the BAFTAS: Casualty beats the Big Three

[carmelina]

SOAP bosses were feeling sick last night after EastEnders, Corrie and Emmerdale got beaten at the Baftas — by Casualty.

The BBC1 hospital show was named best continuing drama at the glitzy bash in the London Palladium.
It was the first time the award had not gone to a soap.

EastEnders had hoped to hang on to the gong it finally wrestled from Coronation Street after three years. And it was also a blow to Emmerdale, which had pulled in up to nine million viewers with its storyline about Tom King’s murder.

Collecting the award, Ian Bleasdale, who plays Casualty paramedic Josh Griffiths, said: “To the doctors, nurses and ambulance crews — thank you for doing what you do.”

Host Graham Norton was driven to the ceremony by Philip Glenister, gruff 70s detective Gene Hunt in Life On Mars, in the show’s iconic Ford Cortina. The show itself won a special Bafta voted for by viewers.

But it missed out in the best drama series category to gritty Northern drama The Street. And star John Simm was beaten by Jim Broadbent to the best actor prize for his role as Myra Hindley campaigner Lord Longford in Channel 4’s Longford.

Comedienne Victoria Wood was named best actress for ITV wartime drama Housewife 49, which also won best single drama.

Ricky Gervais won his SEVENTH Bafta — for the best comedy performance in BBC2’s Extras.


Jonathan Ross was best entertainment performer for the second year in a row, beating duo Ant and Dec, Stephen Fry and Paul Merton. Neither Wossy nor Ricky could make the bash because of other commitments.

ITV’s X Factor landed the best entertainment prize for the second year running — fending off BBC hit How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

Best sitcom was The Royle Family Christmas special — starring Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston — while the drama serial prize went to See No Evil: The Moors Murders.

Sir Alan Sugar was smiling despite his BBC1 show The Apprentice losing its best feature title to BBC2’s The Choir.

Sky One’s Ross Kemp On Gangs won best factual series.

The former EastEnder said: “I’m very rarely speechless but I’m speechless now.”

Best comedy was BBC2’s That Mitchell & Webb Look, ahead of The Catherine Tate Show.

Catherine, just about containing herself in a daring black dress, joked: “I want everyone to think I’ve had a boob job.”

Others at the glamorous ceremony included Emmerdale’s Roxanne Pallet, I’m A Celebrity’s Jason Donovan and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, EastEnder Barbara Windsor, Life On Mars’ beauty Liz White and Top Gear’s Richard Hammond with wife Mindy.



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[faceless]

Holby City (a spin-off from Casualty I think) won the same award tonight, beating Eastenders and the rest.

[eefanincan]

I've just gotten into watching Casualty here on BBC - Canada (we're nearly 4 yrs. behind, I think) so interesting to hear it's won these awards. EE has come a long way in the storyline dept, but they've got a ways to go if they want to keep winning these types of awards.

[Aja]

I am a big fan of casualty and am up to date ...... Nice to hear that they won

[Aja]