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Aalthough it is still state-of-the-art in terms of objectives, procedures and results, Youth it’s been devastating for those of us who have to write about award shows. Because, since its first appearance, it has won all the appearances. And because Youth is so good, it’s not surprising, and where’s the fun?
Anyway, on TV last night BaftasThe impossible happened: Youth really surprised me. Not because it won things after 14 months, but because of who won.
So far, the results have been easy to predict. Had there been a smaller team, Youth would have won. If there was ever a better team, Stephen Graham would win. If there was ever a better supporting cast, Owen Cooper would win. If there was ever a better supporting cast, Erin Doherty would win. Not so at the Baftas. Last night, for the first time since it was released, Christine Tremarco got her flowers.
This is great. You can see why Doherty has won so many times, because his part was an actor’s showcase. They came up with one part, and the part featured only two actors, and they had to show a range of emotions from warmth to anger to fear. But Tremarco had a very difficult part. As Cooper’s mother – she is the wife of Stephen Graham – she had to play the background, who had to absorb and have a sense of home. It’s a difficult tone to get right, and Tremarco’s talent has helped to enhance this show. His win is a fitting way for the Adolescence Awards to bring the juggernaut to a close.
However, the Baftas always enjoy curveball victories, and it was no exception last night. One of the biggest surprises was Katherine Parkinson’s win for the comedy Here We Go. Not because he wasn’t good – he’s always good – but because it was set up to be Amandaland’s night. Amandaland, after all, won best written comedy, and the show relies on Lucy Punch’s performance. And yet Punch lost the acting award.
A possible explanation for this is the surprising nature of the Baftas themselves. The drama awards start and end with the lead; Support trophies are for entertainment purposes only. Because of this, Amandaland put everyone they could into one group. Punch was nominated, as well as Jennifer Saunders and Philippa Dunne. There is a high possibility that this will split the vote. Amandaland will be re-elected next year; if it wants to win then the BBC needs to be more discerning about who it represents, or the Baftas will choose a few new categories.
Elsewhere Code of Silence was a slight disappointment in winning best drama. This is something that no one saw coming, with most predictions assuming that Blue Light (probably more popular) or A Thousand Bursts (mainly Youth actors in period clothing) would win. However, you could argue that Code of Silence relied on Rose Ayling-Ellis’ performance, so questions must be asked about her absence.
Also, this may not seem surprising, because it was one of the best things on television last year, but the creators of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack deserve everyone’s praise. This was a film, remember, that ended up being broadcast on Channel 4 after the BBC (its original broadcaster) froze. An additional surprise is that the producers repeated the most alarming figures of the film in their official speech, saying that Israel had shot all the hospitals in Gaza, then tried the BBC not to change from the event. Therefore, the BBC did not.
We should also mention Last One Laughing, which walked away with two awards; fun and fun to do well. It’s a major advance in Japan’s decade-long global remake, not to mention only requiring six hours of the participants’ lives, but it looks like the show will last. This will be a hit for years to come.
And finally, perhaps the most surprising of all. Bafta went through the entire ceremony without anyone saying it was racist. This has never happened before. May the wonders never cease.
