Broadcastnow.co.uk
Robin Parker
18 Mar 2009

Channel 4 drama The Devil’s Whore cleaned up at the RTS [Royal Television Society] Programme Awards last night with three prizes including best drama serial.

Writer Peter Flannery and lead actress Andrea Riseborough were also recognised for their contributions to the drama, which was described by judges as “bloody and brutal but equally inspiring and atmospheric… an exciting, muscular drama on an impressive scale.”

Other drama prizes went to BBC4’s The Curse of Steptoe, CBBC’s MI High, ITV1’s The Fixer and BBC1 soap EastEnders. Ben Whishaw, star of BBC1’s Criminal Justice, was named best actor in a drama.

…Comedy gongs went to Outnumbered (BBC1), Peter Kay for his performance in his C4 reality show spoof Britain’s Got The Pop Factor (And Possibly The Next Jesus Christ Soapstar Strictly On Ice) and to writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong for their sitcom Peep Show (C4).

Harry Hill’s TV Burp (ITV1) was named best entertainment show while Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins were names best entertainment performers for C4’s The Sunday Night Project.

BBC4 commanded the digital channel categories with wins for Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe and US import Mad Men, while BBC2 had a strong showing in factual with awards for Arena’s Phil Spector special, epic documentary The Fallen and constructed factual series The Choir – Boys Don’t Sing.

Bruce Forsyth took home a lifetime achievement award, while TalkbackThames’ head of entertainment Richard Holloway won the special judges’ award for a career that has ranged from The Muppets and Play Your Cards Right to Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor.

Channel 4 took home the most prizes for a single channel, with eight awards compared to BBC1’s five, BBC2’s four and ITV1’s two.