BRITAIN:Her writing, wit and musical numbers have consistently made her one of Britain's best-loved comedians. But last night Victoria Wood proved her mastery of another genre as she was named best actress at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) television awards for her performance in her ITV screenplay Housewife, 49, which won the best single drama prize.
On a night of surprises, Wood won for her portrayal of a second World War housewife struggling with the suffering of her soldier son, a loveless marriage and the aftermath of a nervous breakdown.
They were Wood's sixth and seventh Baftas, a record equalled by Ricky Gervais. The comedian continued his successful run by beating co-star and co-writer Stephen Merchant to the best comedy performance award for his portrayal of Andy Millman in Extras, in which the former bit-part actor hit the big time but sold his soul. His tennis partner Jonathan Ross repaid another slice of his £6 million a year (€8.8 million) pay packet by picking up his third Bafta for his ribald Friday night BBC1 chat show.
Yet Life on Mars, the popular time-travelling cop drama that gripped viewers as it came to a conclusion earlier this year, was snubbed by the Bafta TV awards jurors. It was beaten to the best drama series prize by Jimmy McGovern's gritty northern slice of life The Street, on which the creator of Cracker worked for three years with a group of unknown writers. Featuring an ensemble cast including Timothy Spall and Jane Horrocks, each episode focused on the life of a different household on the same street.
Life on Mars had to settle instead for the only prize voted for by viewers, the Pioneer audience award, by a record margin. Jim Broadbent, who also starred in The Street, beat Life on Mars star John Simm to the best actor prize for his portrayal of Lord Longford in Peter Morgan's widely acclaimed Channel 4 docu-drama on the peer's friendship with Myra Hindley.
There was another surprise winner in the continuing drama category - typically shared between soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders - which the BBC1 hospital drama Casualty won for the first time.
Planet Earth, the big-budget natural history documentary that has won a string of prizes, was overlooked in the specialist factual category in favour of Channel 4's documentary on Hermann Goring.
It was also a disappointing night for Channel 4, which has dominated in recent years. The broadcaster, currently awaiting an Ofcom review of its future, came away with just two prizes, as did Sky One.
But it was a good night for ITV, which took seven prizes including two big awards for its drama. The BBC led the tally with nine, including a clean sweep in comedy.
Several senior executives criticised Bafta's decision to drop the current affairs category, while a new award for the best international programme went to ITV2's US import Entourage.- (Guardian service)