We’re previewing the Scripted Comedy and Entertainment Programme nominees with Rylan Clark-Neal, Emily Atack and Caitlin Moran!
By Virgin TV Edit
Hosted by Richard Ayoade, the 2020 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards will be held this Friday (31 July) to recognise the best on the box across 26 categories. Whether they’ve been behind the scenes or in front of the camera, top talent has been entertaining the nation for the past 12 months – and now’s the time to celebrate that!
What an incredible year 2019 was for Scripted Comedy. It gave us Andrew Scott’s Hot Priest in Fleabag and a perfect ending to the final series of Catastrophe. This is the second year in a row that Stath Lets Flats has been nominated for Scripted Comedy and it’s contending with firm fan favourite Derry Girls. For Entertainment Programme, dancing and singing are up against one another, but will the award go to Strictly Come Dancing or The Voice UK? Or will new series The Greatest Dancer and The Rap Game UK find winner’s glory over the established shows? Tune in to find out.
- Watch our video on the Soap & Continuing Drama and Reality & Constructed Factual nominees
- Watch our video on the Mini-Series and Drama Series nominees
- Watch our video on the Leading Actress and Leading Actor nominees
- Watch our video on the nominees for Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment
We caught up with Rylan, Emily and Caitlin on video chat to discuss all the nominees. Watch our video below…
Here’s what our panel said about the nominees…
Scripted Comedy
Catastrophe
Caitlin Moran: It was happy slash sad news for lovers of Catastrophe, where we saw the final series of the show, written by Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney. Another powerhouse performance from these two and a much-loved series that we hope one day might come back.
Derry Girls
CM: Writer Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls has, for its second series, continued to be just an exploding bomb of delight, following a group of friends during the Northern Irish Troubles.
Rylan Clark-Neal: They did such a great job and long may Derry Girls continue.
Fleabag
CM: In recent years, the BAFTAs have basically turned into the Phoebe Waller-Bridge awards and this year looks like to be no exception with Fleabag coming back for a second series, which was centred around a love story between Fleabag and the Hot Priest.
Emily Atack: I don’t think there was a moment in Fleabag that I didn’t believe or didn’t love.
Stath Lets Flats
EA: It’s such a unique character that he [Jamie Demetriou as Stath] plays. You love him, you’re irritated by him, but you want to give him a hug.
Entertainment Programme
The Greatest Dancer
CM: Everyone likes to think they’re the greatest dancer, but this year, the BBC made it official – you had to enter this competition to win and prove that you really were the greatest dancer.
The Rap Game UK
RCN: The Rap Game UK was such a fantastic concept. It was a more cooler version, I suppose, of The X Factor, but for rap. So you’ve got contestants, you know, rap battling each other, trying to ultimately get a record deal with Krept & Konan and it was such a... it was actually really raw.
Strictly Come Dancing
RCN: I have been very lucky to be part of the Strictly team myself, working on It Takes Two, and it’s so lovely to see the show just go from strength to strength to strength.
EA: I have to admit, I sort of practice on my own, my own Strictly routines in my kitchen, especially through lockdown.
The Voice UK
CM: Who has not played The Voice at home? You sit on a chair with your back to your friend and they sing really badly whilst you refuse to turn your chair around and they scream, “Turn your chair, turn your chair!”
EA: I always wonder, “If I was on it, would they turn for me?” I think that’s what we all think, like, “Ooh, would they turn for me?”
View the full list of nominees here.
When is the 2020 Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards on TV?
The 2020 Virgin Media BAFTAs airs on BBC One HD (CH 101/108) at 7pm on Friday 31 July. It is also available for 30 days in Apps & Games > BBC iPlayer.
TV channels: Channels, content and features available depend on your chosen package. Channel line-ups and content are subject to change at any time and to regional variations.
HD: HD TV set, V HD Box, TiVo box or Virgin TV V6 connected with HDMI cables required for HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package.
Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for up to 7 days or up to 30 days after broadcast, depending on content.
Interviews: Any opinions expressed in interviews are those of the interview subject and not those of Virgin Media.
Image credit: Fleabag @ Two Brothers – Photographer: Luke Varley