British Academy Television Award
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
First awarded1983
Currently held byI Am... Ruth (2023)
Websitehttp://www.bafta.org/

The British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry. According to the BAFTA website, the category is for "a single, self-contained drama.", this "includes single films which form part of an anthology series, where each episode has a self-contained story. The same characters cannot appear in a later episode."[1] It was awarded as Best Single Play from 1973 to 1983. Prior to that, there was a sole category for Drama Production.

Winners and nominees

1970s

Year Title Recipient(s)
1973 Stocker's Copper Jack Gold
The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui Jack Gold
To Encourage the Others Alan Clarke
1974 Kisses at Fifty Michael Apted
Alice Through The Looking Glass James MacTaggart
Country Matters: The Little Farm Silvio Narizzano
Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont/Wessex Tales: The Withered Arm Michael Lindsay-Hogg
1975 Antony and Cleopatra Jon Scoffield
Catholics Jack Gold
God Bless Thee Jackie Madison Jack Gold
Mr Axelford's Angel John Frankau
Robinson Crusoe James MacTaggart
1976 The Evacuees Alan Parker
Shades of Greene: Cheap In August Alvin Rakoff
Eighty-Four Charing Cross Road Mark Cullingham
Just Another Saturday John Mackenzie
The Naked Civil Servant Jack Gold
1977 Bar Mitzvah Boy Michael Tuchner
Billion Dollar Bubble Brian Gibson
Ready When You Are Mr McGill Mike Newell
Rogue Male Clive Donner
1978 Spend, Spend, Spend John Goldschmidt
A Good Human Story/Philby, Burgess And Maclean Gordon Flemyng
Jesus of Nazareth Franco Zeffirelli
Professional Foul Michael Lindsay-Hogg
1979 Licking Hitler David Hare
Me, I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf Stephen Frears
The One and Only Phyllis Dixey Michael Tuckner
Thank You Comrades Jack Gold

1980s (as Best Single Play)

Year Title Recipient(s)
1980 Blue Remembered Hills Brian Gibson
Churchill and the Generals Alan Gibson
The Knowledge Bob Brooks
Suez 1956 Michael Darlow
1981 Caught on a Train Peter Duffell
Blade on the Feather Richard Loncraine
Cream In My Coffee Gavin Millar
Staying On Silvio Narizzano
1982 Going Gently Stephen Frears
A Sense of Freedom John Mackenzie
The Potting Shed David Cunliffe
United Kingdom Roland Joffé

1980s

Year Title Recipient(s)
1983 The Ballroom of Romance Pat O'Connor
P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang Michael Apted
A Voyage Round My Father Alvin Rakoff
Walter Stephen Frears
1984 An Englishman Abroad John Schlesinger
The Country Girls Desmond Davis
Orwell On Jura John Glenister
Saigon: Year of the Cat Stephen Frears
To The Lighthouse Colin Gregg
1985 Threads Mick Jackson
Doctor Fischer of Geneva Michael Lindsay-Hogg
The Ebony Tower Robert Knights
Oxbridge Blues James Cellan Jones
1986 Shadowlands Norman Stone, David M. Thompson
The Browning Version Michael Simpson, Shaun Sutton
Monsignor Quixote Rodney Bennett, Christopher Neame
Silas Marner Giles Foster, Louis Marks
1987 Screen Two: "Hotel du Lac" Sue Birtwistle, Giles Foster
Drums Along Balmoral Drive Brenda Reid, Jane Howell
The Good Doctor Bodkin Adams Innes Lloyd, Richard Stroud
Screen Two: "The Insurance Man" Innes Lloyd, Richard Eyre
London's Burning Paul Knight, Les Blair
Past Caring Kenith Trodd, Richard Eyre
1988 Lifestory Mick Jackson
Screen Two: "After Pilkington" Christopher Morahan, Kenith Trodd
Blunt John Glenister, Martin Thompson
Screen Two: "East of Ipswich" Tristram Powell, Innes Lloyd
1989 Tumbledown Charles Wood, Richard Broke, Richard Eyre
Talking Heads: "Bed Among the Lentils" Alan Bennett, Innes Lloyd
Talking Heads: "A Lady of Letters" Alan Bennett, Innes Lloyd, Giles Foster
Screen Two: "Sweet As You Are" William Nicholson, Ruth Caleb, Angela Pope

