Mr Bates Vs The Post Office has been shortlisted for the TV Choice Awards after the ITV drama renewed attention to the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal.
More than 700 subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and given criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015, as Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon IT system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.
The TV drama, which shone a light on the issue, has been nominated in the best new drama category – but it will face tough competition from Netflix hit Baby Reindeer and thrillers Fool Me Once and Nightsleeper.
Actor Toby Jones has received a nod for the best drama performance gong for his role as former subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates, one of more than 550 claimants who have brought legal action against the Post Office.
He will compete against Bridgerton stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, who play love interests Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton in the latest series of the hit Netflix show, as well as Brenda Blethyn for crime drama Vera.
Meanwhile, Bridgerton has been nominated in the best drama category alongside Vera, veterinary drama All Creatures Great And Small, and Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon.
Coughlan has also received a best comedy performance nod for her role in Channel 4’s Big Mood, which is also up for the best comedy show award with Brassic, Ghosts and Young Sheldon.
The Bridgerton star will go up against Michelle Keegan for her part in Brassic, David Mitchell for Ludwig, and Charlotte Ritchie for Ghosts.
The best family drama prize sees Doctor Who, Waterloo Road, Casualty and Call The Midwife compete against one another, while 24 Hours In Police Custody, Clarkson’s Farm, The Footage Detectives, and Springtime On The Farm/Harvest On The Farm/Winter On The Farm, are all up for the best factual show gong.
Elsewhere, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have been nominated in a number of categories including best entertainment show for Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and best reality show for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, which they host.
Hit BBC show The Traitors will also compete for the best reality show gong alongside Big Brother/Celebrity Big Brother and First Dates/Teen First Dates.
The best talent show prize will also be hotly contended as Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s Got Talent, The Masked Singer, The Great British Bake Off and a number of Bake Off spin-offs have all been nominated.
ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women will also go up against each other for the best daytime show prize along with BBC’s Animal Park and Escape To The Country/I Escaped To The Country.
Comedian Jason Manford will host the ceremony on February 10 at The London Hilton on Park Lane where the winners will be announced.
Manford said: “I’m really looking forward to making my TV Choice Awards debut at The London Hilton in February.
“It’s an event that brings together so many great shows and performers and knowing that one of my programmes has made it onto the shortlist makes it even more exciting. I know it’s going to be a great night.”
