Mr Loverman and Mr Bates vs the Post Office were among the big winners at the Bafta TV Awards, in a night which threw up several surprise winners.
Mr Loverman, about an elderly man whose marriage falls apart after his long-term affair with his male friend is revealed, won two major acting prizes, whilst ITV's dramatisation of the post office scandal, which led to widespread public outcry about the false convictions of sub-postmasters, was named best drama series. ITV was given a special award to recognise the show's impact.
Lennie James (pic) and Ariyon Bakare won Best Leading and Supporting Actor respectively for their roles in Mr Loverman, with Best Leading Actress going to Industry star Marisa Abela. Mr Bates’ Producer, Patrick Spence, said: "This story only had the impact it did because the people that watched it stood up and demanded action with rage."
"I didn't think this was coming my way," said James, describing his win as a "fantastic honour", as he paid tribute to his fellow nominees. He also paid tribute to Bernardine Evaristo, who wrote the book the series was based on, saying: "Thank you for trusting us with your characters."
Bakare, who played his lover, said: "This award stands on the shoulders of those who came before me, those who might have been afraid to come out, to be who what they want to be, and I just say thank you for them." Accepting the prize for limited series on behalf of Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Spence said the response to the show proved that the public "cannot abide liars and bullies".
He added that "maybe it is a warning to those who are supposed to have our backs, that they'd better not abuse that power." He went on: "Our show didn't change the law, the people of this nation did that."
Two of the drama's main stars, Toby Jones and Monica Dolan, missed out on acting prizes. Other headlines saw Ruth Jones win Best Female Comedy Performance for her role in Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, which was broadcast at Christmas and brought the hugely popular sitcom to a close.
She thanked her friend, co-writer and co-star, James Corden, “with whom I have shared this astonishing journey for the past 17 years, and without whom, Nessa Shanessa Jenkins. Danny Dyer won Best Male Comedy Performance for his role in Mr Bigstuff, in which he played one of two brothers with wildly different personalities who try to patch up their sibling rivalry.
Saying that he was "choked up" by his win, he joking: "So my acting was so bad, it was funny?" In an expletive-laden speech, he said it had been "an honour to share the screen" with his co-star Harriet Webb, and thanked writer and co-star Ryan Sampson, who he called the "best thing to come out of Rotherham."
"He's never done the same thing twice, which is not something I can say," Dyer joked. "You wrote this part, you won this for me mate, I really appreciate it." Blue Lights, a police drama set in Northern Ireland, was named Best Drama Series, with ‘Alma's Not Normal’ winning Best Scripted Comedy, and EastEnders was named Best Soap, in the year it celebrates 40 years on air.
Best Reality Series went to Channel 4's Jury: Murder Trial, which restaged a trial of murder in front of two juries of ordinary people, whilst Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning won Best Supporting Actress, repeating her earlier wins at the Golden Globes, Emmys and SAG Awards. Elsewhere, Would I Lie To You? was named Best Entertainment Programme.
Kirsty Wark, who left BBC Two's Newsnight last summer after 30 years, received the Bafta Fellowship, the highest honour bestowed by the British Academy. She said it was a "privilege and an honour" to be recognised.
"Things have changed so much and so radically since the 70s, not least the shoulder pads, the office drinks trolley, and film crews the size of football teams, but always the chance to learn and go. I've been lucky to interviews politicians to painters, architects to economists, musicians and a few monsters."
She went on to pay tribute to her colleagues, saying: "It takes a village to raise a programme." Meanwhile, BBC Breakfast's Post Office Special won the News Coverage Award, with BBC Sport's Paris 2024 Olympics taking the Sport Coverage prize.
Strictly Come Dancing won the Memorable Moment prize, the only award of the night voted for by the public, for blind comedian Chris McCausland's waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone. His professional dance partner Diane Buswell said: “It was such an honour to win,” joking: "Chris is not here tonight, but that's what happens when he insists on driving himself to these kinds of events."
The winning couple's "blackout" dance saw McCausland place his hands over Buswell's eyes as the room faded to black, mimicking his everyday experience, before the pair continued their dance when the lights returned and pyrotechnics flared.
Buswell said: "In one minute and 30 seconds of a dance, I feel like this told such a story. A story of hope, determination, resilience and vulnerability."
