TV Baftas Stumble into Obsolescence: An Embarrassing Display

The TV Baftas are meant to honor the finest British shows across all genres—dramas, comedies, and everything else we've binge-watched over the last year. However, there wasn’t even a glimpse of Stephen Graham’s work. Adolescence or Motherland spin-off Amandaland - Two of the programs I've been unable to cease discussing lately make an appearance in tonight's roster of winners.

Instead, everyone's focus was on Mr Bates Against The Post Office , which beat out Baby Reindeer to secure the Best Limited Drama award and was also given a special acknowledgment . A TV show that began airing in January 2024.

The ITV series recounted the tale of struggling sub-postmasters and mistresses who were wrongly blamed for—and in certain instances even jailed over—theft, fraud, and discrepancies caused by a computer glitch.

It merits acknowledgment for its narrative, as well as its performances—especially in regard to Toby Jones ) and the sheer impact it had in the real world. But you already know all that. For months, Mr Bates Against The Post Office was inescapable and over 9 million of us watched.

The excitement surrounding a show everyone has already seen made this evening's Baftas seem oddly – annoyingly – outdated. This event isn't merely an exclusive celebration for the TV sector; it's also aired nationally on BBC One for the public.

This implies it needs to offer something for folks like us, who dedicate our Sunday evenings to observing actors shedding tears and giving each other friendly pats on the back.

It ought to suggest new shows for us to watch instead of merely alerting us about series we've already overindulged in.

Mr Bates Against The Post Office Jessica Gunning was not the sole winner that highlighted how outdated the Bafta awards seemed. She took home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the mentioned series. Baby Reindeer, Netflix's thriller about obsession, which initially captivated audiences before everyone grew tired of debating the true identity of Martha. The show's second season delves into the world of Northern Irish law enforcement. Blue Lights Won the award for Best Drama, even though it premiered more than a year prior. The musical performance — featuring faded 2010s star Jessie J — also seemed outdated.

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It doesn't have to remain like this. The Emmys — which serve as the American counterpart to the TV Baftas — honored Baby Reindeer and Shōgun (which claimed the International prize) as far back as September. Each took home Golden Globes in January as well. It seems rather outdated for the same shows to receive nomination nods many months afterward from the Baftas. This doesn’t just make the awards seem behind the times—it renders them irrelevant.

Television progresses much too swiftly for the Baftas to stay abreast. This show's sequence The Traitors that was nominated wasn’t the most recent third series, but the one before that – the one with Diane’s “Ross is” revelation and won by ultimate Traitor Harry. That was on BBC One in January 2024 – a year and five months ago in normal terms, but a decade in TV time. Not only do we not remember it, but we certainly don’t care if it wins a Bafta or not.

Tonight’s awards weren’t entirely pointless. Both Lennie James and Ariyon Bakari received accolades for their performances in the exquisite, heartfelt adaptation of Bernadine Evaristo’s Mr Loverman . Now that was a show that didn't receive the recognition it warranted until just last October.

The BAFTA is the pinnacle of recognition for a British TV series. However, if it keeps honoring shows we've long grown weary of, winning one might quickly lose its significance.