Matthew Bell reports on the centre’s awards, held amid the splendour of Cambridge’s Gonville & Caius College.
BBC factual drama The Sixth Commandment won two awards at the RTS East Television Awards 2024, which were hosted by BBC Look East presenter Mousumi Bakshi at Gonville & Caius College, University of Cam- bridge, at the end of June.
The four-part series – written by Sarah Phelps and starring Timothy Spall, Anne Reid and Éanna Hardwicke – explored the shocking deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin. It won the Scripted prize and also Craft – Cinematographer for Rik Zang.
Brian Wood, Executive Director of True Vision East, which made The Sixth Commandment with Wild Mercury Productions, said: “Peter Farquhar, who was played so brilliantly by Timothy Spall, studied English at Cambridge, so I’m sure he would have been delighted that the awards took place in the stunning venue of Gonville & Caius College.
“Screenwriter Sarah Phelps, whose brilliant and sympathetic script told Peter and Ann’s story, wrote the whole series in her home just half an hour from Cambridge. So, as well as True Vision East being based here, the entire series has strong links to the region.”
Countryfile’s Matt Baker took home the On-screen Personality award for his work on Matt Baker’s Travels in the Country: USA and Travels with Mum and Dad.
In the news categories, BBC East Health Correspondent Nikki Fox was named News Journalist of the Year, the fourth time she has received the accolade at the RTS East Television Awards.
ITV News Anglia picked up two awards: News Story of the Year for ‘Send SOS’, which revealed how hundreds of children with special educational needs (SEND) were being denied a school place; and News Craft Talent for its camera operator Sean Cockrell. Seaside Special, German film-maker Jens Meurer’s beautifully shot and affectionate film about the Norfolk town of Cromer as it prepares for its annual end-of-pier variety show, was awarded the Factual – Documentary award.
