RTS Programme Awards 2012

The Royal Television Society (RTS), Britain’s leading forum for television and related media, today announced the winners for the RTS Programme Awards 2012. The ceremony, held at Grosvenor House on Tuesday 20 March, was hosted by actor, comedian and radio presenter Rob Brydon.

Chaired by David Liddiment, the Awards honour excellence in key genres of television programming, from children's fiction to comedy performance, history to soaps, covering both national and regional output. Held annually, the RTS Programme Awards aim to recognise the work of exceptional actors, presenters, writers and production teams, as well as celebrating the programmes themselves.

Winners

Entertainment: Derren Brown

Title: The Experiments
Production Company: Objective Productions
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
Million Pound Drop
The Graham Norton Show

“The jury said this was quite simply water cooler television. Innovative, original, intelligent with a startling level of profundity.” 

Presenter: Gareth Malone

Title: The Choir: Military Wives
Production Company: Twenty Twenty
Broadcaster: BBC Two
Nominees:
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Hugh's Big Fish Fight
Karl Pilkington - An Idiot Abroad 2

“His enthusiasm and expertise infects everyone around him and the on-screen result is thoroughly positive and life enhancing. This year he took his students and his performance to a new level and together they captured the nation’s imagination.” 

Arts

Title: Graffiti Wars
Production Company: TwoFour
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
Arena: Produced By George Martin
The Impressionists

“Praised by the Jury for an extraordinary portrayal of the ruthless world of the graffiti artists and the dramatic battle of one to protect his territory and his trademark.” 

Single Documentary

Title: Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die
Production Company: Keo north
Broadcaster: BBC Two
Nominees:
The Life And Loss Of Karen Woo
True Stories: Hell And Back Again

“In a very strong year, [this] is an outstanding example of the single documentary:  groundbreaking, revelatory and profoundly moving.”

Documentary Series

Title: 24 Hours In A&E
Production Company: The Garden Productions
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
Educating Essex
Fighting On The Frontline

“With great story telling, a brilliant narrative and, despite so much of it being harrowing, television that was uplifting and heart-warming: love, life and death up-close and raw.”

Nations And Regions Programme

Title: The Scheme
Production Company: Friel Kean Films
Broadcaster: BBC One
Nominees:
Frankenstein’s Wedding…Live in Leeds
Wil a Cêt

“Fantastic access and brilliant casting with a real lightness of touch and incredibly moving.” 

History

Title: Dambusters: Building The Bouncing Bomb
Production Company: Windfall Films
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
The Life Of Muhammad
If Walls Could Talk – The History Of The Home

“Filmic and beautifully realised, [this] was gripping, innovative and provided real insight.” 

Science & Natural History

Title: Mummifying Alan: Egypt's Last Secret
Production Company: Blink Film & Television
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
Frozen Planet
Stargazing Live

“The jury said [this] was ambitious, engaging, entertaining and told a fascinating story.”

Soap and Continuing Drama

Title: Coronation Street
Production Company: ITV Studios
Broadcaster: ITV1
Nominees:
Eastenders
Emmerdale

“The jury felt that this was perfect soap storytelling.  Bold, contemporary and well-structured with strong continuing stories skilfully woven alongside the main strand.   The well-crafted direction led to moving performances from all the key cast members.”

Children's Drama

Title: Tracy Beaker
Production Company: BBC Productions
Broadcaster: CBBC
Nominees:
Sarah Jane Adventures (Series 5)

“In such a long-running programme, it is a real achievement that this story still comes across as fresh and relevant. The diverse cast act with a skill beyond their years and give the impression that they enjoy their work! This sense of warmth pervades a pacey and well structured drama that is inclusive and heartfelt.” 

International Award

Title: Modern Family
Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox Television/Levitan-Lloyd Productions
Broadcaster: Sky 1 HD
Nominees:
The Killing – Series 1
The Slap

“A smart, superbly constructed and unpretentiously conceived comedy which is simply very funny.” 

Daytime Programme

Title: Deal Or No Deal Live
Production Company: Remarkable Television, an Endemol company
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
Antiques Road Trip
Operation Hospital Food with James Martin

“A fantastic format that was given a new twist, allowing for a master class of live television presenting.”