1990s

Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster
1990 Screen One: "The Accountant" Geoffrey Case, Paul Knight, Les Blair BBC One
First and Last Michael Frayn, Michael Wearing, Alan Dossor BBC One
Bomber Harris Don Shaw, Innes Lloyd, Michael Darlow
Screen One: "She's Been Away" Stephen Poliakoff, Kenith Trodd, Peter Hall
1991 Screen One: "News Hounds" Les Blair, Sarah Curtis BBC One
Screen Two: "Old Flames" Simon Gray, Kenith Trodd, Christopher Morahan BBC Two
Screen One: "Can You Hear Me Thinking?" Monty Haltrecht, Beverley Marcus, Ruth Caleb, Christopher Morahan BBC One
Shoot to Kill Michael Eaton, Nigel Stafford-Clark, Peter Kosminsky ITV
The Widowmaker Jeremy Brock, Deirdre Keir, John Madden
1992 Screen One: "A Question of Attribution" Alan Bennett, Innes Lloyd, John Schlesinger BBC One
Screen Two: "102 Boulevard Haussmann" Alan Bennett, Innes Lloyd, Udayan Prasad BBC Two
The Trials of Oz Geoffrey Robertson, Simon Curtis, Sheree Folkson
Screen One: "Hancock" William Humble, Paul Marcus, Tony Smith BBC One
1993 An Ungentlemanly Act Bradley Adams, Stuart Urban BBC Two
Screen Two: "The Grass Arena" Ruth Baumgarten, Gillies MacKinnon, Frank Deasy BBC Two
A Doll's House Simon Curtis, David Thacker, Joan Tindale
Screen Two: "Memento Mori" Louis Marks, Jack Clayton, Alan Kelley, Jeanie Sims
1994 ScreenPlay: "Safe" David M. Thompson, Antonia Bird, Al Ashton BBC Two
Screen Two: "The Clothes in the Wardrobe" Norma Heyman, Waris Hussein, Martin Sherman BBC Two
Screen Two: "The Snapper" Lynda Myles, Stephen Frears, Roddy Doyle
Screen One: "Wide-Eyed and Legless" David Lascelles, Richard Loncraine, Jack Rosenthal BBC One
1995 Screen Two: "Skallagrigg" John Chapman, Richard Spence, Nigel Williams BBC Two
The Dying of the Light Peter Kosminsky, Hossein Amini ITV
Screen One: "A Breed of Heroes" Andrée Molyneux, Diarmuid Lawrence, Charles Wood BBC One
Screen One: "Pat and Margaret" Ruth Caleb, Gavin Millar, Victoria Wood
Stages: "Suffer the Little Children" Jack Emery, Betsan Morris-Evans BBC Two
1996 Screen Two: "Persuasion" Fiona Finlay, Roger Michell, Nick Dear BBC Two
Eleven Men Against Eleven Jimmy Mulville, Andy Hamilton Channel 4
Go Now Andrew Eaton, Michael Winterbottom, Paul Henry Powell, Jimmy McGovern BBC One
Heroes And Villains: The Last Englishman Sue Vertue, John Henderson, Anthony Horowitz
1997 Hillsborough Nicola Shindler, Charles McDougall, Jimmy McGovern, Katy Jones ITV
Screen Two: "Crossing The Floor" Guy Jenkin, Lissa Evans BBC Two
Screen Two: "The Precious Blood" Robert Cooper, Anthony Rowe, John Woods, Graham Reid
Some Kind of Life Bill Boyes, Julian Jarrold, Kay Mellor ITV
1998 No Child of Mine Peter Kosminsky, Guy Hibbert ITV
Breaking the Code Jack Emery, Herbert Wise, Hugh Whitemore BBC Four
Bumping the Odds Ian Madden, Rob Rohrer, Rona Munro BBC Scotland
The Acid House: "The Granton Star Cause" David Muir, Alex Usbourne, Paul McGuigan, Irvine Welsh Channel 4
1999 A Rather English Marriage Joanna Willett, Paul Seed, Andrew Davies BBC Two
A Life for a Life: The True Story of Stefan Kiszko Malcolm Craddock, Stephen Whittaker, Peter Berry ITV
Talking Heads: "Playing Sandwiches" Mark Shivas, Udayan Prasad, Alan Bennett BBC One
Talking Heads: "Waiting for the Telegram" Mark Shivas, Stuart Burge, Alan Bennett

