The Royal Television Society recognised BBC’s Planet Earth II, ITV’s Love Island and C4’s The End of the F***ing World for excellence in British television.
The BBC was awarded 17 of the RTS Programme Awards with judges commending the broadcaster for commissioning a wide range of high-quality programmes that are both challenging and push the boundaries.
BBC1 drama Three Girls won two out of its three nominations, collecting the Mini-Series award and celebrating a win for Nicole Taylor in the Writer – Drama category.
BBC3 comedy This Country scooped three awards including the Scripted Comedy as well as Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper winning Writer – Comedy and Comedy Performance awards.
Planet Earth II on BBC1 was awarded the Science & Natural History award, while Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories on BBC Two took the Arts award. BBC2 Hospital won the Documentary Series prize, and the Single Documentary accolade went to BBC1 Rio Ferdinand Being Mum and Dad.
Sinéad Keenan won the Actor (Female) and Stephen Graham won the Actor (Male) awards for their work on ITV’s Little Boy Blue, while Daniel Lawrence Taylor was presented with the Breakthrough Award for his performance in ITV2 Timewasters.
The Drama Series award was won by Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing World, while BBC3 Murdered for Being Different (BBC Three) was recognised in the Single Drama category. ITV’s Coronation Street won the Soap and Continuing Drama award.
Channel 4 followed its 2017 success with a consecutive win for Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe for Channel 4’s The Last Leg in the Entertainment Performance category. The Entertainment programme award went to ITV’s Love Island.
Anita Rani won the Presenter category for BBC1 My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947 and Michael Johnson took the title of Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit for BBC1 and BBC2 World Athletics Championships. Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko for Sky Sports was awarded the Sports Programme award.
CBBC’s Inside My Head: A Newsround Special won the Children’s Programme category, BBC2 Muslims like Us for Formatted Popular Factual, and Moving On – Eighteen on BBC1 won the Daytime Programme.
Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents secured the History award and World War One Remembered: Passchendaele – For The Fallen won the Live Event award – both produced for BBC2.
The RTS Award of Special Recognition was presented to The Crown. The Judges’ Award went to Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones for Black Mirror.
Jimmy McGovern was recognised for his body of work with the Lifetime Achievement award.
The full list of winners:
Actor (Female)
- Sinéad Keenan - Little Boy Blue, ITV Studios for ITV
“Compelling and heart breaking. She brought the whole story alive.”
Nominees:
Wunmi Mosaku - Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Minnow Films for BBC One
Thandie Newton - Line of Duty, World Productions for BBC One
Actor (Male)
- Stephen Graham - Little Boy Blue, ITV Studios for ITV
“Unquestionably brilliant, showing extraordinary range and skill”.
Nominees:
Sean Bean - Broken, LA Productions for BBC One
Jack Rowan - Born To Kill, World Productions for Channel 4
Arts
- Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories, Kismet Films for BBC Two
“An exceptional piece of film making, brilliantly evoking the dramatic sweep of the artist’s life.”
Nominees:
Basquiat - Rage to Riches, A BBC Studios Production for BBC and PBS with THIRTEEN Productions for BBC Two
Grayson Perry: Divided Britain, Swan Films for Channel 4
Breakthrough Award
- Daniel Lawrence Taylor - Timewasters, Big Talk Productions for ITV2
“Creating a world that didn’t exist before – original, clever and insightful. Clearly we’ll see much more of this talent in the future.”
Nominees:
Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper - This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
Molly Windsor - Three Girls, BBC Studios in association with Studio Lambert for BBC One
Children’s Programme
- Inside My Head: A Newsround Special, CBBC Productions for CBBC
“Supremely well researched, an important piece of television.”
Nominees:
Jamie Johnson/ End Game, Short Form Film Company for CBBC
Apple Tree House/ Talking Books, Five Apples for CBeebies
Comedy Performance
- Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper – This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
“Charming, endearing and warm…giving this funny show genuine heart.”
Nominees:
Tom Davis – Murder In Successville, Tiger Aspect in association with Shiny Button Productions for BBC Three
Michaela Coel – Chewing Gum, Retort for E4
Daytime Programme
- Moving On - Eighteen, LA Productions for BBC One
“Massively watchable, diverse and inclusive.”
Nominees:
The Question Jury, Monkey Kingdom for Channel 4
Good Morning Britain, ITV Studios for ITV
Documentary Series
- Hospital, Label 1 for BBC Two
“Wide ranging, challenging programmes with difficult subjects handled confidently, and a series able to prompt national discussion.”
Nominees:
The Detectives: Murder on the Streets, Minnow Films in association with the OU for BBC Two
Catching A Killer, True Vision for Channel 4
Drama Series
- The End of The F***ing World, Clerkenwell Films and Dominic Buchanan Productions for Channel 4
“Beautifully written and directed, with performances that were through the roof…taking huge creative risks.”
Nominees:
Ackley Bridge, The Forge for Channel 4
The Crown, Left Bank Pictures for Netflix
Entertainment
- Love Island, ITV Studios/Motion Content Group for ITV2
“This series…has evolved into a uniquely contemporary watch – it makes its own rules and is a compelling and spellbinding viewing”.
Nominees:
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, ITV Studios and Mitre Television for ITV
Murder in Successville, Tiger Aspect in association with Shiny Button Productions for BBC Three
Entertainment Performance
- Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe - The Last Leg, Open Mike Productions for Channel 4
“The genuine warmth, imagination and sense of fun just shines through.”
