Considering the influence so much of British TV
has always had on American programming well before the era of Peak TV even
began there has always been an overlap with so many of the TV series that the
British make that we frequently see in the Emmys. We see it most often in so
many of the nominations and winners of limited series over the last decade but
occasionally that overlap is also seen in the comedies and dramas that the
Brits have made over the years. For that reason, looking at the nominations that
British TV gives itself can occasionally give insight into what the Emmys might
do in a few months' time – providing of course, it doesn't reflect on the year
just past.
With that in mind I take a look at the BAFTA TV
nominations that came out this afternoon as well as a couple of other British
organizations that theoretically might give some guidance to what the Emmys
will do this July – or conversely what we might want them too.
It helps matters that they also give
international awards.
Drama Series
I think it's safe to say despite the popularity
in some circles for A Thousand Blows and This City is Ours none
of the nominees has a chance.
Limited Drama
As you might expect Adolescence did just
as will with the Brits as it did in America getting eleven nominations total.
I'm not convinced Trespasses, I Fought The Law and What It Feels Like
For a Girl will get anywhere in America
International
Here's the real meat. The White Lotus,
Severance and The Studio were all nominated. The current seasons of The
Bear, The Diplomat and Pluribus all were as well. I'll be curious to
see who wins this much. (No I don't know if the Brits consider The Bear a
comedy either.)
Leading Actress
Two nominees from last year are up for awards but
as you might expect not for the shows we saw them in. Aimee Lou Wood is up for Film
Club and Erin Doherty is nominated for A Thousand Blows. (That's
where she first started working with Stephen Graham by the way. ) Sheridan
Smith is up for I Fought The Law and Jodie Whitaker is up for Toxic Town
which is ranked by Netflix. I don't think she or any of the other nominees have
a snowball's chance
Leading ACTOR
Stephen Graham is here for Adolescence. There
are some familiar faces here. Matt Smith is nominated for The Death of Bunny
Monroe, Taron Egerton for Smoke and Colin Firth for Lockerbie which
you can see on Peacock. James Nelson-Joyce is up for This City is Ours and
Ellis Howard for Girl. Graham is most likely to win here as he did at
the Emmys/
Actress in A Comedy
Ulness you’re a fan of Amandaland I don't
think any of these nominees will be familiar. I'm glad to see Jennifer Saunders
is still working outside of Absolutely Fabulous.
ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Same here though Steve Coogan is still getting
attention for playing Alan Partridge.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Now we're getting somewhere. Three of the
nominees for Best Supporting Actress in a limited series last year are
nominated here: Aimee Lou Wood for The White Lotus and Christine
Tremarco and Erin Doherty for Adolescence.
I've actually seen the three other performance
and they are all good ones. Chyna McQueen for her work in Get Millie Black, Emilia
Jones for Task and Rose Ayling-Ellis for Reunion. Jones has a
chance for getting nominated this year.
Supporting Actor
As you'd expect Ashley Walters and Owen Cooper
are here for Adolescence. We also see Paddy Considine for Paramount Plus
Mobland and Fehinti Balogun for the recent Apple TV hit Down Cemetery
Road. It is odd they are nominated and not their more noteworthy leads in
these series but there we are.
The remaining nominations are irrelevant to the
Emmys so I'll leave them out.
BAFTA is not the only British organization to
give nominations for TV. There's also a group known as the Royal Television
Society that gave nominations earlier this month and in fact gave their awards
today. Much of it covers similar ground but there are minor differences that
could be relevant.
For one thing they have a category called Comedy
Drama which might be the British version for dramedy. (They really do
everything better in England.) I've actually seen one of the nominees on
Showtime Dreaming Whilst Black and I heartily recommend it. Adjani
Salmon, the lead performer, is truly superb.
In Drama series we actually see a show that will
contend for Emmys next year: Season 5 of Slow Horses. Which begs the
question, why wasn't it good enough for BAFTA?
Leading Actor Female has Doherty for A
Thousand Blows and Rose Ayling-Ellis for Code of Silence (not Reunion).
I'm pleased to see Tamara Lawrence recognized for Get Millie Black which
was one of my favorite series of 2024. It's also nominated for Best Limited
series along with Adolescence, I Fought The Law and What It Feels
Like for A Girl.
In Leading Actor male, Stephen Graham is present
for Adolescence, no surprise.
Then we get to Supporting Actor and we see some
interesting ideas.
In male we see Owen Cooper for Adolescence nominated
against Christopher Chung for Slow Horses. In female Doherty is up against Wood for Toxic
Town and Saskia Reeves for Slow Horses. No the Royal Society didn't
see fit to nominate Gary Oldman either.
Writing Drama does see Adolescence along
with the loved in some circles Riot Women and expect Owen Cooper to have
a big night: he's also among the nominees for Breakthrough Award.
I'll be honest the most perplexing thing about
BAFTA's TV nominations is their odd relationship with Slow Horses. Considering
how popular it is in America I would have expected it to dominate BAFTA's TV
nominations just as frequently. Yet it was shut out by them this year and while
they nominated Oldman and Chung last year they didn't nominate the show for
Best Drama. Then again it's hard to know how seriously you can take them on a
good day when it comes to what works overseas. Last year they nominated Baby
Reindeer for four awards but gave Best Limited Drama to Mr. Bates Vs.
The Post Office.
For that reason I don't think I'll cover the
winners this year; the nominees are sufficiently eccentric enough.
I'll be back in a few weeks when the Peabody
nominations come out. Until then, cheerio.
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