2000s

Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster
2000 The Murder of Stephen Lawrence Mark Redhead, Paul Greengrass ITV
Dockers Sally Hibbin, Bill Anderson, Jimmy McGovern Channel 4
Lost for Words Sita Williams, Alan JW Bell, Deric Longden ITV
Sex 'N' Death Jane Featherstone, Guy Jenkin BBC One
2001 Care Kieran Prendiville, Antonia Bird, Louise Panton, Ruth Caleb BBC One
Donovan Quick Sue Austen, David Blair, Donna Franceschild BBC Two
Nice Girl Ruth Caleb, Dominic Savage
Storm Damage Ian Madden, Simon Cellan Jones, Lennie James
2002 When I Was 12 Ruth Caleb, Dominic Savage BBC Two
My Beautiful Son Jeff Pope, Bob Mills, Paul Seed, Tim Kazurinsky ITV
Othello Anne Pivcevic, Julie Gardner, Geoffrey Sax, Andrew Davies
The Navigators Rebecca O’Brien, Ken Loach, Rob Dawber Channel 4
2003 Conspiracy BBC Two/HBO
Bloody Sunday Mark Redhead, Paul Greengrass ITV
Flesh and Blood Derek Wax, Julian Farino, Peter Bowker BBC Two
Tomorrow La Scala! Ruth Caleb, Chris Collins, Francesca Joseph
2004 The Deal Christine Langan, Stephen Frears, Peter Morgan Channel 4
The Canterbury Tales: "The Wife of Bath" Kate Bartlett, Andy De Emmony, Sally Wainwright BBC One
Danielle Cable: Eyewitness ITV
This Little Life Stewart Mackinnon, Sarah Gavron, Rosemary Kay BBC Two
2005 Omagh Ed Guiney, Paul Greengrass, Pete Travis, Guy Hibbert Channel 4
Dirty Filthy Love Christine Langan, Adrian Shergold, Jeff Pope, Ian Puleston-Davies ITV
Hawking Jessica Pope, Peter Moffat, Philip Martin BBC Two
Not Only But Always Alison Jackson, Terry Johnson, Charles Pattinson, George Faber Channel 4
2006 The Government Inspector David Aukin, Jonathan Curling, Peter Kosminsky Channel 4
ShakespeaRe-Told: "Much Ado About Nothing" Diederick Santer, Brian Percival, David Nicholls BBC One
The Queen's Sister Kath Mattock, Simon Cellan Jones, Craig Warner Channel 4
Red Dust BBC Two
2007 Housewife, 49 Victoria Wood, Piers Wenger, Gavin Millar, David Threlfall ITV
Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! Andy De Emmony, Ben Evans, Martyn Hesford BBC Four
Longford Peter Morgan, Tom Hooper, Helen Flint, Andy Harries Channel 4
The Road to Guantánamo Michael Winterbottom, Mat Whitecross
2008 The Mark of Cain Tony Marchant, Nicola Shindler, Lynn Horsford, Marc Munden Channel 4
Boy A John Crowley, Lynn Horsford, Mark O'Rowe Channel 4
Coming Down the Mountain Greg Brenman, Roanna Benn, Mark Haddon, Julie Anne Robinson BBC One
The Trial of Tony Blair Alistair Beaton, Simon Cellan Jones, Hal Vogel, David Aukin More4
2009 White Girl Hettie Macdonald, Abi Morgan, Andrew Woodhead BBC Two
Hancock and Joan Richard Cottan, Richard Laxton, Simon Heath BBC Four
Einstein and Eddington George Faber, Mark Pybus, Peter Moffat, Philip Martin BBC Two
The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall Simon Block, Rowan Joffé, Barney Reisz, Charles Furneaux Channel 4