Popular Factual and Features

Title: Hugh's Big Fish Fight
Production Company: Keo Films
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
An Idiot Abroad 2
The Great British Bake Off

“An interesting, watchable and accessible series of clever and effortless campaigning. The presenter is an amazing advocate, demonstrates admirable tenacity and gains unbelievable access. The series is also distinctive in terms of online innovation and activity.” 

Actor (Male): Dominic West

Title: Appropriate Adult
Production Company: ITV Studios
Broadcaster: ITV1
Nominees:
Daniel Rigby - Eric and Ernie
John Simm - Exile

“The winner shockingly, wittily and superbly captured the most horrific characteristic of a serial killer: his terrifying charm.” 

Actor (Female): Emily Watson

Title: Appropriate Adult
Production Company: ITV Studios
Broadcaster: ITV1
Nominees:
Vicky McClure - This Is England '88
Ruth Negga - Shirley

“Subtle, nuanced and utterly compelling, an incredibly skilled and extraordinary portrayal of an ordinary woman by an actor at the height of her powers.” 

Single Drama

Title: Eric & Ernie
Production Company: Blue Door Adventures/BBC Wales
Broadcaster: BBC Two
Nominees:
Random
United

“With strong performances and a real insight into a particular period, this poignant drama captured the spirit of what made these household names so special.” 

Drama Serial

Title: Top Boy
Production Company: A Cowboy Films/Easter Partisan Production
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
The Crimson Petal & The White
The Promise

“The winning drama had a wonderful mix of tenderness and toughness, and a sense of authenticity which created an alluring world.”

Drama Series

Title: Luther 2
Production Company: BBC Productions/BBC America
Broadcaster: BBC One
Nominees:
Scott And Bailey
The Fades

“A smart, stylish and often brutal drama that keeps you gripped from beginning to end with an extraordinary central performance from Idris Elba.” 

Writer - Drama: Peter Bowker

Title: Eric & Ernie
Production Company: Blue Door Adventures/BBC Wales
Broadcaster: BBC Two
Nominees:
Neil McKay - Appropriate Adult
Steven Moffat - Doctor Who (Series 6)

“Warm, funny, poignant and life-enhancing – a perfect piece of writing.” 

Writer - Comedy: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong

Title: Fresh Meat
Production Company: Objective Productions/Lime Pictures
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
Robert Popper - Friday Night Dinner
James Wood - Rev

“The winning writers have created refreshingly well-rounded characters and a world that’s unpredictable, believable… and very funny.” 

Entertainment Performance: Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly

Title: I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here; Red Or Black; Push The Button; Britain’s Got Talent
Production Company: ITV Studios/Syco TV/Thames/Gallowgate Studios
Broadcaster: ITV1
Nominees:
James Corden - A League Of Their Own
Keith Lemon - Celebrity Juice

“Still the stand-out entertainment act across many different series.” 

Comedy Performance: Russell Tovey & Sarah Solemani

Title: Him & Her
Production Company: Big Talk Productions
Broadcaster: BBC Three
Nominees:
Darren Boyd - Spy
Tom Hollander - Rev

“A perfect partnership, understated but wickedly funny.”

Scripted Comedy

Title: Fresh Meat
Production Company: Objective Productions/Lime Pictures
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Nominees:
Phoneshop
Rev

“The jury felt that for a first series the winning comedy was really well observed, cleverly done and full of complex and absorbing characters.” 

Judges’ Award: Laura Mackie

Nominees:

“Tonight’s recipient has built, with her team, a portfolio of work which has been pivotal in the revitalisation of ITV.  From Primeval to Whitechapel, from Appropriate Adult to Scott and Bailey; culminating in the triumphant success of Downton Abbey – the defining drama hit of our time. 
 
The Judges’ Award this year goes to one of British television’s most talented commissioners; a woman whose calm and modest demeanour belies a steely competitive edge, and whose good judgement and generosity of spirit commands respect from colleagues,  competitors and suppliers alike.” 

