Liverpool television shows won big this year at the annual Royal Television Society North West Awards.
Over 550 guests gathered at the glitzy awards ceremony at The Point in Manchester to celebrate another year of television here in the north west. The event, hosted by Emmerdale's Adam Thomas and presenter Jenny Powell, celebrated the BBC's 100th anniversary.
In a year of top television, programmes filmed and set in Merseyside ran out as clear winners in a number of categories. Tony Schumacher's police drama The Responder won in two categories, with Tony himself scooping best script writer.
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The gritty drama starring Martin Freeman was inspired heavily by Tony's own experiences as a police officer. The show has been commissioned for a second series. Freeman's co-star Adelayo Adedayo also took home the award for best breakthrough talent for her portrayal as an inexperienced and still idealistic probationary officer.
Another worthy winner was the crew behind the ITV show Anne - a four part drama following titular campaigner Anne Williams and her battle for justice after her son died during the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. Anne won best drama series for its shockingly raw and powerful portrayal of the mum's fight for justice.
The best single drama award went to Help. The Channel 4 TV film starring Stephen Graham and Jodie Comer told the story of a young health care assistant working at a care home in Liverpool during the pandemic. The moving drama, that asked questions of the government's handling of Covid-19, especially during the early weeks of the pandemic, drew critical acclaim. One critic for The Times gave the film five stars and called it "a shaming nightmare [that] all ministers should see".
Elsewhere a judges' nomination was awarded to Frank Cottrell-Boyce. The screenwriter and novelist wrote the much-loved Paddington Bear sketch that was created to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee earlier this year. Speaking after the monarch's death, he said the Queen "delivered her lines brilliantly with evident enjoyment. It was a brilliantly timed comedy performance".
A full list of winners and nominees from the awards can be found here.
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