The Netflix drama Adolescence, acclaimed for its unflinching portrayal of youth violence, swept the Bafta TV awards with four prizes, including best limited drama. The four-part series, each episode filmed in a single take, also earned Stephen Graham the best leading actor award, his first win after eight nominations.
Graham, who co-created the show, dedicated his award to aspiring storytellers. 'For any other young kid, no matter where you’re from, anything is possible,' he said. 'We have the opportunity to tell the human condition. And we have the obligation to tell beautiful stories.'
Owen Cooper, 16, won best supporting actor for his role as 13-year-old Jamie Miller, arrested for murder. Christine Tremarco took best supporting actress. Cooper quoted John Lennon: 'You won’t get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it.'
Other winners included Code of Silence for best drama, Narges Rashidi for best leading actress in Prisoner 951, and Gaza: Doctors Under Attack for current affairs. The documentary, dropped by the BBC over impartiality fears, was later aired by Channel 4. Reporter Ramita Navai criticised the BBC and paid tribute to Palestinian healthcare workers killed by Israel.
Channel 4 also won best news coverage for its reporting on the Israel-Iran war. Simon Schama’s The Road to Auschwitz and Channel 4’s See No Evil won factual categories. Netflix’s Grenfell: Uncovered was named best single documentary, with director Olaide Sadiq demanding accountability and justice for victims.
The Celebrity Traitors won best reality show, with Alan Carr’s tearful victory voted most memorable moment. Amandaland won best scripted comedy, while Katherine Parkinson and Steve Coogan took comedy acting awards. EastEnders won best soap, and Last One Laughing UK won best entertainment show.
