Adolescence makes history at Baftas

Adolescence has made Bafta history as it completed its winning streak through awards season, taking top prizes at the Television Awards.

The hit Netflix drama, about a teenage boy accused of a terrible crime, claimed four awards, the most won by a single TV series in the main ceremony.

It was named best limited drama, while stars Stephen Graham, Christine Tremarco and Owen Cooper all won awards.

Graham was named best leading actor, Tremarco won the supporting actress prize and Cooper took supporting actor.

Graham, who co-wrote the script with Jack Thorne, has won a string of awards for his performance in the Netflix series, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe, but had never won a Bafta.

Speaking on stage, he said:

“I might take my time. I’ve been nominated eight times and this is the first time I’ve won.

“Nice one Bafta, this is lovely.

“When I was a kid, I watched a telly programme called Scully, written by Alan Bleasdale, and it had the wonderful Drew Schofield in it and he lived across the road from my nana’s house, so he showed me that I could be on the telly.

“He was my inspiration. So for any other young kid, no matter where you’re from, anything is possible.

“We are all people that have done that, we get to do what we love, which is different.

“We’re not digging holes, we’re not digging ditches, we’re not saving lives, but we have the opportunity to tell the human condition, and we have the obligation to tell beautiful stories and we need to keep that going.”

Cooper, 16, who has also proved unbeatable through awards season, won the first prize of the night and said: “A year ago, I was presenting an award and now I’m collecting one. This is a bit mad.”

He added:

“In the words of John Lennon, you won’t get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it.

“So in my eyes, I think you only need three things to succeed: one, you need an obsession; two, you need a dream; and three, you need The Beatles.”

Graham echoed this sentiment in his speech when he said:

“The kid’s already said it, but in the words of The Beatles, all we need is love, namaste.”

Tremarco was named best supporting actress for playing Cooper’s mother.

She said:

“I feel so privileged to be standing up here holding this Bafta. I feel so honoured to be part of Adolescence.

“I hold this Bafta high.”

The show also won two prizes at the Bafta Craft Awards last weekend for directing and sound.

Celebrity Traitors won the best reality award, as well as the memorable moment prize, for Alan Carr’s treacherous victory.

Collecting the award, he said:

“Was I good? Was I really? Or were the other celebrities just thick?

“It was Nick (Mohammed) who made me cry – we were round that round table and he went, ‘We’ve got this’, and I was like, ‘No, I’ve got this’.

“When I laughed in their faces and went ‘I’m a faithful’, I was packing my bags. But I had the best time ever.”

Referring to the cast filming the second series in Scotland, he said:

“I’m so jealous of all the celebs up there doing it, I wish I could do it all again.

“Sometimes, when I’m a bit sad, I remember the laughter. I can even smell Celia’s fart.

“I dedicate this to Paloma (Faith): there is no-one else I would rather murder than you.”

While it was not nominated, the audible fart Celia Imrie emitted during the show was a recurring gag throughout the ceremony, referenced by Carr, host Greg Davies and even US star Seth Rogen.

Find out more about the Baftas here.

Find out how the local community came together to save Woolton Picture House here.

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