Royal Television Society Announces Programme Awards Shortlist

LONDON: The Royal Television Society (RTS) has unveiled the shortlist for the Programme Awards, which recognize the work of actors, presenters, writers and production teams, along with honoring the programs themselves.

In the female performance category are Naomie Harris for Small Island from Ruby Television Production in association with AL Films for BBC One, Suranne Jones for Unforgiven from Red Production Company for ITV1 and Julie Walters for A Short Stay in Switzerland from BBC Productions for BBC One. On the male performance side are Stephen Graham for The Street, an ITV Studios production for BBC One, Tom Hardy for The Take from Company Pictures/Warner Sisters for Sky 1 and David Oyelowo for Small Island.

In the category for best children’s program are Big and Small: Blame it on the Drain from Kindle Entertainment for CBeebies, Bookaboo from Happy Films for CITV and Horrible Histories from Lion Television for CBBC. Children’s drama contenders are MI High from Kudos Film and Television for CBBC; Roy from JAM Media for CBBC and The Sarah Jane Adventures from BBC/BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC and BBC One.

For drama, in the serial segment are Occupation from Kudos Film and Television for BBC One, Red Riding from Revolution Films in association with Screen Yorkshire & LipSync Post for Channel 4 and Unforgiven. Up for best soap and continuing drama are Casualty from BBC Productions for BBC One, EastEnders from BBC Productions for BBC One and The Bill from talkbackTHAMES for ITV1. In the category for best drama series are Cast Offs from Eleven Films for Channel 4, Misfits from Clerkenwell Films for E4 and The Street.

Scripted comedies on the shortlist are Miranda from BBC Productions for BBC Two, The Inbetweeners from Bwark Production for E4 and The Thick of It from BBC Productions for BBC Two. Entertainment shows on the nomination roster are Britain’s Got Talent from talkbackTHAMES and SYCO TV for ITV1, Newswipe with Charlie Brooker from Zeppotron for BBC Four and The X Factor, a talkbackTHAMES and SYCO TV production for ITV1.

Contenders for the International Award are Damages from Sony Pictures Television for BBC One; Generation Kill from HBO, HBO Films, Boom, Blown Deadline Productions and Company Pictures for FX; and Mad Men from Lionsgate for BBC Four. The Multi-Channel Programme Award nominees are Dating in the Dark from Initial, an Endemol Company, for LIVING; Micro Men from Darlow Smithson Productions for BBC Four; and True Stories: Here’s Johnny, an Animal Monday production for More4. In the way of features and lifestyle series are Don’t Tell The Bride from Renegade Pictures for BBC Three, Heston’s Feasts: Heston’s Victorian Feast from Optomen Television for Channel 4 and The Sex Education Show vs Pornography, a Cheetah Television production for Channel 4.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on March 16 at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.