Lifetime Achievement Award: Beryl Vertue OBE

Nominees:

“The recipient of tonight’s Royal Television Society Lifetime Achievement Award runs a small family business. Members of the close family include Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who, some Daleks, two girls and two boys whose behaviour is never as good as it might be, a couple of rag and bone men, some goons, the late Queen Mother and the odd Chelsea Pensioner.  Our recipient is as tireless now as she was when she started typing for two comedy script writers called Galton and Simpson back in the early 1950s.  She shows no signs of retiring; in fact her daughters can’t even persuade her to do a four day week.  She has produced feature films and TV series here and in America, including an award winning silent film long before that was fashionable, and a re-versioning of Upstairs Downstairs. She made the very first format sale of a British show to a US network.  She moved her shows from one channel to another if she felt they would thrive better somewhere else. She helped write the first PACT agreement when she was its chair, and received an OBE for services to the indie sector. She helped shape the television industry that we know today though she has never worked for a network broadcaster. She says that she just makes television that “she would like to watch”, huge numbers of viewers over the decades, and all over the world, have liked to watch it too. She is Beryl Vertue.
 
Born in Mitcham, Beryl went to school with comedy writer Alan Simpson. Then, in the early 50’s, when he and his writing partner Ray Galton were looking for a typist, they asked Beryl to apply. This led to her joining what soon became Associated London Scripts where she quickly found that, quite by accident, she had become an agent. Not just to her employers but to lots of other comedy writers as well. People like Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes and Johnny Speight, and performers like Frankie Howerd and Tony Hancock. Hancock was never the easiest of men and he fired and re-hired Beryl on numerous occasions. She also negotiated Terry Nations’ partial rights deal for his creation the Daleks, a type of deal that had never been done before, but has subsequently given both the BBC and her son-in-law, Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, endless hours of fun and the occasional nightmare. At ALS she also got her first taste of producing because “people thought there was no reason why she wouldn’t be good at it”. She was the executive producer on the award winning silent comedy The Plank, and discovering that the BBC did not have any way of exploiting the film rights of their writers hits, she helped produce the big screen versions of Till Death Us Do Part, Up Pompeii and Steptoe and Son.
 
In the late 60’s, impressario Robert Stigwood absorbed Associated London Scripts and Beryl became Deputy Chairman of the Robert Stigwood organisation. Now she came up with the novel idea of selling UK formats to Europe and America. Steptoe and Son became Sanford and Son and Till Death became All in the Family. Beryl then went on to produce Beacon Hill, the US version of Upstairs Downstairs set in up scale Boston and an American version of It’s a Knockout.  Back in the UK she produced The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie for TV and then one of her proudest achievements; she was one of the executive producers of Tommy starring Eric Clapton, Elton John and Tina Turner.
 
When Beryl started her own independent, Hartswood, in the 1980s, she widened her range considerably. She made comedies like Fear, Stress and Anger, Coupling and Carrie and Barry for the BBC and sold them to the US. Three series of the wonderful Is It Legal? for ITV and then for Channel 4. A channel moving trick she had pulled off earlier with the hugely successful Men Behaving Badly. Beryl had read Simon Nye’s book of the same name and had asked Simon, who had never written for TV before, to adapt it. Simon became one of the most sought after writers and the show became a huge success after a shaky start on ITV. It was Beryl’s talent and tenacity that charmed the BBC into taking what had essentially been a bit of a flop and that similarly turned it into a hit. She made documentaries on subjects that she thought would be interesting, like In Love with Elizabeth about the early life of the Queen Mother, along with The War behind the Wire and The Welsh Great Escape, both extraordinary wartime stories.  She made Going to Chelsea about florist Stephen Woodhams preparing for the Flower show and the wonderful Officers and Gentlemen, the first documentary that had ever been given access to the Chelsea Pensioners hospital.  Beryl’s palpable honesty and interest had made another conquest.  Channel Controllers began to speak of being “Beryl’d”. Hartswood made dramas like Jekyll and Wonderful You, The English Wife and mini-series like Codename Kyril and Border Café. Most recently; of course, it has made one of the biggest drama hits in years, Sherlock, part-written by her son in law and exec produced by both Beryl and her daughter, Sue.  Sue says of her mother “Beryl has always tried to work with like-minded people and quite often she has been related to them.”
 
Beryl Vertue is an extraordinary woman who has had and is still having, an extraordinary career.  She has done it by breaking the rules, she has said “Why can’t you do that?”, and if no one has come up with a really good reason why not, she has done it. To meet her, if only briefly, is to get a sense of the tenacity, talent and downright charm of a woman who makes it impossible for people to say “no” to her.  Why would you? She has changed television.”

 

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