“It was brilliantly directed, impeccably performed and written, with James Graham’s extraordinary ability to make politics entertaining”
Brexit: The Uncivil War is the programme of which Channel 4 director of programmes Ian Katz is most proud, and the Broadcast judges were full of praise for its ability to entertain while telling a seminal story of our times.
The standalone drama, which aired in January 2019, consolidated with average figures of 2.3 million and, with an ABC1 profile of 77%, was C4’s most upmarket-skewing drama ever. Benedict Cumberbatch starred as Dominic Cummings, campaign director of the officially designated Brexit support group Vote Leave.
Delving into the opposing leave and remain camps, the drama examined the public role played by politicians and each campaign’s controversial financial backers.
The £3m-plus single drama provoked much debate, winning praise from Westminster insiders for writer James Graham’s depictions of the leading figures and their role in the campaigns.
One judge commented: “It was brilliantly directed, impeccably performed and written, with Graham’s extraordinary ability to make politics entertaining.”
Another said the “truly impressive” drama was a “stinging piece of all-too-real satire” and an “incredible accomplishment” that entertained and appalled in equal measure.
SHORTLISTED
8 DAYS: TO THE MOON AND BACK
BBC Studios’ The Science Unit and The Open University for BBC Two
The 50th anniversary drama about the first moon landing outperformed for BBC Two with an audience of 2.2 million and a 10.6% share.
The drama intercut dramatic reconstructions with iconic archive footage, as rarely heard cockpit audio, recorded by the astronauts, was lip-synced by the lead actors.
BLACK MIRROR: BANDERSNATCH
House of Tomorrow for Netflix
The first interactive experience of its kind to reach a mainstream audience blended traditional narrative storytelling with an interactivity previously exclusive to video games.
The result was an innovative event that encouraged Black Mirror fans and new viewers to get involved with the storyline rather than lean back.
DOING MONEY
Renegade Pictures for BBC Two
Broadcast as part of BBC Two’s ‘Why Slavery?’ season to coincide with International Slavery Day, this crime drama consolidated to 1.8 million in its Monday 9pm slot.
The film received much praise for telling an uneasy but important story about the kidnapping of a Romanian student ordered to become a sex worker in Ireland.
I AM KIRSTY
Me and You Productions for Channel 4
Part of the three-part I Am… series from director Dominic Savage, I Am Kirsty explored the link between austerity and poverty by telling the story of a mother struggling to keep her family afloat.
Samantha Morton took on the lead role and produced an incredibly powerful, fully improvised performance.
THE LEFT BEHIND
BBC Studios for BBC Three
The story of a young Welsh man seduced by the far-right and drawn into a sickening hate crime came poignantly at a time when far-right extremists referred to the government’s anti-terrorism programme increased by 35%.
Bravely, the in-house BBC production explored the crime from the perspective of the perpetrator.
Award sponsored by Elstree Studios
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