The Stage

Bleak House lands three awards at BPGA

Published Friday 31 March 2006 at 13:55 by Liz Thomas

BBC1’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House has scooped three accolades at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.

The show, which was screened in half-hour episodes, twice a week after EastEnders, was named best drama series, while Charles Dance won best actor for his role as Mr Tulkinghorn, and Gillian Anderson, who played Lady Dedlock, was voted best actress. Dance and Anderson are due to receive their awards at lunchtime today (Friday) at a ceremony at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The series’ writer Andrew Davies will also be there, with other members of the production team.

Jamie Oliver has won two awards for his work on Channel 4. Jamie’s School Dinners was named best documentary series and he also won the award for best performer in a non-acting role.

Jonathan Ross was named radio broadcaster of the year, for his BBC Radio 2 show. Radio 4’s comedy series Ed Reardon’s Week was radio programme of the year.

The BBC TV comedy series The Thick of It, which was shown on BBC4 and BBC2, won two awards - for best comedy/entertainment show and the writer’s award, which went to the writing team headed by Armando Iannucci. BBC2 also picked up the award for best single documentary, which went to Martin Scorsese’s film for the Arena strand, No Direction Home - Bob Dylan.

More 4’s A Very Social Secretary, about the events leading to David Blunkett’s resignation as home secretary, won the award for best single drama. It was later shown on Channel 4. Sky One’s Ross Kemp on Gangs was named best multichannel programme. Ross Kemp will be attending the awards lunch, as will Bernard Hill, Robert Lindsay, Doon Mackichan and Victoria Hamilton from A Very Social Secretary.

Melvyn Bragg is to be given a lifetime achievement award, for his work as an ITV executive and as a broadcaster, on ITV’s The South Bank Show and on Radio 4, where his weekly programme In Our Time has been a surprise podcasting hit. He will receive the annual Harvey Lee award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting. Previous winners include David Attenborough, Michael Grade and Greg Dyke.

Podcasting was also recognised in a new BPG award for innovation. It went to BBC Radio and Music Interactive, for its pioneering work bringing radio to listeners “on demand” - through the BBC Radio Player, downloading and podcasting.

Now in their 32nd year, the awards are voted for by the journalists who write and broadcast about television, radio and the media generally.