2010s

Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster
2010 The Unloved Samantha Morton, Tony Grisoni, Kate Ogborn, Andrew Eaton Channel 4
Five Minutes of Heaven Guy Hibbert, Oliver Hirschbiegel, Eoin O'Callaghan, Stephen Wright BBC Two
Mo Jeff Pope, Neil McKay, Lisa Gilchrist, Philip Martin Channel 4
A Short Stay in Switzerland Liz Trubridge, Simon Curtis, Frank McGuinness, Ruth Caleb BBC One
2011 The Road to Coronation Street BBC Four
Eric and Ernie Victoria Wood, Peter Bowker, Tim Bricknell, Jonny Campbell BBC Two
I Am Slave Andrea Calderwood, Gabriel Range, Jeremy Brock Channel 4
The Special Relationship BBC Two
2012 Random Polly Leys, Kate Norrish, Debbie Tucker Green Channel 4
Holy Flying Circus Owen Harris, Polly Leys, Kate Norrish, Tony Roche BBC Four
Page Eight David Barron, David Hare, David Heyman, Bill Nighy BBC Two
Stolen Stephen Butchard, Justin Chadwick, Rebecca Hodgson, Sita Williams BBC One
2013 Murder Robert Jones, Birger Larsen, Kath Mattock BBC Two
Everyday Michael Winterbottom, Melissa Parmenter, Laurence Coriat, Andrew Eaton Channel 4
The Girl Julian Jarrold, Gwyneth Hughes, Amanda Jenks, Leanne Klein BBC Two
The Hollow Crown: "Richard II" Rupert Goold, Pippa Harris, Sam Mendes, Rupert Ryle-Hodges
2014 Complicit Guy Hibbert, Niall MacCormick, Kevin Toolis, Jolyon Symonds Channel 4
The Wipers Times David Parfitt, Andy De Emmony, Ian Hislop, Nick Newman BBC Two
An Adventure in Space and Time Mark Gatiss, Matt Strevens, Terry McDonough, Caroline Skinner
Black Mirror: "Be Right Back" Barney Reisz, Charlie Brooker, Owen Harris, Annabel Jones Channel 4
2015 Marvellous Peter Bowker, Julian Farino, Katie Swinden, Patrick Spence BBC Two
Common Jimmy McGovern, David Blair, Colin McKeown, Donna Molloy BBC One
Murdered by My Boyfriend Pier Wilkie, Regina Moriarty, Paul Andrew Williams, Darren Kemp BBC Three
A Poet in New York Aisling Walsh, Ruth Caleb, Andrew Davies, Griff Rhys Jones BBC Two
2016 Don't Take My Baby Jack Thorne, Ben Anthony, Pier Wilkie, Aysha Rafaele BBC Three
The C Word Susan Hogg, Simon Lewis, Nicole Taylor, Tim Kirkby BBC One
The Go-Between Claire Bennett, Susan Hogg, Adrian Hodges, Pete Travis
Cyberbully Richard Bond, Ben Chanan, David Lobatto, Leah Cooper Channel 4
2017 Damilola, Our Loved Boy Levi David Addai, Euros Lyn, Susan Horth, Colin Barr BBC One
Murdered by My Father Bruce Goodison, Toby Welch, Vinay Patel, Aysha Rafaele BBC Three
Aberfan: The Green Hollow Pip Broughton, Bethan Jones, Jenna Robbins, Owen Sheers BBC One
NW BBC Two
2018 Murdered for Being Different Aysha Rafaele, Scott Bassett, Paul Andrew Williams, Nick Leather BBC Three
Against the Law Aysha Rafaele, Scott Bassett, Fergus O'Brien, Brian Fillis BBC Two
King Charles III Mike Bartlett, Greg Brenman, Rupert Goold, Simon Maloney
Black Mirror: "Hang the DJ" Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones, Tim Van Patten, Nick Pitt Netflix
2019
[2]		 Killed by My Debt Joseph Bullman, Tahsin Guner, Chris Clough, Aysha Rafaele BBC Three
Black Mirror: "Bandersnatch" Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones, David Slade, Russell McLean Netflix
Care Donna Molloy, Colin McKeown, Gillian Juckes, David Blair BBC One
Through the Gates (On The Edge) Lisa Walters, Stella Corradi, Georgia Christou, Ben Bickerton Channel 4

2020s

Year Title Recipient(s) Broadcaster
2020
[3]		 The Left Behind Alan Harris, Joseph Bullman, Aysha Rafaele, Tracie Simpson BBC Three
Brexit: The Uncivil War Channel 4
Elizabeth is Missing Andrea Gibb, Aisling Walsh, Sarah Brown, Chrissy Skinns BBC One
Responsible Child BBC Two
2021
[4]		 Sitting in Limbo BBC One
BBW (On the Edge) Ben Bickerton, Philip Trethowan, Lisa Walters, William Stefan Smith, Yolanda Mercy Channel 4
Anthony Jimmy McGovern, Colin McKeown, Donna Molloy, Terry McDonough BBC One
The Windermere Children Eleanor Greene, Leanne Klein, Tim Rostock, Simon Block, Michael Samuels, Alison Sterling BBC Two
2022
[5]		 Together BBC Two
Help Channel 4
I Am... Victoria Dominic Savage, Krishnendu Majumdar, Richard Yee, Suranne Jones, Josh Hyams, David Charap
Death of England: Face to Face Clint Dyer, Dixie Linder, David Sabel, Rufus Norris, Christine Schwarzman, Roy Williams Sky Arts
2023
[6][7]		 I Am... Ruth Dominic Savage, Krishnendu Majumdar, Josh Hyams, Kate Winslet, Richard Yee, David Charap Channel 4
The House Paloma Baeza, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels, Charlotte Bavasso, Christopher O'Reilly Netflix
Life and Death in the Warehouse Joseph Bullman, Helen Black, Tracie Simpson, Aysha Rafaele, Tim Hodges, Steve Lawes BBC Three

References

  1. ^ "Rules and Guidelines" (PDF). British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-24. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  2. ^ "Nominations announced: Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards in 2019". www.bafta.org. 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  3. ^ Kanter, Jake (2020-07-31). "BAFTA TV Awards Winners: Night Of Surprises, As 'Chernobyl' & 'The End Of The F***ing World' Take Two Prizes Each". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  4. ^ "BAFTA TV 2021: Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards". www.bafta.org. 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  5. ^ "Bafta TV awards 2022: full list of nominations". The Guardian. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  6. ^ Ritman, Alex (22 March 2023). "BAFTA TV Awards: 'This is Going to Hurt,' 'The Responder' Lead Pack of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Bafta TV awards 2023: the full list of winners". Guardian. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2023.

External links

British Academy Television Awards
Category