Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Hand 'Parade's End' Four Gongs

World War I drama, Parade’s End was the big winner at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, picking up four top honours, with ITV’s Jimmy Savile documentary picking up an award also. Parade’s End was named best drama series, while stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall won best actor and best actress.

Sir Tom Stoppard – for his adaption of Ford Madox Ford's novels - won the writer's award. The role saw Cumberbatch take on a more serious role that his Sherlock antics, and provided Dowton Abbey fans with some useful fodder when their favorite period drama wasn’t on. Onto more serious, but no less dramatic viewing, The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, which showed several interviews with alleged sexual abuse victims of the DJ and TV presenter, saw ITV pick up best documentary. The piece catalyzed a UK-wide police investigation into the abuse scandal, and led to the departure of the BBC's then director general, George Entwistle. And it was the interview with Entwistle – carried out by John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today programme – that won the Harvey Lee Award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting. The judges said the BBC veteran's "tenacious interviewing of politicians and others in the news [had] made his name a byword for fearless inquisition". The hugely popular Twenty Twelve picked up the entertainment/comedy award for it’s satirical take on the preparations for London 2012. Although, with its apparent "uncanny ability to predict real-life events," one would suggest it wasn’t so satirical.

Oh what the fluff, here’s the winners in full:

Best Single Drama - The Hollow Crown: Richard II on BBC Two

Best Drama Series - Parade's End on BBC Two

Best Single Documentary - Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile on ITV

Best Documentary Series - Inside Claridge's on BBC Two

Best Entertainment/Comedy - Twenty Twelve on BBC Two

Best Factual Entertainment - The Great British Bake Off on BBC Two

Best Multichannel Programme - Dynamo: Magician Impossible on UKTV's Watch

Best Actor - Benedict Cumberbatch in Parade's End and Sherlock

Best Actress - Rebecca Hall in Parade's End

Breakthrough Award - Adam Hills for The Last Leg

Writer's Award - Sir Tom Stoppard for Parade's End