RTS North West

The Liverpool-born author took the Script Writer award for his BBC One prison drama Time while its star, Sean Bean, picked up the Performance in a Drama prize.

McGovern’s drama Anthony, made by LA Productions for BBC One, which tells the story of a racist murder of a teenager and the life he could have lived, secured the Single Drama award.

Channel 4 Aids drama It’s a Sin, written by Russell T Davies and made by Red Production Company, took the Drama Series prize.

‘I’m incredibly honoured,’ said Roach. ‘The North West has a long history of exceptional programme-making
and enabling the next generation of talent – and the RTS has always celebrated and supported both.’ 

Theresa Wise, CEO of the RTS, said: ‘As the UK production sector returns to full swing, the work of our regional centres is central to supporting the work of our wonderful television community.’ 

It felt good to be in a room full of people at the RTS Cambridge Convention last month: great sessions and speakers, brilliantly curated by Ben McOwen Wilson of YouTube. Of course, there was much drama when John Whittingdale stepped in for outgoing culture secretary Oliver Dowden, but this was a great way of demonstrating to the UK broadcasting industry that the Government knows better than most what constitutes great drama.  

RTS NW regret to announce that due to COVID -19 and the current social distancing guidelines we have had to cancel the RTS NW Awards 2020.
We look forward to seeing you and receiving all your amazing entries in 2021. 

Over three series, The A Word has been widely praised for its honest portrayal of autism and the tensions this unleashes on a family. But The A Word is also laugh-out-loud funny and joyful – and, given its Lake District setting, beautiful to look at.

The BBC One drama, which finished its third series in early June, tells the story of Joe, a young boy with autism, and his fractious, larger-than life extended family.

The writer was talking at an RTS North West online Q&A in late April. He recalled the 2008 recession, when friends at ITV told him, “‘We don’t know if we can show this episode of The Bill tonight,’ [because] they were so short of advertisers and money.

“This recession is going to be even bigger and it’s going to affect the commercial channels hugely… and [the streamers] will start cutting back as well.

“We’ve got a Government that is morally and profoundly opposed to the BBC. Please don’t think they’ll change their minds about the BBC in this crisis.”

It’s 2010, and screenwriter and showrunner Frank Spotnitz sits in a plane at LAX ahead of a 10-hour flight, eager to begin his new life. On the strength of a deal with Sky to air his new spy thriller Hunted, he has sold up, lock, stock and barrel, in the US, and is moving his business, his family and dogs to London.

As the plane taxis to the runway for take-off, he takes a quick call from one of his producers, only to be told that Sky has cancelled the show. Suddenly, Spotnitz is unemployed; Hunted seems dead in the water, along with his European dream.

The BBC One series, made by the Red Production Company, bagged three awards at the ceremony, which was held at the Hilton Deansgate in Manchester. Years and Years was named Best Drama, while the acting gongs went to Rory Kinnear and Jessica Hynes.

Granada Reports also picked up three awards on the night. The ITV News programme won the Best Regional News Programme award for its investigation into the North West’s high suicide rate and the prize for Best Digital Content. Sports correspondent Chris Hall was named Best Regional News Journalist.