re up against three writers who’ve each been nominated for three productions: Stephen Poliakoff (Joe’s Palace, Capturing Mary and Celebration); Tony Marchant (The Mark of Cain, The Whistleblowers and Recovery) and Heidi Thomas (Cranford, Ballet Shoes and Lilies).
Andrew Marr has been nominated for two awards, including best non-acting performer/presenter, where he’s up against Jeremy Clarkson, Harry Hill, Ross Kemp and Stephen Fry.
Marr’s History of Modern Britain on BBC Two is competing for best documentary series against Can Gerry Robinson fix the NHS?, The Genius of Photography and Monarchy: The Royal Family at World.
The single documentary nominations are Dispatches: China’s Stolen Children (Channel 4), Malcolm & Barbara: Love’s Farewell (ITV1) and Stephen Fry: HIV and Me (BBC Two).
The BBC iPlayer is shortlisted for the Innovation award, together with Bebo’s drama series, Kate Modern; and the website for Channel 4’s Skins.
The shortlist for radio broadcaster of the year consists of Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie, Radio 2; Simon Mayo, Radio Five Live; Eddie Mair, PM, Radio 4; and Martha Kearney, The World at One, Radio 4. The nominations for radio programme of the year are Adam and Joe Show (BBC 6 Music); The News Quiz (Radio 4); Beyond Belief (Radio 4); and The Chris Moyles Show (Radio 1).
The winners will be announced at the BPG Awards lunch at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on Friday April 4, 2008, together with the multichannel award and the Harvey Lee award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting. The event is being sponsored for the second year running by Turner Broadcasting, home to channels CNN International, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies.
Winners will be informed in advance and places at the lunch are by invitation only.
The Broadcasting Press Guild was founded in 1974 and has more than a hundred members – all journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media in general. They include media correspondents, reviewers, previewers and feature writers from the major national newspapers, broadcasters and leading trade journals. Details of previous BPG Awards winners can be found at http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org <http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/> .
Further information from Torin Douglas, BPG, 020 8624 9052
The full list of nominations is:
Single Drama:
Boy A (Channel 4)
Britz (Channel 4)
Maxwell (BBC Two)
My Boy Jack (ITV1)
The Mark of Cain (Channel 4)
Drama Series:
Cranford (BBC One)
Five Days (BBC One)
Oliver Twist (BBC One)
Party Animals (BBC Two)
Comedy/Entertainment:
Armstrong & Miller (BBC One)
Extras Xmas Special (BBC One)
Gavin & Stacey (BBC Two & Three)
Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One)
Factual Entertainment:
Jamie at Home (Channel 4)
The Restaurant (BBC Two)
£800m Railway Station (BBC Two)
Top Gear (BBC Two)
Documentary Series:
Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain (BBC Two)
Can Gerry Robinson Fix the NHS? (BBC Two)
Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work (BBC One)
The Genius of Photography (BBC Four)
Single Documentary:
Dispatches: China’s Stolen Children (Channel 4)
Malcolm & Barbara: Love’s Farewell (ITV1)
Stephen Fry: HIV and Me (BBC Two)
Multichannel:
Falklands: The Islanders’ War (The History Channel)
Mastering the Art (Sky Arts)
The Leaders (CNBC Europe)
Actor:
Philip Glenister for Life on Mars, Cranford (BBC One)
David Suchet for Maxwell (BBC Two)
Andrew Garfield for Boy A (Channel 4) and Freezing (BBC Four)
Michael Gambon for Joe’s Palace, Cranford (BBC One), Celebration (BBC Four)
Actress:
Eileen Atkins for Cranford, Ballet Shoes (BBC One)
Judi Dench for Cranford (BBC One)
Maggie Smith for Capturing Mary (BBC Two)
Gina McKee for The Street (BBC One), The Old Curiosity Shop (ITV1)
Non acting performer/presenter:
Andrew Marr for Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain (BBC Two), The Andrew Marr Show (BBC One)
Stephen Fry for Stephen Fry: HIV and Me, QI (BBC Two)
Harry Hill for Harry Hill’s TV Burp (ITV1)
Ross Kemp for Ross Kemp on Gangs (Sky One)
Jeremy Clarkson for Top Gear (BBC Two)
Writer:
Heidi Thomas for Cranford, Ballet Shoes, Lilies (BBC One)
Tony Marchant for The Mark of Cain (Channel 4); The Whistleblowers (ITV1); Recovery (BBC One)
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant for Extras Christmas Special (BBC One)
Stephen Poliakoff for Joe’s Palace (BBC One); Capturing Mary, A Real Summer (BBC Two)
Radio Broadcaster of the Year:
Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie (Radio 2)
Simon Mayo (Radio 5 Live)
Eddie Mair, PM (Radio 4)
Martha Kearney, The World at One (Radio 4)
Radio Programme of the Year:
Adam and Joe Show (BBC 6 Music)
The News Quiz (Radio 4)
Beyond Belief (Radio 4)
The Chris Moyles Show (Radio 1)
Innovation Award:
BBC iPlayer, for making TV downloading a mass market service.
Bebo’s Kate Modern, for pioneering online drama.
Channel 4’s Skins, for its use of the web and social networks, before and after broadcast.