Nominees:
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, ITV Studios for ITV
Claudia Winkleman - Strictly Come Dancing, BBC Studios for BBC One
Formatted Popular Factual
- Muslims like Us, Love Productions for BBC Two
“The winning programme was innovative, nuanced, and exceptional in its breadth of casting.”
Nominees:
Rich House, Poor House, Hat Trick Productions for Channel 5
The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve, Studio Lambert for BBC Two
History
- Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents, 72 Films for BBC Two
“A visually rich piece which told new stories in an arresting style.”
Nominees:
My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947, Wall to Wall Media for BBC One
Black & British A Forgotten History, BBC Studios for BBC Two
Live Event
- World War One Remembered: Passchendaele – For The Fallen, BBC Studios for BBC Two
“A remarkable event beautifully executed, telling THE story as well as lots of others in an innovative and accessible way.”
Nominees:
One Love Manchester, BBC Studios/SB Projects for BBC One
ITV News Election Night: The Results, ITN/ITV News for ITV
Mini-Series
- Three Girls, BBC Studios in association with Studio Lambert for BBC One
“Incredible, raw performances in a sensitively handled and ultimately devastating story”.
Nominees:
The State, Archery Pictures and Stonehenge Films for Channel 4
Born To Kill, World Productions for Channel 4
Presenter
- Anita Rani - My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947, Wall to Wall Media for BBC One
“This broadcaster told a personal story with an approach that was both authoritative and deeply emotional”.
Nominees:
Grayson Perry – Grayson Perry: Divided Britain, Swan Films for Channel 4
Gordon Ramsay - Gordon Ramsay on Cocaine, Studio Ramsay/Objective Media Group for ITV
RTS Channel Of The Year
- BBC One
“Commissions wide ranging, challenging programmes that still push at the boundaries, and with an astonishing mix of quality.”
Nominees:
CBBC
Channel 5
Science & Natural History
- Planet Earth II, BBC Studios The Natural History Unit production with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Television for BBC One
“Two words sum it up…simply phenomenal”.
Nominees:
Guy Martin vs The Robot Car, North One Television for Channel 4
Dogs: An Amazing Animal Family, Offspring Films for Sky One
Scripted Comedy
- This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
“Authentic, clever and with characters and a setting that felt completely fresh.”
Nominees:
People Just Do Nothing, Roughcut TV for BBC Three
Chewing Gum, Retort for E4
Single Documentary
- Rio Ferdinand Being Mum and Dad, Only The Best Productions for BBC One
“A profoundly brave personal journey told with incredible emotional honesty.”
Nominees:
Chris Packham: Aspergers and Me, Raw for BBC Two
The Accused, Brinkworth Films for Channel 5
Single Drama
- Murdered for Being Different, BBC Studios for BBC Three
“Bold and powerful. A gut-wrenching watch”.
Nominees:
Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Minnow Films for BBC One
King Charles III, Drama Republic for BBC Two
Soap and Continuing Drama
- Coronation Street, ITV Studios for ITV
“Some astonishing performances, but always grounded, confident and utterly believable.”
Nominees:
EastEnders, BBC Studios for BBC One
Holby City, BBC Studios for BBC One
Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit
- Michael Johnson - World Athletics Championships, BBC Sport for BBC One and BBC Two
“Someone who brings the viewer a uniquely authoritative perspective combined with excellent insight.”
Nominees:
Osi Umenyiora - NFL This Week, The NFL Show, Whisper Films for BBC Two
Kelly Cates - Friday Night Football, Sky Sports
Sports Programme
- Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko, Sky Sports for Sky Sports Box Office
“A perfectly executed piece of stand out coverage,” said the judges, “It was stunning!”.
Nominees:
2017 FA Cup Final Coverage, BBC Sport for BBC One
UEFA Women’s EURO - England v Netherlands Semi-Final, Whisper Films for Channel 4
Writer – Comedy
- Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper - This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
“Was both warm and poignant in a world rarely represented…a brilliantly funny piece”.
Nominees:
Steve Stamp and Allan Mustafa - People Just Do Nothing, Roughcut TV for BBC Three
Michaela Coel - Chewing Gum, Retort for E4
Writer - Drama
- Nicole Taylor - Three Girls, BBC Studios in association with Studio Lambert for BBC One
“It would be hard to overstate the intellectual dexterity, cultural sensitivity and raw emotional force…the writer is an exceptionally rare talent”.
Nominees:
Charlie Covell - The End of The F***ing World, Clerkenwell Films and Dominic Buchanan Productions for Channel 4
Jeff Pope - Little Boy Blue, ITV Studios for ITV
RTS Award of Special Recognition
- The Crown
”With its very British story, British creative and technical talent behind the camera, and an almost exclusively British cast – the series has put feature film production values onto the small screen for the world to see and done so with a style and on a scale unlike any other.”
Judges’ Award
- Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones for Black Mirror
”Black Mirror is a series that defies neat categorisation. Is it science fiction? Is it an apocalyptic satire? Is it a psychological thriller? The truth is that it’s all of the these. Even describing it as this generation’s Twilight Zone doesn’t do justice to the creative sweep of Black Mirror. Using modern society’s delight in evolving technology and our addiction to the new media as its jumping off points, the show takes the viewer to a different unique world with its own parallel reality in each episode.”
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Jimmy McGovern
“A dramatist who has written what is, by any measure, an exceptional body of work – pieces that have challenged audiences, needled authority and had an impact that goes beyond mere critical acclaim or high ratings…though his work has achieved both of those as well.”
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