On Thursday evening BBC aired the months-delayed BAFTA TV Awards honoring the best TV of 2019. HBO’s miniseries Chernobyl earned the title of most-decorated BBC show, while the Best Drama award went to Netflix’s The End of the F***ing World, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Airing two weeks after the BAFTA TV Craft Awards, which honors work from behind-the-camera, the ceremony was recorded in a closed studio, with social-distancing precautions. It was originally scheduled to air live in May but was pushed back in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Winners delivered their acceptance speeches virtually through Zoom, or in prerecorded videos. British comedian Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd) served as host.
The second season of Netflix’s hit dramedy The End of the F***ing World garnered Best Drama Series. The comic book adaptation also received honors for Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) as she took home the Best Supporting Actress award. Best Supporting Actor went to Will Sharpe (Flowers, Defending the Guilty) for his role in another Netflix series Giri/Haji (Duty/Shame).
In addition to Chernobyl coveting the Best Mini-Series Award, it earned Jared Harris (Mad Men, The Terror) the Leading Actor Award. Between this ceremony and the Craft Awards, Chernobyl coveted nine BAFTAs making it the most decorated BBC series in the awards ceremony’s history. Elsewhere Eighty-four-year-old Glenda Jackson (Sunday Bloody Sunday) received the Leading Actress honor for her performance in Elizabeth is Missing.
On the comedic side, there was a slight upset. While Sian Clifford (Quiz) received the award for Best Female Performance in a Comedy for Fleabag, the Phoebe Waller-Bridge-vehicle lost Best Scripted Comedy to Stath Lets Flats. In its second season, Stath Lets Flats follows a hapless Greek-Cypriot lettings agent working for the family business. Its creator and star Jamie Demetriou (Four Weddings and a Funeral) won Best Male Performance in a Comedy.
The award show also honored Idris Elba with a special BAFTA award recognizing his career and work to make the industry more diverse and inclusive. Elba said he wants to “open doors for others to come in,” and was “positive about the future,” via The Hollywood Reporter. Elba also discussed his recovery from COIVD-19 stating he feels like he “dodged bullet” and was “very lucky to be alive,” via The Hollywood Reporter.
You can see the full list of winners here.